Arkansas: Redneck Wasteland

[photoLith]

They sure do love their big ass trucks around here. If you got a big ass truck you are pretty much guaranteed pussy. Its a status symbol here and whoever has the biggest wheels and has their truck jacked up the highest gets the trophy women.

[Exodus]

Redneck can be taken in context a couple of different ways, which I learned. To me redneck meant white trash, but to certain country and or southern people it just means that, just southern and or country people, or working class. I would have to agree with some peoples context here that yes, some white people in the country and in the south are rednecks as in white trash. At the same time I agree with others context, that redneck just means country, southern, hard working, and unpretentious people.

To me the type that are alcohalics, love to fight, and riff raff around like they don't have anything better to do is redneck in the context of being white trash, no doubt, no argument. On the other hand, calling people rednecks in the context of being white trash just because they are poor, believe in God, and are politically conservative is off base, ignorant, snobbish, and elitist.

Maybe some of these people can paint their homes, maybe they don't need as much junk laying around their yards, but does that make them trash, as in what kind of character they have as a human being ? Absolutely not. Does trash live in conditions like that ? sure, but again, it's a persons character, not how refined they are. Does trash live in subdivisions and in innercities ? Hell yes, because it's the lack of character they have, and having a refined life style doesn't change a thing.

We need to climb out of our ivory towers, and realize that good & bad lives in every environment. Again, just because you might not agree with certain peoples unrefined surroundings, or their political or religious beliefs, doesn't automatically make those people trash, or bad. Some of these people I'm sure would be the first to feed you and take the shirt off of their backs to help you, and anyone here that would make an absolute statement that many of them wouldn't needs to back it up with more experience or proof, after all, if you are going to put people down with generalizations, you have the burdon of proof.

How well would a thread about ghetto trash, crackheads, gangmembers, and drug dealers who drive funny painted sedans/pimp mobiles with funny looking skinny 10 foot tall wheels that you can here noise pollution thumping from a half male radius, that over populate our cities, AND small towns anymore go over here ? Not good I'm sure, even though that IS the truth, and not just programmed thinking.

I'm sure many of you who made shameful remarks in this thread will try to rationalize why you are right about doing so, or even bash me, but remember this, rationalizing or bashing will not dismiss the truth. It's ironic of who calls themselves classy, unbiased, tolerant, and enlightened these days, because it's the very hypocrites who endorse political correctness.Though I'm certain if it weren't politically incorrect to bash other groups, many of you hypocrites would feel free to do so, but white guilt holds you at bay, at least in the public, or on a conscience level, after all, you proved you ARE capable of being snobs. A lot of closet bigots hiding in the shadows of the liberal banner, or at least on the subconscience level.

In the end, I would rather stay with a hillbilly in a rusted trailer and a car on blocks in his yard that treats me good than a "refined" person who is a snobbish jerk, assuming that jerk doesn't run me off first, or call the cops on me.

I also feel safer around hillbillies who use guns to hunt, than around thugs with illegal guns that use them on fellow citizens to protect their drugs and turf from guess who, outsiders. OOOPS, Sorry, said something politically incorrect Also the same snobs who bitched in the past when certain conservatives said..."pull yourselves up by the boot straps", yet say..."these people can do better, no reason to be poor" .

Check this out. A nonwhite shits in the middle of the mall, yet people ignore him, like they do the obvious thugs who frequent them anymore because they are part of a "sympathetic" group, but lord forbid some poor white people come to the mall, regardless if they are decent people or not, and watch the trendy snobs give them the evil eye.This is the most hushed social issue in this country. If you call me a liar, then you are either a liar, or naive.

Maybe I'm just a "typical" white person, or one of "those" backwards racist afraid of "change".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Br7DsPbM0g8

[LSyd]

Originally Posted by LMich

But, on a less serious note, as Arkansans are always wont to say: "Thank God for Mississippi."

it's the other way around.

-

[urbanactivist]

Originally Posted by Crawford

I know Eastern Arkansas (Delta region) fairly well, and many towns are majority black in this part of the state. The black sides of town often look as bad or even worse than the redneck sides of town.

To be fair, though, I have never lived there, and appearances can be deceiving. The towns I remember were generally very racially segregated and bad on either side (though there was always a nicer, heavily white exurban side of town, with new homes and a Christian school so the families with money wouldn't have to go to the piss-poor schools).

The Delta... one of the poorest and least educated areas of the United States. There are still so many struggles with literacy, drugs and so many other things that are holding all segments of the Delta back. I'm very thankful to have grown up in a community that learned from the struggles of many people from the Delta, and placed lots of value on education and hard work.

Sorry to keep running off topic here. The Ozarks are a unique place too. The 540 corridor between Ft. Smith and Rogers is the richest area of the state. But once you go east or down into the River Valley, they are not much better off than the Delta Region. Only there are no black people in the Ozarks, and for good reason.

[srsmn]

Originally Posted by photolitherland

^^^
The blacks here dont wont anything to do with the rednecks, thats for sure. Its very strange, here in this small town even its very segregated. There is a distinct line between where the black neighborhoods start and then the white. It is almost like going back in time.

Oh, right....because Chicago has such a *great* reputation for racial integration! So it must have been such a *shock* to you to learn the concept of 'white' neighborhoods and 'black' neighborhoods.... like "going back in time." lol.

C'mon, photo, really? You really don't understand why people choose to take issue with this thread? Every comment you've made on here has been with a tinged, "holier-than-thou" attitude; you've been narrow-minded, and you've been manipulating these poor people that are your neighbors, and that you had the chutzpuh to take photos of-- unbeknownst to them, I'm sure-- for the purposes of exploitation....to stroke your ego, and to show the world-- anonymously-- the circumstances of their lives, as if to say "Hey! Look how much better I am than these people! You guys can feel better by looking at them, too!"

Well, photo, I don't feel better having seen your little thread. I feel a lot worse. I'm embarassed for you, and I am very sad that there are people out there like you who prefer to devote this much time hating their neighbors, when they could just as easily be helping their neighbors. And all for no reason than because they're different from you. What a shame.

I came to this thread because a few forumers on skyscrapercity were talking about it, and seemed upset by it. Seeing it, I understand completely why. It is entirely voyeuristic, and I hope that you grow out of the phase that you are in where you think that it is ok to talk this way about the serious things that impact the lives of the people around you. In your community and city, for God's sake...

Take care, and good luck.

[photoLith]

^^^
Where do you live? You want to live here? Didnt think so. How am I being holier than thou? I said I didnt like it here and I doubt very man of you would either. I took pictures of what it looks like here and its not misrepresenting reality, this is reality in this part of the country for a lot of people. They live in trash piles and if you think that is respectable than go ahead and defend them, as for me, I dont think its very becoming for anyone to live in piles of trash.

[Shantytown Architect]

I don't think photo is misrepresenting reality with his photos. I may take photos of my little corner of Arkansas for a compare and contrast. However, his attitude is entirely disheartening because I come from a community like the one showed. These people are poor and in need of help. Instead, they are blown off by progressives who think because of their racism, sexism, and homophobia these people deserve poverty. Nobody deserves to live in poverty. This is why I chose a path in life that will lead me to help poor communities--so I can help those who grew up like myself and those around me. The Black Panthers learned a long time ago its a lot easier for people to shed their racist conceptions of themselves and others if people have a full belly, good education, and protection from abuse by public authorities. Don't treat us like subhumans. If you really want to be a progressive, help make sure people have access to food regardless of their ability to pay. Help volunteer at your local high school and work in an after-school program. Make sure people aren't evicted because they can't pay their rent because of financial distress. Help people who's employers have held back their wages or under-record hours worked. Progressivism isn't something you do with your liberal friends when you take a day trip to the city. It's something you lead your life by, it's putting the interest of poor and working people first regardless of their skin color, sex, or sexual orientation. If you can unify people first, then you can work together, black and white, male and female, straight and gay, for civil rights, hate crimes protection, visas for undocumented workers, and equal wages for equal work. Because the old saying 'an injury to one is an injury to all' still rings true but there must be an 'all' to begin with.

[SkokieSwift]

Everyone needs to stop getting their politically correct panties in a bunch. This is a SSP thread, people. If it wasn't for the colorful, yet accurate, thread title, most of us probably wouldn't have bothered checking out the fascinating photos of a definitively non-urban place like Russellville. The OP has a right to title the thread and describe his photos however he wants. They're HIS photos, for Christ's sake. No one is forcing you to look at them. His introduction clearly states this thread is based on his experience living there and it is only meant to depict this particular town, not the entire state. All the complainers need to work on their reading comprehension. Seven pages of bitching, yet not one photo to prove the OP wrong. If you have photos to show the OP was inaccurately representing Russellville, post them in your own thread. Put up or shut up.

[BigKidD]

Originally Posted by Exodus

Redneck can be taken in context a couple of different ways, which I learned. To me redneck meant white trash, but to certain country and or southern people it just means that, just southern and or country people, or working class. I would have to agree with some peoples context here that yes, some white people in the country and in the south are rednecks as in white trash. At the same time I agree with others context, that redneck just means country, southern, hard working, and unpretentious people.

To me the type that are alcohalics, love to fight, and riff raff around like they don't have anything better to do is redneck in the context of being white trash, no doubt, no argument. On the other hand, calling people rednecks in the context of being white trash just because they are poor, believe in God, and are politically conservative is off base, ignorant, snobbish, and elitist.

Maybe some of these people can paint their homes, maybe they don't need as much junk laying around their yards, but does that make them trash, as in what kind of character they have as a human being ? Absolutely not. Does trash live in conditions like that ? sure, but again, it's a persons character, not how refined they are. Does trash live in subdivisions and in innercities ? Hell yes, because it's the lack of character they have, and having a refined life style doesn't change a thing.

We need to climb out of our ivory towers, and realize that good & bad lives in every environment. Again, just because you might not agree with certain peoples unrefined surroundings, or their political or religious beliefs, doesn't automatically make those people trash, or bad. Some of these people I'm sure would be the first to feed you and take the shirt off of their backs to help you, and anyone here that would make an absolute statement that many of them wouldn't needs to back it up with more experience or proof, after all, if you are going to put people down with generalizations, you have the burdon of proof.

How well would a thread about ghetto trash, crackheads, gangmembers, and drug dealers who drive funny painted sedans/pimp mobiles with funny looking skinny 10 foot tall wheels that you can here noise pollution thumping from a half male radius, that over populate our cities, AND small towns anymore go over here ? Not good I'm sure, even though that IS the truth, and not just programmed thinking.

I'm sure many of you who made shameful remarks in this thread will try to rationalize why you are right about doing so, or even bash me, but remember this, rationalizing or bashing will not dismiss the truth. It's ironic of who calls themselves classy, unbiased, tolerant, and enlightened these days, because it's the very hypocrites who endorse political correctness.Though I'm certain if it weren't politically incorrect to bash other groups, many of you hypocrites would feel free to do so, but white guilt holds you at bay, at least in the public, or on a conscience level, after all, you proved you ARE capable of being snobs. A lot of closet bigots hiding in the shadows of the liberal banner, or at least on the subconscience level.

In the end, I would rather stay with a hillbilly in a rusted trailer and a car on blocks in his yard that treats me good than a "refined" person who is a snobbish jerk, assuming that jerk doesn't run me off first, or call the cops on me.

I also feel safer around hillbillies who use guns to hunt, than around thugs with illegal guns that use them on fellow citizens to protect their drugs and turf from guess who, outsiders. OOOPS, Sorry, said something politically incorrect Also the same snobs who bitched in the past when certain conservatives said..."pull yourselves up by the boot straps", yet say..."these people can do better, no reason to be poor" .

Check this out. A nonwhite shits in the middle of the mall, yet people ignore him, like they do the obvious thugs who frequent them anymore because they are part of a "sympathetic" group, but lord forbid some poor white people come to the mall, regardless if they are decent people or not, and watch the trendy snobs give them the evil eye.This is the most hushed social issue in this country. If you call me a liar, then you are either a liar, or naive.

Maybe I'm just a "typical" white person, or one of "those" backwards racist afraid of "change".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Br7DsPbM0g8

Thank you for your opinion, Exodus. Moreover, these photos are illustrative of the many rural communities found throughout the U.S. and I am frankly not too appalled by them. As shantytown architect has pointed out,

Nobody deserves to live in poverty.

Certainly a true statement.

[Dan Denson]

Originally Posted by Exodus

Redneck can be taken in context a couple of different ways, which I learned. To me redneck meant white trash, but to certain country and or southern people it just means that, just southern and or country people, or working class. I would have to agree with some peoples context here that yes, some white people in the country and in the south are rednecks as in white trash. At the same time I agree with others context, that redneck just means country, southern, hard working, and unpretentious people.

To me the type that are alcohalics, love to fight, and riff raff around like they don't have anything better to do is redneck in the context of being white trash, no doubt, no argument. On the other hand, calling people rednecks in the context of being white trash just because they are poor, believe in God, and are politically conservative is off base, ignorant, snobbish, and elitist.

Maybe some of these people can paint their homes, maybe they don't need as much junk laying around their yards, but does that make them trash, as in what kind of character they have as a human being ? Absolutely not. Does trash live in conditions like that ? sure, but again, it's a persons character, not how refined they are. Does trash live in subdivisions and in innercities ? Hell yes, because it's the lack of character they have, and having a refined life style doesn't change a thing.

We need to climb out of our ivory towers, and realize that good & bad lives in every environment. Again, just because you might not agree with certain peoples unrefined surroundings, or their political or religious beliefs, doesn't automatically make those people trash, or bad. Some of these people I'm sure would be the first to feed you and take the shirt off of their backs to help you, and anyone here that would make an absolute statement that many of them wouldn't needs to back it up with more experience or proof, after all, if you are going to put people down with generalizations, you have the burdon of proof.

How well would a thread about ghetto trash, crackheads, gangmembers, and drug dealers who drive funny painted sedans/pimp mobiles with funny looking skinny 10 foot tall wheels that you can here noise pollution thumping from a half male radius, that over populate our cities, AND small towns anymore go over here ? Not good I'm sure, even though that IS the truth, and not just programmed thinking.

I'm sure many of you who made shameful remarks in this thread will try to rationalize why you are right about doing so, or even bash me, but remember this, rationalizing or bashing will not dismiss the truth. It's ironic of who calls themselves classy, unbiased, tolerant, and enlightened these days, because it's the very hypocrites who endorse political correctness.Though I'm certain if it weren't politically incorrect to bash other groups, many of you hypocrites would feel free to do so, but white guilt holds you at bay, at least in the public, or on a conscience level, after all, you proved you ARE capable of being snobs. A lot of closet bigots hiding in the shadows of the liberal banner, or at least on the subconscience level.

In the end, I would rather stay with a hillbilly in a rusted trailer and a car on blocks in his yard that treats me good than a "refined" person who is a snobbish jerk, assuming that jerk doesn't run me off first, or call the cops on me.

I also feel safer around hillbillies who use guns to hunt, than around thugs with illegal guns that use them on fellow citizens to protect their drugs and turf from guess who, outsiders. OOOPS, Sorry, said something politically incorrect Also the same snobs who bitched in the past when certain conservatives said..."pull yourselves up by the boot straps", yet say..."these people can do better, no reason to be poor" .

Check this out. A nonwhite shits in the middle of the mall, yet people ignore him, like they do the obvious thugs who frequent them anymore because they are part of a "sympathetic" group, but lord forbid some poor white people come to the mall, regardless if they are decent people or not, and watch the trendy snobs give them the evil eye.This is the most hushed social issue in this country. If you call me a liar, then you are either a liar, or naive.

Maybe I'm just a "typical" white person, or one of "those" backwards racist afraid of "change".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Br7DsPbM0g8

You make some good points, but you spend too much time ranting (including a jab at liberals), diluting your message that we all need to be more understanding of these people's situation (and by the way, some of the staunchest bashers of those who live in such filth are conservatives).

[JManc]

i get annoyed when i hear poverty used as an excuse as to why people live like this, be it in the country or in the inner city. it's a bullshit cop-out. how much does it cost to pick up after yourself and clean once in a while? there's no excuse to live like a slob.

[photoLith]

^^^
Exactly

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by JMancuso

i get annoyed when i hear poverty used as an excuse as to why people live like this, be it in the country or in the inner city. it's a bullshit cop-out. how much does it cost to pick up after yourself and clean once in a while? there's no excuse to live like a slob.

YES! Detroit for example, is not the way it simply because of poverty. If only people would stop trashing what they do have and pick up after themselves.

[Shantytown Architect]

i get annoyed when i hear poverty used as an excuse as to why people live like this, be it in the country or in the inner city. it's a bullshit cop-out. how much does it cost to pick up after yourself and clean once in a while? there's no excuse to live like a slob.

Depends, to someone who looks at history and society through structure/agency analysis economics and culture are social practices with their roots in the material conditions of life. If someone's material conditions are of poor utility then they are coerced into, at least initially, poor economic relationships. Similarly, the cultural values they possess reflect the relationship between their status and the socially constructed cultural images.

[JManc]

Originally Posted by Shantytown Architect

Depends, to someone who looks at history and society through structure/agency analysis economics and culture are social practices with their roots in the material conditions of life. If someone's material conditions are of poor utility then they are coerced into, at least initially, poor economic relationships. Similarly, the cultural values they possess reflect the relationship between their status and the socially constructed cultural images.

and people wonder why sociologists are not taken seriously. explaine away unnacceptable behavior with some nature versus nurture arguement. sometimes a spade is just a spade and people who live like this do so because they choose to. a century ago, it was not uncommon to see people sweeping the sidewalk and front steps no matter what their socioeconomic background was. being poor in America does not force people to leave a dirty diaper in a empty shopping cart in a wal-mart parking lot instead of walking over to a trash bin. it comes down to not giving a shit.

[srsmn]

Originally Posted by photolitherland

^^^
Where do you live? You want to live here? Didnt think so. How am I being holier than thou? I said I didnt like it here and I doubt very man of you would either. I took pictures of what it looks like here and its not misrepresenting reality, this is reality in this part of the country for a lot of people. They live in trash piles and if you think that is respectable than go ahead and defend them, as for me, I dont think its very becoming for anyone to live in piles of trash.

Whoa, photo...at least give me a chance to answer before you do it for me!

I'm don't think I would mind Russelville, AR, frankly. Granted, it's not high on my "to-do" list, but if somebody offered me a job there-- a better one than I have now-- I'd probably take it. Your pictures weren't *that* convincing, after all...

You have a holier-than-thou attitude because in every comment you have made on here, you make judgement calls about these people's lives. That's the definition of "holier-than-thou." As another poster (or perhaps several posters) told you earlier, this would be a much better thread if you had resisted the urge to take jabs at your subject matter. The fact that you could not resist, rather, went out of your way to take jabs at the people in Russelville, is 10x more telling about you than it is about them.

I don't think it's respectable to live in piles of trash, no. But there you go again, passing judgement. For somebody who claims to have liberal political leanings, you sure do go to great lengths to write people off, huh? Isn't it more in line with your political outlook to try to support your empoverished neighbors through social justice? That is, wouldn't the liberal thing to do be to try to understand the conditions that are keeping them poor and work with them to fix those conditions so that they don't have to live in trash piles?

Anyway, that's the kind of 'liberal' that my mommy and daddy taught me to be, but I guess maybe I'm one of the last of the true Minnesota DFLers. I'm sure that 'liberal' means something very different where you are from.

Bottom line: happy people are pretty much happy anywhere. Miserable, nasty people find a way to be miserable and nasty anywhere. Guess which one you are? I don't think I need to say anymore on this subject...

ps. I live in one of the "bad neighborhoods" of Minneapolis, and actually like it quite a bit.

[srsmn]

Originally Posted by SkokieSwift

The OP has a right to title the thread and describe his photos however he wants. They're HIS photos, for Christ's sake. No one is forcing you to look at them.

Yes-- he has a right to do that. We all have a right to tell him he's out of line, which he is.

It's more a matter that the comments he has made detract *significantly* from my appreciation of the photos.

And nobody ever told him he is not *depicting* Russellville accurately. The issue-- so far as I can see-- have always been with his borderline xenophobic, hateful commentary.

[photoLith]

^^^
You are passing judgement on me and being holier than thou by saying im a nasty mean person. The people that live in these conditions are opposed to any progress, I would know, I know many of them. This area is a dry county and its dry because the church controls the government here. If they had it their way, they would not allow the teaching of evolution in schools, would impose their religion upon everyone else, so on and so forth. These people are racist hardcore for the most part, in fact, one of my first experiences while moving here was in a gas station where a bunch of country types were gathered around and I overheard them talking about the damn mexicans and n%$gers. So, these people do not deserve to be respected and Im sick of all these comments bashing me when you people would hate it just as much as I do.

[MonkeyRonin]

Originally Posted by srsmn

For somebody who claims to have liberal political leanings, you sure do go to great lengths to write people off, huh?

Since when does being liberal mean blindly accepting everyone's self-destructive lifestyles, or their intolerance and ignorance?

Now, I'd most definitely support increases in spending towards public education, public housing, and government investment in the creation of jobs in the region to help these people move up if they so choose. But in no way should or I or will I be tolerant of their (current) lifestyle choices - which again, cannot be blamed on poverty. Being poor is no excuse to live in a pile of shit, be racist, a religious zealot, do meth, etc.

[Under The Clouds]

Originally Posted by photolitherland

They sure do love their big ass trucks around here. If you got a big ass truck you are pretty much guaranteed pussy. Its a status symbol here and whoever has the biggest wheels and has their truck jacked up the highest gets the trophy women.

LOL, you mentioned you had a girlfriend from the area. What's the dating scene like? My dad lives in rural Georgia, and I've always noticed the girls either seem really uninterested (because no truck) in me or really, really intrigued. Almost desperately so, like they're starving for a guy who's not a typical knuckle-dragging redneck dude. I have this fantasy of swooping in someday with my big city money and ways and cleaning-up! Despite their outward conservativeness, I've always thought redneck girls are total freaks in the sack!