What is a Redneck ?

[stillhunter]

I was reading a post where there was a heated discussion about the term redneck. I figured that I would try and clear it up as to where the term comes from. Originaly in the late 1800's the term was used in Georgia and Alabama to describe sharecropers who worked sun up till sundown in the fields and as a result got sunburned necks. The term was used with respect in regards to these hard working people and was adopted to describe hard working people in general. Later in the 1930's the term was used in west Virginia when miners tied red bandanas around there necks to identify themselves when they banded together and marched for the right to unionized and protect themselves from the dangerous working conditions and miss treatment that was their life. Many were killed by their own governments guns as they were ambushed on there way by sniper and machine gun fire. To this day casings can still be found. Surprise even then the people in charge sided with big business. So the way I see it the term was originaly used to describe hard working people who were willing to lay down their lives for a cause they believed in. This is why I am proud to be a Redneck and to hell with Jeff Foxworthy

[RIDE-RED 250r]

Redneck: "The glorious absence of sophistication" -Jeff Foxworthy


Works for me! ;)

[atc007]

I'm afraid no matter what the description. I'm a Redneck. I've sweat blood for what we have. I could care LESS what I'm wearing or how holy and greasy my clothes are. Don't much get upset about how others are offended. I can't change them, no more than they can change my beliefs. We all come from a different place,and have different ways of believing and doing things.. I shower everyday,and can and do clean up well when needed[ Not often!} lol. But ,,by any friends or family descriptions..,,I am a redneck. I have NO problem with being called that or a hick : ).. kinda proud of it...

[riverrat]

I was waiting for this thread :beer

[Scootertrash]

I don't care what they call others Redneck, hippie, longhair, knuckledragger, yooper, troll, cheese head, yankee, whatever, if you have a job, work hard, live your life the way you want and let others live theirs the same way as long as you bring no harm or foul to others, yer cool in my book!

Now hand me that tie wire and duct tape, we gotta git movin!!

[HuffieVA]

I'm proud to be the long haired, red necked, tattooed, hippie looking yankee S.O.B. that passes all the background check to work anywhere from the Navy base to the prison to the nuclear power plant, an international airport and the Pentagon while the ones who like to toss those names around (because they think their better) get stopped in their tracks... Now I ain't perfect and wont ever claim to be, I've even got a resisting arrest charge over a blown taillight, but he had a headlight out too and I was young stupid and trying to prove a point :D

[ATCcountryboy]

I was waiting for this thread :beerMeeeeee tooooooo, thank goodness there are people on here that understand what a redneck is. I was part of that heated debate, it was pretty intense. Long live rednecks!

[Chazz of Blades]

The term Redneck is too often confused with things like idiot, and stupid.

A redneck is, to be bare-bones, a hard working, often blue collar person who's generally hospitable, but more often less on the financial side. A redneck doesn't go out and buy everything new, he tries to make things work. Sometimes with bed rails. Someone who's learned their trades enough to do what needs to be done themselves, with their own blood, sweat, and tears, instead of calling someone else to do it for them.

And it doesn't matter where you're from, you can still be a Redneck.

[ATCcountryboy]

The term Redneck is too often confused with things like idiot, and stupid.

A redneck is, to be bare-bones, a hard working, often blue collar person who's generally hospitable, but more often less on the financial side. A redneck doesn't go out and buy everything new, he tries to make things work. Sometimes with bed rails. Someone who's learned their trades enough to do what needs to be done themselves, with their own blood, sweat, and tears, instead of calling someone else to do it for them.

And it doesn't matter where you're from, you can still be a Redneck.Completely agree.

[torque]

will bcredneck please weigh in on this matter. everything will then become crystal clear.

just kidding bc redneck.

[350XJEDI]

I suppose I'm a redneck living in the city, I like to do things a little different, then the douchebags , I build my toys from the ground up , not just write a big check , I dont put 22 on my 4x4 , I work hard ,play hard ,get danm dirty doing it ,and I really dont care if people understand why I ride a 3 wheeler ,or why my 66 elcamino has the oe paint all faded ,I like it just that way ,I cut my own firewood, fix my own stuff best I can ,

[Vealmonkey]

Still hunter, while what you say is true, and sounds like you borrowed excerpts from Wikipedia, please follow the link to also see the negative connotations associated with the term "redneck".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redneck

[350XJEDI]

that was interesting, but all the same I'm still proud to be a redneck , but i aint white trash my wife is not my cousin .

[ATCcountryboy]

Like Blake Shelton says, ''if you got a problem with that, you can kiss my country trailprotrailprotrailprotrailprotrailpro''. Im a redneck and proud of it!

[stillhunter]

Vealmonkey I have been redneck and proud of it for 40 years Long before Wikipedia.I have had this discussion many times ,yes even before mainstream internet.Don't forget that the info existed long before everyone could just punch there question into a funny little tv.As for the negative connotations society has a way of twisting and perverting the facts about what they don't understand , for example three wheelers come to mind

[riverrat]

Still hunter, while what you say is true, and sounds like you borrowed excerpts from Wikipedia, please follow the link to also see the negative connotations associated with the term "redneck".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redneck

Here is the deal. The term Redneck, or red-neck has multiple meanings. What I am seeing is that people who are against rednecks and what they stand for (all the good things in life and America) started using it as a derogatory term against rednecks. Probably has a little to do with the old North vs South issue. The people in the other thread who were offended by me using that term are probably the same people who use it as a derogatory remark, and are offended by it.
It's kind of like the "N" word where a white person don't dare call someone who is black the "N" word, but they use it among themselves all the time, and are proud of it. My black friends called me it, and I just took it as a compliment, because they know what I am about, I like everyone for who they are, not for what they are.

As far as definitions in the dictionary.com and wikipedia, those definitions were probably written by the haters. But even wikipedia recognizes that rednecks themselves take it as a compliment and has an alternate meaning. Wikipedia is written by anyone. I've gone in wikipedia and corrected statements.

When I used the term, it was meant as a compliment to everyone. You f*n rednecks are a bunch of people that know how to get things done. I may have grown up in the city of New York, but I was always a redneck at heart I guess. Even in the concrete jungle we found some woods, and swamp and hung out there. We built a log cabin out of old wooden gutters, and made our own boats out of styrofoam. We weren't afraid to get dirty and full of mud. Now because of the way I grew up, I can charge a premium for my services whenever I fix those cidiots houses. :D

A redneck to me is just someone that takes what they have and makes it better, doesn't matter if you run a duct from the A/C in your van to cool the house, or you are making one-off custom conversion trikes. He will stand up for what is right, and lives by principles, not statistics.

[stillhunter]

Agreed, while I did look on the net for specific locations I have always presented this argument.I grew up country and friends and enemies would call me redneck.As either compliment or Insult.The only reason that I looked up places was so as not to sound like I was ignorant or misinformed or what some one call a "dumb redneck".As for Wikipedia it is open source and I have been involved in changes in definitions there as well.When I returned to school Wikipedia was not allowed as reference material for this very reason.

[ATCcountryboy]

Here is the deal. The term Redneck, or red-neck has multiple meanings. What I am seeing is that people who are against rednecks and what they stand for (all the good things in life and America) started using it as a derogatory term against rednecks. Probably has a little to do with the old North vs South issue. The people in the other thread who were offended by me using that term are probably the same people who use it as a derogatory remark, and are offended by it.
It's kind of like the "N" word where a white person don't dare call someone who is black the "N" word, but they use it among themselves all the time, and are proud of it. My black friends called me it, and I just took it as a compliment, because they know what I am about, I like everyone for who they are, not for what they are.

As far as definitions in the dictionary.com and wikipedia, those definitions were probably written by the haters. But even wikipedia recognizes that rednecks themselves take it as a compliment and has an alternate meaning. Wikipedia is written by anyone. I've gone in wikipedia and corrected statements.

When I used the term, it was meant as a compliment to everyone. You f*n rednecks are a bunch of people that know how to get things done. I may have grown up in the city of New York, but I was always a redneck at heart I guess. Even in the concrete jungle we found some woods, and swamp and hung out there. We built a log cabin out of old wooden gutters, and made our own boats out of styrofoam. We weren't afraid to get dirty and full of mud. Now because of the way I grew up, I can charge a premium for my services whenever I fix those cidiots houses. :D

A redneck to me is just someone that takes what they have and makes it better, doesn't matter if you run a duct from the A/C in your van to cool the house, or you are making one-off custom conversion trikes. He will stand up for what is right, and lives by principles, not statistics.I couldn't have said it better.