Posted on 02/23/2005 10:16:43 PM PST by DAVEY CROCKETT
In an interview with New York Magazine, Rep. Charles Rangel said, "I don’t have the slightest clue who Hillary really is. All I see is a gal who knew she was as good as anyone else, and she saw this guy she could make something of, so she forfeited Illinois and went to Arkansas. That’s a hell of a move to make for a redneck, which is all he was." When asked if he really thought Bill Clinton was a redneck, Rangel told WWRL Radio's Steve Malzberg and Karen Hunter: "Of course he is. He's from Arkansas."
Many southerners were offended by Rangel’s implication that all southerners are rednecks. I am a native southerner, and an actual hillbilly from the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. I wasn’t offended by being referred to as a redneck by implication though; I was offended by another aspect of Rangel’s statement that hasn’t gotten much attention. No, it wasn’t that he described Hillary as an opportunist who only married Bill for power -- that seems pretty accurate. What offended me was Rangel’s implication that rednecks are on par with Bill Clinton.
A redneck is a rural, low land southerner - in other parts of the country, we are called hillbillies, cowboys, bumpkins, hicks or just country. Rednecks are traditional Americans, who work hard to support their families, and go to church on Sunday. Rednecks volunteer as Sunday school teachers, youth leaders, firemen and anything else their community needs. Rednecks usually drive pickup trucks, and they spend a lot more time than they would like using those trucks to haul things for neighbors, but they never complain, decline or accept payment. Rednecks pay their own way and spend their hard earned money on clothes, insurance, food and education for their kids - rednecks won’t take charity or welfare.
Rednecks mow their own lawns and work on their own vehicles and they have every manner of tool imaginable (which they keep in a shed that they built themselves). Rednecks don’t spend their leisure time protesting, or at fancy cocktail parties, criticizing President Bush’s grammar -- they hunt, fish and enjoy sports with their friends and families. Rednecks usually wear work boots or cowboy boots, but at some point in their lives most rednecks owned a pair of combat boots, when they risked their lives to give the "pampered" the privilege of criticizing our "cowboy" president. Rednecks show respect for veterans, say the Pledge of Allegiance with the words, "Under God", and stand when the national anthem is played. Rednecks may not have the best education, but they know what matters: faith, family, patriotism, self sacrifice, and a strong work ethic. A redneck may not have much money, but he knows what is truly valuable. If you threaten a redneck, his family, his friends or his country, he will not back down, surrender or appease.
In the words of Hank Williams Jr., "you can't starve us out and you can't make us run / Cause we’re them ole boys raised on shotguns / We say grace and we say ma'am / If you ain't into that we don't give a damn / We’re from North California and South Alabam / And little towns all around this land / And we can skin a buck and run a trot line / And a country boy can survive". ("Country Boy Can Survive")
In spite of all of our faults, flaws and country ways, rednecks have a strength of character that is a sign of integrity. Bill Clinton is no redneck! Bill Clinton is WHITE TRASH!. Many rednecks are registered Democrat because our daddies and granddaddies were Democrats, but we don’t vote that way any more -- and, we wouldn’t cross the street to spit on Bill Clinton.
Judson Cox is a political columnist from the mountains of North Carolina. He is quickly gaining recognition as one of the most popular and influential voices of his generation. As a college student, and a young entrepreneur, he has a unique perspective on matters of politics, economics and culture.
Copyright © 2005 Judson Cox
Truer words were never spoken. BC always reminded me of this con man from an episode of the Dukes of Hazzard.
LOL BC wouldn't even make a good Boss Hogg!
I thought Monica was his cousin? ? Now wouldn't that have been something... Cousin Monica and the Cigar.../sarc
We got ourselves "canyon-critters" up here in north-west Montana to go with our rednecks. ><
I agree. I have a lot more respect for rednecks than I do for the likes of the Bent One...
Ah "canyon-critters" never heard that before!
Clinton is pure white trash with money.....other people's money, that is! God only knows how much of our money he stole from us when he was in office.
Some would say a scalawag.
MY CRIMES THEY ARE AMAZIN’
(parody of "The Times They Are A'Changin'")
...The time is a'comin'
When the curtains will crash.
Like my low down gals,
I’ll be labeled white trash.
And my presidential power,
Will later be cashed.
New world order is rapidly fadin'.
And the First Lady's qualms,
Will someday be what’s vast.
For my crimes they are amazin'.
God only knows how much of our money he stole from us when he was in office.
Isn't that the truth. It is probably a good thing we don't know!
Agree and said so myself (!) when I heard Rangle's comments.
Rangle is either confused; or just uneducated to 'southern realities'.
He also said he married a 'southern girl' . . .from Florida.
rednex have dignity
As far as this, it is amazing how Rangel feels -- and knows -- he can get by with the double standard and use a term that is unequivocably racial with impunity.
LOL I have to pass this one around.
Worth repeating, so what does that REALLY make Hildebeast ???
As Proud Midwesterner born and bred it is so fine to see the soul of "Red State" profile so eloquently defined.
I love my God my wife my country and my life. I'm a cowboy (red neck) but by God don't you mention Bill Clinton and me in the same sentence you snooty New York libs.
. . .on his best days; perhaps; otherwise he was far too dangerous to get away with the fairly harmless description of 'scalawag'. . .
. . .'in his dreams' perhaps. . .
Has everyone noticed how "roddem" has disapeared from hitlary's name?
She is branding herself as "clinton", one word.
Are we to be surprised that a ivory tower educated, yalie lawyer is not a red neck?
I recently went on a trip up in Arkansas (Hot Springs)
While there...it was not hard to find out that Clinton was not some poor kid like the media tried to claim.
In hope...they lived in a nice two story home. It was nice the time that they lived there.
(They only show current pictures of it ...they won't show the pictures of it when he lived there as a little boy).
Then when his mother married Mr. Clinton...who made pretty dang good money in the car business.
Then they moved to Hot Springs (at a time when gangsters from New York will still frequenting the town).
Bill Clinton's Uncle owned the most successful car dealership in Hot Springs. (It seems that all sorts of gambling went on at the dealership...and it was a sort of smoke filled power room for Hot Springs)
Young Slickster spent a lot of time at the Car Dealership....when he was not hanging out at a local country club!
Oh...and as you can imagine...Since his pop and uncle were big car dealers...young Slickster had a nice clean ride. Many pics of him in convertables.
They first lived in a pretty nice house (at the time..and it is still in nice condition) on a hill. Then they lived in a nice brick home. (I took pictures of both)
Clinton had a pretty good like as a youngster.
Red Neck....No.
Poor.......NO!!!!
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