Rednecks R Us
by Julie Carter
The fame and following of the Duck Dynasty cult has taken
“redneck” to a new level of respect in this country even after Jeff Foxworthy
made it hilariously funny.
However, there remain those that are offended by the term
“redneck.” I have been chastised for my use of it on more than one occasion and
usually by some uninformed person who is then offended that I’m not offended.
Stay with me here.
I have never hidden my redneck lineage nor do I feel like it
has to come accompanied by a chaw of tobacco in my cheek or missing front
tooth.
My last critic informed me that in history rednecks were
poor whites with a long history of being put down and slandered. He never
mentioned duct tape, pickup trucks or coon hunting with hound dogs.
He called me a bigot and told me I was hurtful and
hateful. He had no ears for me when I
tried to explain that he was very wrong about me and my understanding of
rednecks. I tried to explain to him that my particular use of the word was a
term of endearment.
Although rednecks will claim original roots in the pre-civil
war south with a Confederate flag waving overhead, today they are everywhere.
They have families, hold down jobs and make pretty decent neighbors. They are
good people who have a strong sense of right and wrong and won’t change their
ways just because someone said they should.
The redneck ends up the butt of many jokes but doesn’t care
and in fact laughs the hardest. He is the first to help someone in need but the
last to ask for help himself.
He wears many hats. He may be an executive in a suit. Yes,
rednecks have crossed over to a white collar set. He could be a truck driver,
bartender, farmer, cowboy, sailor, Green Beret, computer tech., teacher, waiter
or airline pilot.
I use the “R” word on a regular basis with complete
understanding of whom I speak. I take Martha Stewart’s advice for rednecks on a
regular basis, although I don’t always agree.
Livestock is not always a bad choice for a wedding gift.
I know that “y’all” is singular and “all y’all” is
plural. I hear and use the term “fixin’
to” almost daily and I am among those that have been excused from school
because the cows got out. I know exactly what calf fries are and eat them
anyway. I agree that he should offer to bait your hook for you, at least on the
first date.
You will never hear a redneck say, “I'll have the arugula
and radicchio salad. Would you like your
fish poached or broiled?” Or “Honey, did you mail that donation to Greenpeace?”
I’m not at all surprised when I find a store that offers a
combination of movie rentals, ammunition and bait. In fact, I look for that.
I actually do know someone who used a football schedule to select
their wedding date. Weddings are also
frequently planned around various hunting seasons. I know of a church in Texas
who has services on Monday because there are so many roping on Sunday that they
can’t get their parishioners to attend.
Celebrate your redneck roots today. And don’t forget to
jiggle the handle on the toilet before you leave the trailer house!
Julie can be reached
for comment at jcarternm@gmail.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment