East Texas Rednecks (Dallas, San Antonio, Tyler: high school, living in, farmers)

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Frodo2008

Is east Texas really a bunch of rednecks like most people in Texas seem to think or is this an untrue stereotype?

most are and they are great people even if some have pretty closed minds to some things. I would rather have one of them as my friend than some people I know in the big cities. They are honest, hard workers and know right from wrong. They will give you the shirt off thier back, while the offer you a real down to earth cooked meal..

Nita

[Pontificator]

I much prefer to buy East Texas 'maters by the roadside from a Redneck than arugula from an elitist. Friendlier transaction. And ponderances about life are more likely to be exchanged over a 'mater purchase.

[EasilyAmused]

Originally Posted by Pontificator

I much prefer to buy East Texas 'maters by the roadside from a Redneck than arugula from an elitist. Friendlier transaction. And ponderances about life are more likely to be exchanged over a 'mater purchase.

Yep, you'll get a real life economics lesson right there. Better than any poll can explain it.

Also, I've learned to grow some serious maters lately. As well as making my own crunchie dills and candied jalapenos.

[Frodo2008]

Originally Posted by joejitsu

There are rednecks everywhere. Even in NYC.

Yes this is definitely true. I've seen plenty of them in New England and the Midwest. I was just curious if they were more concentrated in east Texas and the southeast or if that is just a myth.

[Frodo2008]

Originally Posted by desertsun41

I'm not sure if redneck is yet a banned word from our politically correct society yet....give it time and it will too. Hell yea there are rednecks here. But those rednecks will give you the shirt off your back and will always stop to help a complete stranger. They still do things and live a bit differently then societal norms.

When I first got to Texas just after hurricane IKE we stayed with family up in the real hick areas near my beloved Lake Livingston. Yes they still go in the woods behind their house to shoot the nights dinner and may all hunting seasons or no hunting signs be damned. Yes they will pick up road kill if it is freshly killed.

They believe in fixing rather then replacing. Most hold a good paying job and live a good life. You can always pick them out of a crowd at the Rodeo. I sit in the stands at AB Sallas Equestrian Park and can just point them out one by one. That's not a bad thing. I guess my wife was a bit of a redneck in her younger days growing up here and she turned out good.

Forget the stereotypes. They are just like everyone else. They just grew up in very rural areas having less restrictive laws then else where. They are probably happier then their city slicker comrads.

Yeah there are so many stereotypes in the world it's hard to sort out fact from fiction. So I created this post to help me do that. No matter what people are called: city slickers or rednecks if they're good people then that's all that matters.

[Frodo2008]

Originally Posted by tstone

What kind of stories come out of East TX for the nation to see? Well let's see...

The Dragging death of James Byrd in Jasper is pretty famous.

Vidor was a sundown town and some people believe it still is. The rep is still around somewhat for all the white-flight towns in the Golden Triangle that aren't Beaumont, Port Arthur or Orange. (correct or not) One thing I know for a fact is "black" is probably the most vulgar word around here.

In Spring, the ''white power'' kid beat & sodomized a Hispanic boy with a pipe. Hispanic boy committed suicide by jumping off a cruise ship shortly thereafter.

Tenaha, the cops are allegedly robbing people (esp blacks) who pass through the town. There is a class-action suit brewing right now.

Now, several weeks ago in the Liberty area some deliverance-type inbreds shot and killed some children who were coming back from an evening @ the river.

So as you can see some of the most disgusting stories in the nation come out of East Texas. The media will continue to perpetuate these stereotypes until certain people out there clean up their act.

BTW, why is it so difficult to find a clean public restroom or fast food joint in E/NE TX??? This region is almost as funky as the Central Valley of CA. Somebody please pass these people some soap and show them how to use a sink.

So is your impression that white people in east Texas are pretty racist or are you just saying that the media gives east Texas more bad press than it should?

[Frodo2008]

Originally Posted by TexasReb

Just a few observations here...

Personally, I am sick and tired...and disgusted to the point of wanting to puke (pardon the inelegance, ladies)...with what the so-called "media" thinks and why it is accepted as the gospel freakin' truth...

This "mainstream media" is mostly based out of the NE and West Coast and never misses a got-dam chance to present Texas and the South as a bastion of racism and a place where lynchings or some such are still common. There is a disdain for our part of the country that permeates their whole way of thinking and the way it is presented to the rest of the country.

How many, for instance, know of THIS story. The one of Ken Tillery...also of Jasper:

Larry Elder

Yeah I hear ya on this. The media isn't fair about a lot of things. Boston which is in New England, I've heard from a lot of people that it's a racist town. The town is real segregated by race and what countries your ancestors came from. The Irish live here, the Italians live over here and the black people live here. New England is supposed to be this open minded place but I've heard just the opposite from a lot of people that have lived in Boston over the years. This just shows you that Texas is no more racist than most other places.

[Frodo2008]

Originally Posted by nmnita

most are and they are great people even if some have pretty closed minds to some things. I would rather have one of them as my friend than some people I know in the big cities. They are honest, hard workers and know right from wrong. They will give you the shirt off thier back, while the offer you a real down to earth cooked meal..

Nita

Yeah Arkansas is also called a redneck place by a lot of people around the country. I've been to Arkansas a couple of times and everybody was friendly to me. I've been to NW Arkansas (Bentonville, Rogers, Fayetteville and Bella Vista) and everything was fine for me. The scenery in Bella Vista is pretty dang good, the people were friendly. I think no matter where you go in this life people respond to you in the same form. If you have a bad attitude and are an a**hole to people they will reply to you in the same form. So you won't think the people there are friendly. If you're friendly, like to talk to strangers, then you're good to go no matter where you go in life. I've been to a lot of places around the country and I haven't had a bad experience with people anywhere. I've had people in the past tell me that people in Chicago are a**holes. I've been through Chicago several times and I thought the people were friendly. When I got gas people were holding the door for me, etc. So the thing to remember is be cool and the people around you will also be cool.

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by tstone

I'm sure there are other stories to go around from other areas that the media will hype up, especially in the rest of the South and Midwest. Unfortunately Texas gets the spotlight because it's a very big/influential state. I have no beef with anyone just because he is an East Texan. Don't read into anything I didn't write. I was just giving the only stories to come out of there that actually hit the national spotlight. Unfortunately when you're branded a felon, it's for life and beyond. People wonder "why the stereotypes??" and I gave the reason.

So as you can see some of the most disgusting stories in the nation come out of East Texas.

This is what you said in summing up that led to my response. There are plenty of "disgusting" stories that come out of other places (and not even in the South or Texas - not the same thing - go figure!) that hit the national spotlight. I was simply pointing out the selective nature of your choices.

[Westerner92]

Originally Posted by Frodo2008

Yeah there are so many stereotypes in the world it's hard to sort out fact from fiction. So I created this post to help me do that. No matter what people are called: city slickers or rednecks if they're good people then that's all that matters.

That's a simple, but good conclusion.