montanaman
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Western Montana
Hey ... just wanted to share my thoughts on this subject.
The word "Redneck" is starting to piss me off. I don't know why ... I used to use the word all the time without second thought. Growing up, I was never part of the "redneck" crowd, and never felt offended when I heard it or read it. I grew up with with a definite liberal bias.
Ten-plus years ago, I moved to Montana. My wife and I recently bought a big log home on 20 acres -- I feel like we're living the American dream. Some of my neighbors are gun-toting white guys who will never be college professors. Loggers, carpenters, etc. These are good, good people. They've helped us in so many ways, I can't begin to describe it.
I'm also aware that it's these same guys who are trashed as "rednecks" on TV. Turn on any TV program or go to the movie theater. Who are the bad guys? More often than not, it's Arabs or rednecks. Rednecks are always portrayed in some sort of idiotic caricature; an ignorant, racist, rapist itching for a bar-fight.
I'm beginning to wonder if perhaps this word is just as bad as the "N" word. Both words seek to subjegate an entire group of people. Both words are used to instill a sense of superiority in the people using them. People trash rednecks as "intolerant." But I would argue that's no longer true. Most rednecks today realize that was a wrong fight, and want nothing to do with it. And most southern rednecks today were never in that fight anyway ... that was their fathers' and grandfathers' fight. And if we want a tolerant world, it has to start in our own hearts. Calling someone a redneck is an act of intolerance.
My first real exposure to the redneck scene was when I worked construction (bricklayer's laborer) while in college. My first 2 days on the job, I thought I had wandered into Hell or something. But as I got to know these guys, I really grew to respect them and love my job. I was lucky ... I got a good crew. Very proud of their work and willing to accept *anybody* who was willing to work hard and learn.
I don't know if any of you guys are into politics, but are you familiar with the new Senator from Virginia? James Webb. He was a Marine platoon leader and later a rifle company commander in Vietnam. Later a lawyer, and former Navy Secretary in the Reagan administration. He was just elected Senator as a Democrat in Virginia. He's also written 6 best-selling novels, including "Fields of Fire" which is critically acclaimed as the best Vietnam-war novel ever written. He also wrote the movie script for "Rules of Engagement," starring Samuel L. Jackson.
His latest book is a non-fiction piece called "Born Fighting" that discusses the history of the Scotts-Irish ("rednecks") in America. It goes all the way back ... How the Scottish fought the British, how the Scottish influenced Britain's first attempts at democratizing their society, how they moved to Ireland, and eventually came to America ... how they moved down the backbone of the Appalachians and homesteaded some of the toughest terrain imaginable.
This book helps to put the "redneck" scene into historical perspective. He discusses frankly the civil-rights abuses in the south, and how many of the "rednecks" were drawn into a fight that wasn't really theirs to begin with. Rednecks in the mountains didn't own slaves. It was generally the old-school, British-descended WASPs on the large plantations that owned slaves. He talked about how two underpriveledge classes were turned against each other, taught to hate and distrust each other.
At the end of the book, he discusses the politics of the situation ... if a candidate ever comes along who can unite the bubba vote with the black vote, that will give the country-club crowd something to really worry about.
Anyway ... not sure where I'm headed with all of this.
Has anybody else ever thought about this? Anybody else find this word to be ugly?
The word "Redneck" is starting to piss me off. I don't know why ... I used to use the word all the time without second thought. Growing up, I was never part of the "redneck" crowd, and never felt offended when I heard it or read it. I grew up with with a definite liberal bias.
Ten-plus years ago, I moved to Montana. My wife and I recently bought a big log home on 20 acres -- I feel like we're living the American dream. Some of my neighbors are gun-toting white guys who will never be college professors. Loggers, carpenters, etc. These are good, good people. They've helped us in so many ways, I can't begin to describe it.
I'm also aware that it's these same guys who are trashed as "rednecks" on TV. Turn on any TV program or go to the movie theater. Who are the bad guys? More often than not, it's Arabs or rednecks. Rednecks are always portrayed in some sort of idiotic caricature; an ignorant, racist, rapist itching for a bar-fight.
I'm beginning to wonder if perhaps this word is just as bad as the "N" word. Both words seek to subjegate an entire group of people. Both words are used to instill a sense of superiority in the people using them. People trash rednecks as "intolerant." But I would argue that's no longer true. Most rednecks today realize that was a wrong fight, and want nothing to do with it. And most southern rednecks today were never in that fight anyway ... that was their fathers' and grandfathers' fight. And if we want a tolerant world, it has to start in our own hearts. Calling someone a redneck is an act of intolerance.
My first real exposure to the redneck scene was when I worked construction (bricklayer's laborer) while in college. My first 2 days on the job, I thought I had wandered into Hell or something. But as I got to know these guys, I really grew to respect them and love my job. I was lucky ... I got a good crew. Very proud of their work and willing to accept *anybody* who was willing to work hard and learn.
I don't know if any of you guys are into politics, but are you familiar with the new Senator from Virginia? James Webb. He was a Marine platoon leader and later a rifle company commander in Vietnam. Later a lawyer, and former Navy Secretary in the Reagan administration. He was just elected Senator as a Democrat in Virginia. He's also written 6 best-selling novels, including "Fields of Fire" which is critically acclaimed as the best Vietnam-war novel ever written. He also wrote the movie script for "Rules of Engagement," starring Samuel L. Jackson.
His latest book is a non-fiction piece called "Born Fighting" that discusses the history of the Scotts-Irish ("rednecks") in America. It goes all the way back ... How the Scottish fought the British, how the Scottish influenced Britain's first attempts at democratizing their society, how they moved to Ireland, and eventually came to America ... how they moved down the backbone of the Appalachians and homesteaded some of the toughest terrain imaginable.
This book helps to put the "redneck" scene into historical perspective. He discusses frankly the civil-rights abuses in the south, and how many of the "rednecks" were drawn into a fight that wasn't really theirs to begin with. Rednecks in the mountains didn't own slaves. It was generally the old-school, British-descended WASPs on the large plantations that owned slaves. He talked about how two underpriveledge classes were turned against each other, taught to hate and distrust each other.
At the end of the book, he discusses the politics of the situation ... if a candidate ever comes along who can unite the bubba vote with the black vote, that will give the country-club crowd something to really worry about.
Anyway ... not sure where I'm headed with all of this.
Has anybody else ever thought about this? Anybody else find this word to be ugly?
eace:
