Motlow State College
LYNCHBURG, TENNESSEE – Politically and culturally, the capital of Moore County is about as red-state America as you can get. Its rolling green hills are dotted with farmhouses, old barns and beaten-up trucks; the tiny town square features two barbecue joints and a “Dixie Outfitters” shop hawking Confederate memorabilia. Donald Trump drew 80 percent of the vote, and the county went Republican for the four elections before that.
“It’s a very conservative area,” said Ray Tucker, president of Lynchburg’s Chamber of Commerce. “Farmers and all are typically stand-on-your-own-ish. They don’t believe in social programs. They believe in ‘You eat what you kill.’”
So it might come as a surprise that at Motlow State Community College’s Moore County campus, every local attends for free. In fact, anyone from Tennessee can go for free, courtesy of the state government.
The whole idea of free college in America is a linchpin of progressive politics, pushed by Bernie Sanders in his 2016 campaign and endorsed by any candidate trying to burnish his or her progressive credentials. In […]
This is why I keep calling this period in time a wabe sabe moment. A time when things are broken and the cracks are where the light comes thru!!
A very interesting article. I would like to make a couple of points. Moore county is indeed one of the most rural in Tennessee. I was raised in an adjacent county. I started my college career at Motlow State. Left, joined Uncle Sam’s Army, came back and resumed my education on the GI Bill (1978). It was a great bridge for me. Moore county would be much poorer if not for Jack Daniels. Side note, Jack Daniels generates over 1 billion dollars in Federal taxes annually. Jack makes Lynchburg a destination for tourists on motorcycles, vintage cars, etc. There is even a bus that makes a daily trip from Nashville from a local hotel. Although I usually vote on the Democratic ticket, Tennessee has had some decent moderate Republican governors, Lamar Alexander, and Bill Haslam, being two of them. I don’t know if trade training is part of the free college program in Tennessee, but it should be. Due to the rural nature of a lot of Tennessee that would seem especially appropriate. We need plumbers, welders, auto mechanics etc. Maybe more than we need Tennesseans with a two year associates degree.