What is a Redneck ?

[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.

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.

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.