Feral Appalachian with a PhD
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feral-appalachian.bsky.social
Feral Appalachian with a PhD
@feral-appalachian.bsky.social
I'm from multiple generations of Southern Appalachian people. My family has bounced around parts of KY, TN, VA, AL, and NC for 200+ years. I grew up gardening, going into the woods (often without official trails), and listening to family stories.
I swear these hills/mountains get a hold on some people, and it's like they call you.
You get a longing that's only satisfied in the woods of the mountains and hills. You feel energized by being out there. Even when you know of the dangers/risks, you can't bring yourself to stay afraid out there
May 23, 2025 at 4:48 AM
Why is no one talking about RFK Jr's aunt, Rosemary? She was disabled/maybe ND. She may have had autism but we can't be sure.

Joseph Sr had her lobotomized to "calm" her. The procedure left her mostly incapacitated. Her parents hid her from the rest of the family in an institution for years.
April 19, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Open dissent is an American right (and rite). Use it or lose it.
April 19, 2025 at 4:20 PM
I'm very disturbed by the deportation of a person with protected status to a brutal El Salvadorian prison without trial or due process. According to the government, the deportation was due to "administrative error" but they "can't" retrieve him. 1/3
April 2, 2025 at 1:20 AM
Reposted by Feral Appalachian with a PhD
Join us in solidarity—fly your American flag upside down, the traditional signal of distress and extreme emergency.
February 24, 2025 at 12:14 AM
F**k. Trump revoked the visas of a family in our church. They had protection due to danger in their old country. He ended it. They did nothing to deserve this. Many times, I sat with the teenage daughter at church dinners. We fear they'll be deported. They're better people than Trump will ever be.
February 24, 2025 at 2:48 AM
The culture in Appalachia is fiercely independent. People often garden, forage, hunt, fish, etc as part of that. And they really don't like being told what to do. I live rural so I can decide how to manage my own land. If I want to garden, raise chickens, or compost, a HOA isn't going to stop me
February 10, 2025 at 7:03 PM
Reposted by Feral Appalachian with a PhD
Vance posted on X: “Judges aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power.” You mean Trump’s “power” being used to violate our Constitution? The Constitution is not something any president can manipulate for political games.
February 9, 2025 at 7:58 PM
Reposted by Feral Appalachian with a PhD
I’m hearing the phone calls being made to our Representatives in Washington is working. Please dial their digits daily. We need results one person at a time will change things.
February 8, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Don't ever take a physicist to a playground. We can show your kids tricks to make the playground equipment wilder.

I taught my kid how to manipulate angular momentum. There's a spinning chair at the playground we visited today.
February 9, 2025 at 1:50 AM
Parents: If you suspect your child has a disability/has ADHD/has autism/etc, PLEASE get them tested and let a trained medical professional make any appropriate diagnosis...even if your child is "doing okay" right now.
February 8, 2025 at 3:53 PM
I swear some people only hear what they want to hear when Trump speaks. I've seen this so much among white Appalachian Americans. Even as Trump threatens programs that they or their families depend on, they insist that there will be some kind of safety net for them, and they keep cheering him on.
February 7, 2025 at 12:57 AM
Reposted by Feral Appalachian with a PhD
February 4, 2025 at 10:27 PM
Reposted by Feral Appalachian with a PhD
Yes, Trump blamed "DEI" generally for the DC crash but he also specifically blamed disabled FAA employees, indicating they can't do their jobs

This rhetoric has real consequences for disabled people who are already routinely mistrusted, infantilised and demonised
January 30, 2025 at 11:23 PM
Every job has "essential functions" that a disabled person MUST be able to do in order to be hired. A disabled person would NOT be hired as an air traffic controller if they couldn't do the essential functions and pass the necessary screenings.
January 31, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Just a general reminder to be skeptical of unverified information. A lot of people are panicked and scared (understandably so). There's bound to be misinformation out there. Before you act, try to get the best information available and verify claims if possible
January 26, 2025 at 9:37 PM
Reposted by Feral Appalachian with a PhD
If you are a federal employee, it is advised to set your social media accounts to private to prevent outside viewership, as reports suggest that loyalty screenings have begun.
January 26, 2025 at 5:01 AM
When people talk about "traditional, old-time values" of women always staying home while men had careers, I want to ask what the hell they're talking about. My grandma was a mechanic in a factory. And a delivery truck driver. And a school bus driver. My grandpa knew better than to stand in her way.
January 25, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Thinking about family members who have passed. My grandpa was a local union president. My grandma and great-aunts were staunchly pro-working class. There's no way in hell they would have placed their trust in a rich grifter. My grandpa lived to see Trump's 1st presidency and was NOT taken in.
January 25, 2025 at 7:16 PM
"Blessed on the merciful..." Jesus taught mercy/compassion for everyone, even enemies. From what I heard, Budde didn't say a single thing that wasn't true or in line with the words of Jesus as recorded in the Gospels. But Jesus isn't the center of Trumpianity... and she offended the orange god.
January 25, 2025 at 12:37 AM
I'm glad the TN days are getting longer...more time to hike. When I hike in the winter, I see green ferns. They look delicate, but they're hardier than they seem. They're often green even after snow and freezes. Heck, I've seen them growing on top of boulders with little soil. There's a lesson here.
January 20, 2025 at 6:41 PM