Black Rednecks and White Liberals

....that is the title of the article, and before someone calls me a rascist, I just want to inform you all that this was written by a black man. It's a very good read though...

Black Rednecks and White Liberals

 

Interesting article. Language is an interesting thing. They way we talk as well as the way we pronounce words is mistakenly taken as a show of our intelligence. Big mistake -

 

Thomas Sowell is brilliant as ever! When I lived in New Orleans whites said "axe" for "ask" and used many butcherings of the English language.

 

White liberal

I object to his generalization of white liberals supporting things like "ebonics" and other BS like that. I am a liberal and solidly support good English and a strong education.

I do find it annoying though when people are judged by their accent. I think regional accents add to the charm of different parts of the US. For some reason southerns seem to suffer the most from this prejudice. Is saying "axk" any worse than "dat" or "deah"?

On another note, the "white redneck" culture is very much alive in the south. My husband describes it as "the culture of ignorance". The attitude is "I'm stupid and proud of it." I have a friend who was born into a very middle class white family, parents both have Masters, brother is on his way to being a small animal vet but she, at some point, decided to be a redneck. Down here that means mininal or no employment, "schooling" is bad or "uppity", good English is for nerds and geeks and women are second class. The height of redneck culture is a Bud, a big tired truck (with full rifle rack), a pitbull and hog hunting. She developed a southern accent (no one else in her family has one) dropped out of high school and now spends her days sleeping and her nights drinking and hunting hogs.

 

Re: White liberal

The accent is more a function of class and subculture than region. I've know people living in cities in the Deep South with virtually no accent. I live in Kansas near the four state area of KS, OK, AR and MO, kind of on the frontier of southern accents. Moved here from Minnesota. I've noticed people--typically upper or upper middle class (though there aren't many around here)--with little or no accent, whereas others, the more colorful characters with the gunracks and the like, speak with strong midwestern hick accents: "warsh" rather than "wash", "Missouruh" rather than "Missouri". My name, "Mike" is often pronounced something like "Mack". "You all" is one word, and it's used for "groups" of 1 as well as 50.

Women are certainly treated differently in this culture. Gave my wife quite a start when we moved here. Women are usually given demeaning nicknames like "Tootie" or "Buffy". In public women are put in their place by being referred to not by their given names, but as "Hun" or "Sweetie", older women are the worst at using these diminutions, particularly for younger women like my wife; it always rankles her. And it's not a term of endearment I don't think, it's about putting her in her place: "So you don't come from around here, don't dress in frilly stuff like we do, don't speak the way we do--well we'll drop you a notch."

 

Re: Re: White liberal

Actually, I think the accent is from what other people around you sound like, early in life that is mostly your family. The friend I mentioned picked hers up from the friends around her. When I would speak to my grandmother in Alabama, I would sound like her within minutes. Also, there are places now to teach you to lose the accent. This is recommended if you are planning on going into any sort of job with the public.

You all would actually be y'all, with a strong drawl. And, of course, God is two syllables, Ghoo-odd.

I think you are wrong on the "Honey" and "Sweetie" though. My family uses that as terms of affection both for family and people they like. Within a few minutes of meeting my friends my mother will start using this nickname - and she uses it for male or female.

Being good at accents down here can be a help. At horse / mule shows I speak fluent southern / western to fit in with the folks around me. I know horsepeople from NY, CA and MN that all sound just like Texans.

 

Re: White liberal

I agree. Sowell makes WAY too many generalizations. The idea that all white liberals aid and abet keeping blacks in the ghetto is nonsense, as is the claim that all white liberals are in favor of ebonics. Oakland (where I live) was the birthplace of the whole ebonics controversy. I can tell you there where plenty of white liberals who were aghast at the whole idea. In fact, it was the Bay Area culture (which is largely liberal) that beat down the whole idea, and sent the whole ebonics crowd scurrying.

There isn't a representative white liberal - just as there isn't an average redneck.

 

Re: Re: Re: White liberal

You may be right that "honey" and "sweetie" are terms of endearment. Maybe my wife, having no experience with this culture, is just not yet used to it. However, there's something to be said for her point-of-view; she does have a name, and it's not "sweetie".

I was raised almost through high school in small town southern KS, and while I can turn the accent off or on depending on the circumstances, I find that when I'm in an uncomfortable or emotional situation or a state of exhaustion, the accent pours right out. Remember the thoroughly addled Dan Rather and his late night coverage of the 2000 Presidential election? That's an extreme example, that guy was almost unintelligible; he started spouting down home aphorisms that would've made Andy and Aunt Bee and Goober blush.

 

Re: White liberal

Excellent points Deb!

And speaking of red necks, let's see how long those mostly middle aged huge bellied rednecks last out in Arizona! Hail the Minutemen! What a bunch of beer drinking clowns! The scary part is that they are armed! Most of them probably drank a 18 pack the night before.

Just my opinion!

Abner

 

Re: Re: White liberal

They are? That's the first I've heard of that.

They are? That's the first I've heard of that.

 

Re: White liberal

My kinda woman. NOT!!!

 

Re: Re: Re: White liberal

Didn't hear anything about the drinking but every report I heard or read said that "some of them are armed."

 

Re: Re: White liberal

akshully, yall, up nawth hyar in Ahia all the purty bahtendresses call the gahs "hun."

 

Re: Re: White liberal

You mean Ted Kennedy and Jeff Foxworthy don't qualify?

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: White liberal

Just about every major news channel out here in California has shown these idiots walking around with guns/holsters. Let's just wait and see how long the buffons keep up their antics! As soon as it gets hotter than hell, they will be out of there.

If they are so concerned with keeping "those" people out, maybe they should insist employers comply with citizenship laws. Right now, I hear many legalized Mexicans complaining that they are being laid off while illegals are being retained. Whose fault is this? The employers and certain politicians who stand to gain from cheap labor!

Abner

 

Rednecks

This is too funny. I love "redneck jokes" and I live in a rural area where people are often referred to as rednecks. I wear a leather motorcycle jacket when I'm in the mood, and cowboy boots. I love C/W music. I'm attaching a picture of a car we owned in 1981, and this is my beautiful little daughter in the picture, too. Any thoughts on whether I might be a redneck? I would have to add here that I drink about once a year (New Year's Eve only most years) and education is obviously quite important to me. I guess my only real point here is that I MIGHT BE a redneck, but then again, I might not be one...depending on one's definition!

 

Redneck car

I'm not sure the picture attached on the previous post so I'm trying to attach it again.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v490/suelaine/old_car.jpg

 

Re: Rednecks

The C/W music and cowboy boots say maybe but the motorcycle jacket says no. A motorcycle is not a redneck symbol down here - it would be a demin jacket, as worn as possible.

By my difinition, no, you'd wouldn't qualify. In fact, some rednecks would probably laugh at the idea since you value education, don't spend every other day drinking and can obviously write. I suspect that you probably don't make disparaging remarks about minorities either, so that lets you out.

Course, I didn't ask how many hunting dogs you have or what kind of vehicle you drive currently?

 

Re: Redneck car

No, you're not a redneck, but that area and car look suspiciously redneck-esque (is that a word?). In fact, it looks like the outskirts of my home town.

I went to law school with a redneck lady, at least in accent (she was from Southern Illinois close to Kentucky), tastes (huge NASCAR fan, her husband looked like a deep south redneck with unkempt beard and long hair), looks (tattoos and cowboy hats), and style (she could throw a few salty words around with the best of them, and had a style that seemed to say: "I don't care what you think of me, here I am, live with it!").

So what became of her? She graduated in the top third of her class (just missed honors) and became a judge!

 

Well shucky darn!!!

Wow! Pretty hard on the old south on this thread.
In my travels of many of the states I find that most accents are
regional, esp when the person is a lifelong resident.

I see many, many comments about the south, deep south, and even the little Florida town outside of Lakeland on Rt 92. Some of the most god awful accents I have ever heard were not from the south, but the great Northeast. Let's start from the Mason Dixson line with Maryland and Pennsylvania. Maryland can provide us with the old "South County Mush Mouth accent of "carn" instead of "corn", "Ballmore" instead of "Baltimore" and so on. The accent in the mouth full of cheesesteak area of Philadelphia is quite different than those of Pittsburgh, which equals Ohio.

Now, lets really get sweet. Those wonderful nails across a blackboard accents of New Jersey and the NYC metroplex.
Those that provide Joisey, Fergetaboutit, How yuz doin, and the lovely drippy nasel "annnahhhh". Not to mention the inability to say a complete sentence without adding the "F" word at least two to three times.

Travel to New England one will have labstah, chowdah, and can reside in areas like Woostah, and Green Habah!!! And for Maine, well, we will just leave that one alone

Woops, there is the Northcentral states such as Wisconsaaan, Michigan, where they work on the road and spread ashfart after they pauve and remove any ruits.
Oh yes, we cannot forget the West. Well, Tom57 states the beginning of Ebonics. Nuff said there Dude, like you know, Mannnh, Uh, hey, like, lets catch some waves. Huh! waddya say?

Now all is tongue in cheek, but I think some does ring true.
For one, our accents are our diversity. As for "redneck" that term was first attached to southern farmers who spent hours on the farm during the summer in their workshirts. Thus, red necks. I think Hollywood was able to enhance the image of gun toting, pickup truck duds, crusing for bar pigs.

As for me? I'm a West Virginia native so it don't make no never mind to me how ya'all talk and how ya'all sound. I just take everyone at face value rather American accent, or that of a "legal" immigrant from a foreign land.

It is not the accent but how one carries themselves through life. The golden rule and yes, a bar of soap used daily helps.
I know many folks without a HS diploma who would give the shirt off their back to help their fellow citizen. I also know many educated self immersed yuppies who I would not give two cents for.

For it is not my job to judge, just do not plant a car on cinder blocks beside my home

Y'all take care now, Ya Hear!!!

Davie Bob