Southern Or Redneck?

Day 183 (Written Tuesday June 12) ~ Disclaimer: you may have a different definition of redneck than I do, and if that be the case I hope you aren’t offended. If you consider yourself a redneck, but don’t think my description is fitting of you, then you and I just have a different definition of redneck. No harm, no foul. If you’ve turned on a tv anytime in the last couple of months, it has been obvious to you that America has become fascinated by rednecks. Redneck Island and My Big Fat Redneck Vacation are CMT’s two most popular shows. Not too long ago Jeff Foxworthy broke onto the scene because of his redneck jokes and country music radio has fed the world a steady diet of redneck anthems (High Tech Redneck, Redneck Yacht Club, Redneck Woman). Some of you may not be aware of this, but there is a difference between being southern and being redneck. Please allow me to explain. The main thing you need to know is that rednecks aren’t only in the south and all southerners aren’t rednecks. Where I come from, rednecks is not a good thing. Redneck is synonym for ignorant, white trash. Rednecks are low class. Redneck may be popular, but its not a good thing. I am southern, I am country, I am hick, I am hillbilly, but I am not a redneck. I grew up with rednecks, worked with rednecks and have redneck family members. I speak fluent redneck and can spot one a mile away. I’ve met plenty of yankee rednecks. Kid Rock, who is from Detroit, Michigan, is like the template for redneck. Contrast that with southerners, hicks and hillbillies. They are honest, hard working, give you the shirt off their back, do anything for you, godly, salt of the earth kind of people. I proudly wear any of these names. Southerners are modeled more by Andy Griffin than Kid Rock. Sure we talk funny, have peculiar ways and can, at times be simple, but you’ll never meet better people anywhere.