Arkansas: Redneck Wasteland

[ue]

Originally Posted by Thundertubs

There are scenes like this in the Adirondacks, New Hampshire, and even Vermont. It's not as visible up there as down south, but it's there, especially in northern NY state.

An interesting photographic look at a part of America most of us don't see on a regular basis, but unfortunately marred by the distracting commentary.

I don't get how the 'commentary' is that bad. It's just a paragraph at the beginning, it's not like it's even throughout. Besides, it's photo's thread, not yours, and he/she just wanted to give his/her opinion of where he/she lives.

[JManc]

Originally Posted by Thundertubs

There are scenes like this in the Adirondacks, New Hampshire, and even Vermont. It's not as visible up there as down south, but it's there, especially in northern NY state.

An interesting photographic look at a part of America most of us don't see on a regular basis, but unfortunately marred by the distracting commentary.

all over upstate new york. you can see this within a 10 minute drive pretty much outside any major upstate city. it's just not as widespread as in the south. the per capita of pregnant women in bare-feet chasing their cheatin' boyfriend in a beer stained wife-beater through a trailer park with a hunting knife is a lot smaller up there

[Dr Nevergold]

Originally Posted by JMancuso

all over upstate new york. you can see this within a 10 minute drive pretty much outside any major upstate city. it's just not as widespread as in the south. the per capita of pregnant women in bare-feet chasing their cheatin' boyfriend in a beer stained wife-beater through a trailer park with a hunting knife is a lot smaller up there

Yes, there are special areas up here. Niagara Falls, NY has females that look like lesbian, but are indeed not lesbian, for example...

But there is a certain cultural difference, especially when they have that nasaly northern accent.

[Dan Denson]

Originally Posted by JMancuso

all over upstate new york. you can see this within a 10 minute drive pretty much outside any major upstate city. it's just not as widespread as in the south. the per capita of pregnant women in bare-feet chasing their cheatin' boyfriend in a beer stained wife-beater through a trailer park with a hunting knife is a lot smaller up there

My ex-boss went to a conference in Vermont one year, and said that the minute he crossed the state line into New York, he started seeing much more of this stuff. I haven't seen that state line myself, but if he's correct, I would find it interesting that there would be such a change right at the state line.

By the way, I think this is a very valuable thread. What shows up in these photos is very real and no state is exempt from it. Many people have no idea how some people live in this country. And many who do know, don't care, which is sad.

[johnnygosox]

I think what people are reacting to (myself included) is your naive shock and horror at the fact that even in rural America there are issues. Not only that but in your excited disgust, you seem to be attempting to portray all of rural America (at least in the south) as a collection of white trash rednecks. By the way, if you had posted a set of photos about Chicago's west side......what slang term might you have used for those that inhabit that part of town?

[Qubert]

Pennsylvania has some of this going on as well.

Honestly, while I support the OPs right to say what he thinks, it comes off as extremely eliteist and ill compassionate. As for the "PC" angle, If it was Black people in Detroit we were talking about, I doubt most here would have the balls to be so snarky.

[Echoes]

My first thought when I saw the title of this thread was "Boy, am I gonna enjoy this!" ........Boy, did I ever!

[mike474]

Because it makes Sask look refined and cultured by comparison?

[photoLith]

A lot of you guys need to stop being so politically correct, do you live in Arkansas, no, I do, and yet again, it is really like this around here. For the last time, Im not pulling a fox news and being biased with how it is, it really is like this. If any of you guys want to come down here and live here for a while, I invite you to come witness it first hand.

[mike474]

If that was targeted at my comment that wasn't me being a politically correct social entrepreneur. I actually wanted Country's opinion seeing as how we both live in a smaller province that many of our countrymates haven't visited and make uneducated judgments about. I agree you're taking too much flak over this, but I think the overcompensation on this forum is at times a necessary evil to prevent it from degrading into a a news story comments section. Unfortunately sometimes we take it too far in the opposite direction.

[johnnygosox]

Again, my issue is with how seemingly stunned you are at the existence of a community like that. Are you disillusioned because it's not an urban environment or that they're all white? I don't understand where you're coming from. What bubble were you born and raised in?

[KEVINphx]

Originally Posted by johnnygosox

Again, my issue is with how seemingly stunned you are at the existence of a community like that. Are you disillusioned because it's not an urban environment or that they're all white? I don't understand where you're coming from. What bubble were you born and raised in?

Give me a break, most American's outside of regions and areas that look like this would be somewhat surprised and appalled that people cho0se to live like that.

Disillusioned because you find it disgusting and appalling that people would choose to live in abject filth. Poverty is obviously a problem we have in all states, but not all poor people live like the trash depicted in this thread.

No one has to accept it or simply take the stance of "oh well, it exists in all states" lol

[LMich]

Originally Posted by photolitherland

A lot of you guys need to stop being so politically correct, do you live in Arkansas, no, I do, and yet again, it is really like this around here. For the last time, Im not pulling a fox news and being biased with how it is, it really is like this. If any of you guys want to come down here and live here for a while, I invite you to come witness it first hand.

It has nothing to do with being PC or not; it's that you're so incredibly judgemental and over dramatic in everything you speak about when it comes to this area of the country, and I say that as someone that's been told I can come across as judgemental online and as one of the most liberal minded people you'll ever meet. You could have let your photos speak for themselves, instead you (oh-so-prediticably) post some hyperbolic indictment and commentary before you even post the pics. At the very least, it's completely distracting and detracts from the excellent quality of your pictures. At the most, your exaggerated judgements, stereotyping, and generalizations say a helluva lot more about you (none of it good) than the people you bash.

And this whole "unless you live in Arkansas, you can't speak on it" is just silly. I've probably spent more time visting the state than you've lived there in your two years, but that is beside the point. You don't have to live there to know that Arkansas is not Mississippi, and nor is its rural culture uniquely unattractive and backwards. Yet, reading your commentary, you'd think it was ground zero for this undesirable culture. It's not; it just isn't.

I don't see how you can type the things you do, and then be totally shocked about the responses you get. Are you that imperceptive? You seemed genuinely stunned that folks could take issue with your online persona and rhetoric. You do this all the time, you take a thread you've started with great pictures or good points and then you sabotage yourself with unnecessary over-the-top opinions and commentary in between.

[photoLith]

Dude Im not stunned, wtf. I just wanted to show other people on this forum who mostly live in cities and not in the country what I live through everyday. I grew up near downtown Chicago by the way. Not like that really matters. You just dont see any forums showing the grit of what a lot of the souths countryside looks like. Do you want me to change the title to something more pleasing, how about Arkansas:Redneck Wonderland, is that better, sheesh.

[photoLith]

Originally Posted by LMich

And this whole "unless you live in Arkansas, you can't speak on it" is just silly. I've probably spent more time visting the state than you've lived there in your two years, but that is beside the point. You don't have to live there to know that Arkansas is not Mississippi, and nor is its rural culture uniquely unattractive and backwards. Yet, reading your commentary, you'd think it was ground zero for this undesirable culture. It's not; it just isn't.

What are you saying about Mississippi? It sounds to me like you are generalizing that whole state and saying its worse than what I have depicted here? You cant just generalize a whole state you know

[urbanactivist]

The good ole 1982 birth certificate, 16 years of cris-crossing the state, and receiving the lion's share of my education there, I do feel qualified to comment to an extent. But I am of course far more familiar with Central Arkansas than other areas.

Even in my hometown of Benton, I could easily go and find a decent collection of trailer park meth-labs, and fields of pot. But for every dumb-ass redneck that lives contrary to American progress, there are 3 Arkansans that live nothing like them. That's the point... it's not cool to try and shade a full impression of an area based on a minority... no matter how vocal they may be. OMFG... I still have trouble considering myself to be a Texan. I'd much rather be a Houstonian.

[photoLith]

Im not trying to portray an entire region, like Ive said before, when you are in the towns, rednecks are definately a minority, but in the country, they are def the majority.

[urbanactivist]

Originally Posted by photolitherland

Im not trying to portray an entire region, like Ive said before, when you are in the towns, rednecks are definately a minority, but in the country, they are def the majority.

Yeah, I unfortunately have to take your word on that. Full disclosure... I think being African- American in Arkansas is just a different experience than being white... in many, many ways. The people in my community are very strong and proud. They would never associate themselves with the types of people in these photos. It's a mixture of equal parts disgust and fear. Even in the small towns, a predominantly black area isn't going to be very "nice looking", but you're never going to have useless trash strewn out in all directions. These people really do live in a junkyard, and it is sad. I mourn with you for having to endure that experience. And I guess I'm quite thankful that I grew up avoiding these people in my daily life (for the most part).

[Shantytown Architect]

Originally Posted by urbanactivistTX

Yeah, I unfortunately have to take your word on that. Full disclosure... I think being African- American in Arkansas is just a different experience than being white... in many, many ways. The people in my community are very strong and proud. They would never associate themselves with the types of people in these photos. It's a mixture of equal parts disgust and fear. Even in the small towns, a predominantly black area isn't going to be very "nice looking", but you're never going to have useless trash strewn out in all directions. These people really do live in a junkyard, and it is sad. I mourn with you for having to endure that experience. And I guess I'm quite thankful that I grew up avoiding these people in my daily life (for the most part).

I think this has to do a lot with Black leadership, political and religious. There's no NAACP, Urban League, Negro Fund, or SCLC for us poor whites. Instead, the most destitute of us turn to racialized misanthropy, anti-women violence, child abuse, chronic drug use, alcoholism, and apathy. In fact, the only real separation between the most destitute of whites and the most destitute of blacks is the color line--but otherwise, the economic situation and the cultural values and practices of both run parallel.

[urbanactivist]

Originally Posted by Shantytown Architect

I think this has to do a lot with Black leadership, political and religious. There's no NAACP, Urban League, Negro Fund, or SCLC for us poor whites. Instead, the most destitute of us turn to racialized misanthropy, anti-women violence, child abuse, chronic drug use, alcoholism, and apathy. In fact, the only real separation between the most destitute of whites and the most destitute of blacks is the color line--but otherwise, the economic situation and the cultural values and practices of both run parallel.

For me the church was the central figure of organiztion, finance and acoountability within my home community. Of course there were people in and out of jail, on drugs, etc. But the church is typically the glue that holds my community together. All of the organizations you mentioned spawned from the black church, and for good reason.

Again, I hate to generalize, but white churches... whether big or small... are far more isolated and insulated than the black church. There is a larger divide among white denominations on things like social issues, worship style and even political affiliation (especially in Arkansas). Poor white communities don't gain the same benefit of organization through the church as poor black communities. Obviously the whole system is changing in the 21st century as we continue to diversify and move towards a less-religious society, but for many communities these ideas still hold firm.

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Doyle:
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Slingblade was filmed in my hometown