define redneck??? (Springfield, Cape Girardeau, Sikeston: homes, schools, casinos)

[TimtheGuy]

Living in Mississippi for 9 years, I found that people do take pride in being "RED" (short for Redneck). Now that I am back in MN I realize that we have our share of 'Rednecks' up here too, but they would take serious offense to being called that.

[Lakewooder]

I think there's a difference between redneck and white trash. Rednecks stand up for things, namely.

[NOLA2SGF]

Originally Posted by Ozarks21

Not when it's used to mean the derogatory form of redneck.

Oh!! I didn't know about it being used like that. Thanks.

[sandman72]

I have a question for any of you that have grown up in the Southwest Missouri area. I moved here several years ago from another Midwest state and I live in the Bolivar area. I don't want to come across as rude but I want to know why it seems that if you didn't grow up here that people feel a sense of exclusiveness and treat you like an outsider. Almost like that is all they have to cling to, I don't know, maybe insecurity? It also feels like people in that community tend to treat people based upon their skin color rather than what they can do for the community. It would seem that the random "white trash" that grew up and is a 15th generation Bolivarian is more accepted than either a black, asian, hispanic, etc. What I mean by "white trash" is not to be confused with the redneck post, which I do not believe tie together. I have some very, very "redneck" friends and family members; however, they do not, nor would they fly the Confederate flag. Now understanding that perception of the confederate flag varies from person to person, much like the post about the Nazi swastika. The swastika may have originated as a good thing but has become greatly perverted over the years and quite tainted also. This is also "my perception" of the confederate flag. Again, MY PERCEPTION DOES NOT MEAN YOURS, IT IS SIMPLY MY PERCEPTION I am all in favor of individual freedoms and especially that of living in the great US but as far as unity it seems the further down the road we go the more divided this country gets. I'm sure that somebody thinking their being funny will post something that is completely unrelated to my question but this has been a question that has been gnawing at me since I moved here. Thanks in advance for any "constructive" input.

[Sam I Am]

Originally Posted by sandman72

I have a question for any of you that have grown up in the Southwest Missouri area. I moved here several years ago from another Midwest state and I live in the Bolivar area. I don't want to come across as rude but I want to know why it seems that if you didn't grow up here that people feel a sense of exclusiveness and treat you like an outsider. Almost like that is all they have to cling to, I don't know, maybe insecurity? It also feels like people in that community tend to treat people based upon their skin color rather than what they can do for the community. It would seem that the random "white trash" that grew up and is a 15th generation Bolivarian is more accepted than either a black, asian, hispanic, etc. What I mean by "white trash" is not to be confused with the redneck post, which I do not believe tie together. I have some very, very "redneck" friends and family members; however, they do not, nor would they fly the Confederate flag. Now understanding that perception of the confederate flag varies from person to person, much like the post about the Nazi swastika. The swastika may have originated as a good thing but has become greatly perverted over the years and quite tainted also. This is also "my perception" of the confederate flag. Again, MY PERCEPTION DOES NOT MEAN YOURS, IT IS SIMPLY MY PERCEPTION I am all in favor of individual freedoms and especially that of living in the great US but as far as unity it seems the further down the road we go the more divided this country gets. I'm sure that somebody thinking their being funny will post something that is completely unrelated to my question but this has been a question that has been gnawing at me since I moved here. Thanks in advance for any "constructive" input.

Sandman, I am not trying to be funny or a smart aleck, and I do not live in Missouri, but in Arkansas - but this IS a thread about what "redneck" means, and I'm not sure how your question ties into that?

I will try to address what I think is your question - it seems to me that more people are moving to the south these days - the eastern seaboard seems more transient and has such huge populations in some cities that someone's coming or going is never noticed - but this is kind of a relatively new oddity in the south. I'm amazed at the people relocating to Arkansas from the west and the north because of taxes and the lower cost of living. I don't think that makes them less than me, but it IS strange to grow up in an area where everyone knows everyone, and then look up one day and not remember the next door neighbor's name and have no clue who they are related to. I've never lived anywhere but the south, but it just seems we all went to kindergarten together and have known each other's families all our lives....and when we talk about "going past old man Winston's place", we all know where it is - except for now there are new people and we have to give actual directions. I think it's almost like a clannish or tribal thing - you know who you know and you've known them since day 1 of your life - now there's someone new that you know nothing about - and the natural instinct is to pull back and assess.

I'm still not sure what your question is, but maybe there's an explanation in there somewhere?

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by sandman72

I have a question for any of you that have grown up in the Southwest Missouri area. I moved here several years ago from another Midwest state and I live in the Bolivar area. I don't want to come across as rude but I want to know why it seems that if you didn't grow up here that people feel a sense of exclusiveness and treat you like an outsider. Almost like that is all they have to cling to, I don't know, maybe insecurity? It also feels like people in that community tend to treat people based upon their skin color rather than what they can do for the community. It would seem that the random "white trash" that grew up and is a 15th generation Bolivarian is more accepted than either a black, asian, hispanic, etc. What I mean by "white trash" is not to be confused with the redneck post, which I do not believe tie together. I have some very, very "redneck" friends and family members; however, they do not, nor would they fly the Confederate flag. Now understanding that perception of the confederate flag varies from person to person, much like the post about the Nazi swastika. The swastika may have originated as a good thing but has become greatly perverted over the years and quite tainted also. This is also "my perception" of the confederate flag. Again, MY PERCEPTION DOES NOT MEAN YOURS, IT IS SIMPLY MY PERCEPTION I am all in favor of individual freedoms and especially that of living in the great US but as far as unity it seems the further down the road we go the more divided this country gets. I'm sure that somebody thinking their being funny will post something that is completely unrelated to my question but this has been a question that has been gnawing at me since I moved here. Thanks in advance for any "constructive" input.

If you relocated from a state in the Midwest core than obviously you did not realize that most areas of southern and southeast Missouri are MUCH more similar to the South than the Midwest. Bolivar has always been a smaller town, and has not traditionally had a lot of outsiders move into the town. In many rural areas of Missouri people are a little slower to adapt to change than the bigger cities. Also, many rural counties in Missouri are not very diverse at all, which reflects the fact that their is not really much in-migration into those counties because of a general lack of non-farm employment.

[Florida15]

I was told by a very classy,intelligent lady that the name "redneck" originated years ago when men(or possibly women???)got red necks from working the fields out in the hot sun.??????

[sandman72]

Agreed Sam that this is a thread about redneck definition but this is my seven degrees of how we got here. Redneck Discussion>Confederate flag>Racism/Hate>Small Town Living/Church/Strong Work Ethics, and other stuff that makes up a redneck>Small Town Living>Small Town Exclusiveness>My Post

That is how my question came to pass. I thank you for your explanation and certainly do agree that many people tend to talk about when Ol Man Jenkins had pasture land before all of these buildings, and how you hear, "oh, your so and so's granddaughters twice removed step cousin" that it allows for a sense of, I don't know, inclusiveness into the society? I guess I simply wanted to know why it is that so and so's meth making cousin, simply because they grew up in that town, is part of it but an "outsider" has to work through some rite of passage but hey, feel free to shop and contribute to our town and pay your taxes and not be a burden to our society. I am not riding you Sam but just kinda confused as to why that is. Ignorance has to stop at some point and "small town folk" need to realize that the fish tank that they live in is growing and whether they like it or not they are going to have to change. Sad if the only thing you have to cling to is small town exclusiveness and hoping that all of their friends and families that have been 15th generation continue to pro-create so that their kids can have friends that fit into the "exclusiveness". Please understand that this is not directed at any of you but rather frustration of people's ignorance. Thanks for the answers Plains and Sam.

[huntman58]

Originally Posted by northbayeric

I think Ozarks21 has it right. Charlie Daniels is about as far from being a racist as you can get. And I would think anyone who would use the N word on a regular basis isn't a redneck, but white trash instead.

All I can say is howdee your right one wit this one !!!!!!!!

[huntman58]

Originally Posted by sandman72

What i'm saying is in response to what the other individuals are posting. Redneck is simply a term that has become abused and probably often confused with white KKK trash. I think that the more diversified the area becomes the more confederate white trash flags we see flying around trying to "mark their territory". People can say its about heritage and not hatred but c'mon, the war is long since over and really, what was the civil war fought over?!!? That's right.... slavery. Oh I wish I was in the land of cotton.... .

Umm excuse me but was it not true that the War Between the States started with nothing more then the states fighting the federal government telling them what they can or can not do? To me and all I have ever read in history it was about states rights first and foremost and the idea of slave ownership was only a small part of it as both northern and southern states owned slaves. Also do not forget our great leader Abraham Lincoln only set free the slaves in the confederate states not the union slave states and yes there was both confederate and union slave states .If I am not wrong Missouri was a union state and the proclamation did not free any union slaves. So to me the stars and bars are about states and to a point individual rights and freedoms from the feds telling us this or that. out here in Calif my home tell I move to Missouri I fly one below the us flag and I will do the same in Missouri too, but then I do call my self a red neck and so do my friends and family who are of all deferent races including Black, Mexican, Koran, White .so dose that make us a family of mutt rednecks?