re: An interesting conversation I had with a man from Appalachia at the coffee shop

Whether you're from the backwoods of West Virginia hillbilly country, or from a crime-ridden inner city housing project, the #1 determining factor in a child's future success is their parents. If you're born with the derelict parents, you're pretty much screwed, but if you're lucking enough to be born with two responsible, caring parents, you've got half the battle won no matter how poor you grow up.