(Letter to the Editor - Photo Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection)

I am a Green Beret, entrepreneur, business owner and proud West Virginian.

I love this state. I love Parkersburg. But lately, it feels like we’re slipping into something we were never meant to become — apathetic, undisciplined, and content with mediocrity. We’ve stopped aiming high. We’ve stopped holding the line. And somehow, those of us who demand better are treated like the problem.

We’ve made choices that traded long-term stability for short-term gratification. We brought in the bulk of the state’s rehab centers with no clear strategy for what came after. Now we’re dealing with the fallout — generational poverty, crime, addiction, and economic stagnation — while pretending this is just how things have to be.

Everywhere I look, I see a lack of pride. Obesity is rampant, craftsmanship is dying, and no one seems to care if the coffee is hot or the donut is fresh. We can’t even go to Walmart, Kroger, or Sam’s Club without showing up in pajamas — like we’ve completely given up on self-respect. We take our families out to eat, then hand our kids headphones and an iPad so we can eat in silence, disconnected from the very people we’re supposed to be raising. There’s no conversation, no discipline, no presence — just convenience.

Our workforce is weak because we’ve stopped building strong people. We offer no real reason for outside businesses to invest here. And when people do take a chance, we make them fight through a culture that seems more concerned with keeping standards low than reaching new ones. We’ve convinced ourselves that expecting more is offensive — that showing up, breathing air, and collecting a check is success.

I’m not angry because I’ve given up — I’m angry because I still believe we can do better. That we must do better. We owe it to our children, our neighbors, and our state. West Virginia isn’t some forgotten land of broken promises. It’s a place of grit, faith, and resilience. But those things don’t mean anything if we don’t act on them.

We need to raise the standard — in our homes, our businesses, our schools, and in ourselves. Show up on time. Take care of your health. Serve others. Build with pride. Engage your kids. Speak clearly. Stop pointing fingers. This is how we reclaim our towns, our future, and our sense of identity. And it starts with one decision: to stop settling.

This isn’t a rant. It’s a wake-up call. And it’s time we answer it.

Aaron Read

Parkersburg