'White trash' Texas town written off by a professor

Daily Telegraph ^ | February 22, 2004 | Julian Coman in Washington

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Over the years, Texans have been the butt of many cruel jokes. Opponents of President George W. Bush, who grew up in Midland, Texas, love to lampoon his folksy cowboy language.

But no one has been quite as insulting as Dr Larry Sechrest, a university professor in the Texan town of Alpine.

Last month, he published a 7,000-word essay entitled "A strange little town in Texas", in a small-circulation magazine based in Washington state. Unfortunately, a couple of subscribers who live in Alpine read his indictment of his 5,000 neighbours, two of whom have responded with death threats.

"The secret problem here," Dr Sechrest wrote in the introduction, "is that the students and more generally the long-term residents of the entire area are appallingly ignorant, irrational, anti-intellectual and well, just plain stupid."

The diatribe, which appeared in Liberty, an obscure libertarian journal, was apparently inspired by a letter from a student. On reading the words "Thank you for all your patients", an exasperated Dr Sechrest put pen to paper. "Here, one has poor white trash and poor Mexican trash socialising with each other," he wrote. "Here, the lowest common denominators get together to pro-create."

There was more. "Many of the kids are only a notch above retardation," he said. "The students here are among the worst... anywhere. I am prepared to defend to the death the proposition that this area of Texas generally is the proud home of some of the dumbest clods on the planet."

As an economics professor, Dr Sechrest had tried to interest the residents in theories of capital markets but most were interested only in "football, beer, sex and church".

Now he says: "The article was a Mark Twain sort of thing. I can't believe there's such anger."

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Larry Sechrest, an economics professor at Sul Ross State University, infuriated the town of Alpine with an article in a libertarian journal. Photo Credit: Lee Hockstader -- The Washington Post

[bigghurtt]

wait, I thought his name was Larry Sechrest, not Bruce Vilanche.

I'll give 20 to one odds this guy got so smart by studying by flashlight while he was stuffed in his locker in high school.

never having to worry about dates, friends, or hygiene opens a lot of time for lurnin.

[NYCVirago]

The diatribe, which appeared in Liberty, an obscure libertarian journal, was apparently inspired by a letter from a student. On reading the words "Thank you for all your patients", an exasperated Dr Sechrest put pen to paper.

It says something about this clown's character that a *thank-you note* got him so irate. Yeah, his student wrote "patients" instead of "patience," but frankly, this student was being generous to his teacher, as it doesn't sound like this professor has much patience for anybody!

[blackbart.223]

"The professor is tenured so the university president, who's under pressure to fire him, can't."

And how ridiculous is that?

[Stallone]

Hate crime alert.

This man would be in jail for comments against blacks.

[cherry]

the crux of being Libertarian:..do what I say, not what I do ( or think)

its okay to preach about rugged individualism in cigar smoke-filled rooms with leather chairs among your cronies, yet another to accept and appreciate people of differant roles in life, differant dreams, and differant values....

I think most libertarians are as phony as the limosine liberals, but that's just my opinion....

[Flightdeck]

This guy thinks Texans are dumb? I'll spin relativity and M-theory around this guy's oversized head while I run laps around his portly belly. If the intellectual-ellite is going to be arrogant about themselves, they might as well back it up with somthing.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

The City of Midland Hometown of President George W. and Laura Bush

Productivity
Respect
Initiative
Dedication
Empathy

Spells pride

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Bump

[blackbart.223]

That photo says it all. An aging Jerry Garcia hippy wanna be with self esteem so low a snake could crawl under it. I wouldn't even dare to learn economics from this person as he doesn't know the the first thing about the subject.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

I wouldn't even dare to learn economics from this person as he doesn't know the the first thing about the subject.

And he writes about people behind their backs - needing 7000 words to get out all his venom.

[atomic conspiracy]

..."Thank you for all your patients", an exasperated Dr Sechrest put pen to paper. "Here, one has poor white trash and poor Mexican trash socialising with each other," he wrote. "Here, the lowest common denominators get together to pro-create."

I have met Sechrist. He didn't make much of an impression beyond that of a generic cow-college place-holder. A simple grammatical error appears to have triggered the good professor's torrent of invective. If so, he must count himself among the ranks of retarded trash: "procreate" should not be hyphenated.

Note that the arrogant hypocrite responds with contempt and ridicule to what is apparently a statement of gratitude, yet he faults others for their alleged ignorance and vulgarity. If I ever see this person again, I must remind myself not to thank him for anything, except perhaps to keep his fat arse out of my way.

Is it a cheap shot for me to criticize him personally without naming myself? Given the cheap shot he took at a whole region in an obscure little publication, I don't really think so. Besides, any West Texas professor who reads this will almost certainly know exactly who I am from a quick reading of my profile.

[ApplegateRanch]

"The secret problem here," Dr Sechrest wrote in the introduction, "is that the students and more generally the long-term residents of the entire area are appallingly ignorant, irrational, anti-intellectual and well, just plain stupid."

If the shoe fits, Prof...

[blackbart.223]

"And he writes about people behind their backs - needing 7000 words to get out all his venom."

I guess he doesn't know brevity is the soul of wit.

[kcvl]

I wonder what he thinks of fat men with boobs?

[nkycincinnatikid]

Picture is worth a thousand words alright. Just think, he looks in the mirror and sees Mark Twain.

[ApplegateRanch]

>>>The chain hotel manager has lived in the little town of Alpine for 13 years,<<

If you can't get at him completely off the campus, there is always the hotel to boycot. That must be good for another drop in his income.

[bigghurtt]

speaking of quick reading of your profile, you were naturalized 5 years to the day before I was born.

nice.

[ApplegateRanch]

>This man would be in jail for comments against blacks.<

Doesn't his "poor Mexican trash" comment count?

[Sabatier]

Well-put!