Posted on 04/10/2002 8:12:01 PM PDT by DCBryan1
Horsemen arrested after Wal-Mart ride
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Copyright © 2002 Associated Press.
EL DORADO -- Frontier justice and modern retailing collided when police arrested two men they say rode horses through a Wal-Mart Supercenter.
Store workers told police early Sunday that the men rode horses through the food section of the giant store. The workers then led officers to a large pile of horse manure just inside the entrance.
The officers stopped John Glenn Carelock, 20, and tried to coax Clinton Evers, 23, from his horse, but he rode off with officers in pursuit.
Police said Evers was swinging what appeared to be reins or a rope at deputies. When police yelled for him to stop and dismount, they said he responded by yelling the obscenity "Yippie Kay Ye MotherF*****". A small crowd of young people gathered to watch. Police said he fled into woods and was caught on a nearby road.
Evers was arrested on misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and public intoxication. Carelock was booked on a charge of public intoxication. Both men were issued citations to appear in Municipal Court before their release.
Geez girl .. how long have you been up here
With a URL like that, I've received mail from web groups that specialize in sex.
I've received information from animal rights groups. I've even received hate mail from people who think it is an ethnic slur against blacks. But none of those groups are correct as to its origin.
People call me that "crazy Cajun" or that "CoonAss". Both the word Cajun and CoonAss are used to refer to people of Acadian descent. Both have been in a derogatory manner. Both have been used in pride.
The origin of the term is said to have come from the French word "conasse". During the Second World War, many Cajun men served in the armed forces. When in France, many of the French heard the Cajuns speaking in a French that was both very old and in a French that had some very odd words. The Frenchmen called the Cajuns "conasse" which translates to a very low-grade prostitute. I would think this comes from the fact that, although they spoke a form of French, the Cajuns weren't real Frenchmen.
Of course, the "American" servicemen heard "conasse" as "CoonAss". In a world where "RedNeck" is heard often, "CoonAss" fits right in. Just like RedNeck, it wasn't originally used as a term of endearment. But many Cajuns carry it as a description of themselves as good as any other. In Louisiana, you can find vehicles with bumper stickers reading "Registered CoonAss" or "I'm a CoonAss, Me!" Wide spread use came about during the oil boom in Louisiana during the 60's and 70's.
As I grew up, Cajun and CoonAss were synonyms for uneducated and uncouth. Now, the wonders and beauty of the Cajun culture are being experienced world wide. I carry the name CoonAss.com as a reminder of how our culture nearly disappeared and how we as a people have taken the bad traits outsiders associated with being Cajun and have turned them into something good.
"Coonass" Coonass is a controversial term in the Cajun lexicon: to some Cajuns it is regarded as the supreme ethnic slur, meaning "ignorant, backwards Cajun"; to others the term is a badge of pride, much like the word Chicano is for Mexican Americans. In South Louisiana, for example, one can often see bumper stickers reading "Warning Coonass on Board!" or "Registered Coonass" (both of which generally depict a raccoons backside). The words origin is unclear: folk etymology claims that coonass dates from World War II, when Cajun GIs serving in France were derided by native French speakers as conasse, meaning "dirty whore" or "idiot." Non-French-speaking American GIs allegedly overheard the expression, converted it to the English "coonass," and introduced the term back in the United States. There it supposedly soon caught on as a derisive term among non-Cajuns, who encountered many Cajuns in Gulf Coast oilfields. It is now known, however, that coonass predated the arrival of Cajun GIs in France during World War II, which undermines the conasse theory. Indeed, folklorist Barry Jean Ancelet has long rejected this theory, calling it "shaky linguistics at best." He has suggested that the word originated in South Louisiana, and that it derived from the belief that Cajuns frequently ate raccoons. He has also proposed that the term contains a negative racial connotation: namely, that Cajuns were "beneath" or "under" blacks (or coons, as blacks were often called by racists). Despite efforts by Cajun activists like James Domengeaux and Warren A. Perrin to stamp out the terms use, coonass continues to circulate in South Louisiana and beyond. Its acceptability among the general public, however, tends to vary according to circumstances, and often depends on who says it and with what intention. Cajuns who dislike the term have been known to correct well-meaning outsiders who use the epithet.
You know, you don't find a lot of Cajun/Amish mixed marriages these days, huh?
Turn a "negative" into a positive!!!
Bwwaaahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!! That is hilarious! Only in Arkansas!
You know, we all like to complain about the stupidity of the average American, and how they make our lives unnecessarily difficult.
But we need to remember stories like these. Yes, what these two men did was wrong. But it is also hilarious, and awesome.
Always remember, stupid people may be a pain, but they make our lives so interesting. How tedious things would be without the occasional drunken fool, conspiracy nut, or loony-left academics!
You were right. It is a term of endearment or affection used among cajuns for family, fellow cajuns and good friends. It probably isn't a good idea for a stranger to refer to or address a cajun as a coonass. LOL. A little too familiar. LOL
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.