I'm a Resident

I'm sure a lot has been speculated about what's going on in Western North Caolina. I'm a resident. One who has just now got enough of a signal to access the internet for more than a minute or two at a time. I'll explain.

— Prester Khan (@thepresterkhan) October 5, 2024

… Utterly devastated, obviously, is the state we're in. Were it not for the good old boys "borrowing" tractors and backhoes, siphoning diesel, and firing up chainsaws, we'd have all been stuck for days or weeks longer than we were.

We sure as hell didn't have any state or federal assets coming to help. Our own governor didn't bother to declare a state of emergency until 3 days in. Around 70 percent of aid is going into the Asheville area. Forgotten are we mountain folk.

We that have lost more people than we know of yet. We that have lost family, friends, homes, and businesses.

Save a single border patrol car, some national guard trucks and helicopters, and forest service personnel, the real help I've seen has been that of volunteers.

That's not only a disservice to us, but to you all as well. My hometown is Spruce Pine, which is located about an hour from Asheville. What many of you don't know is that the world's economy relies on my small town. We mine the purest quartz on earth.

That quartz becomes the silica that we refine to 99.999999 percent purity. This is what I do when I go to work every day. That refined silica goes into the chips in your cell phones, TVs, solar panels, and a long list of etcetera.

Down the mountain and in the county next door, in the town of Marion, is the Baxter plant. Baxter is responsible for 80 percent of the IV bags used in every hospital across the country.

What you should all be asking yourselves is why state and federal government assistance was not here, in these small towns immediately following this disaster.

The carnage, destruction, and looting in places like Asheville make for good news stories. But, the real story is here.

Here, amongst the descendants of the Scotch and the Irish, who settled these lands that reminded them of their own, the rugged individualists who helped shape this country and who still take care of their own. It's our story, but it affects not only us. It affects all of us.

I've heard a few rumors but have seen nothing of the sort. Everyone is here is rolling around armed.

— Prester Khan (@thepresterkhan) October 5, 2024