Arkansas: Redneck Wasteland

[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

[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?

[lawfin]

Originally Posted by mobyhead

My in-laws live in BFE near Batesville, AR. You know they are in the sticks when the nearest Walmart is 45 minutes away.

I live in Chicago and the nearest walmart is more than 45 minutes away particularly in traffic......do I live in BFE?


Pics.....great......situation....brutal...it would drive me insane

[simms3_redux]

I take medicine and at night when the side effects are strong, it makes me a little more emotional, but I cried when I saw these pictures. I am going to spend the next half hour looking at other places to try to get these images out of my head. I'm born and raised in the south, and am conservative, and somewhat religious, and I can't tell if I would rather live in Haiti or there. That place is the epitome of the opposite of any place I would rather be in the universe. There cannot be a worse place than this. I am so sorry for you. Why are you there? Get out. There are no opportunities for anyone there. People there look like they probably have some serious issues, too. Those pics of the things/campers? through the trees on the hill scared me. I have never seen anything like it. I have family in Colombia, and have seen real poverty, but damn, this is beyond me. It would be one thing if this were a more urban environment and Catholicism was more prominent, but oh dear, I don't want to say it. Wal-Mart's home state.

[Clevelumbus]

I just got to Pine Bluff for work for a few days.. I'll let you all know how it is in the morning.

But no seriously, if I find something worthy of taking a picture of I will. First impression from the drive down from Little Rock is how rural it is (going by lack of freeway exits and lights). I did notice some pretty large freeway interchanges going in and lots of Huckabee signs as well.

[TonyAnderson]

A short little photo tour of a rural wasteland and you got 5 pages in 1 day. That's impressive my friend

[Dr Nevergold]

Having grown up in the rural south myself, and having visited Russellville before, I actually have to say its a fairly decent representation of the rural south.

BTW, Arkansas Tech is a nice campus at least. Spanish Tile and all...

[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.

[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).

[photoLith]

^^^
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.

[RockMont]

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.

It's not confined to just the South either, you can find it in any small town, or out in the country folk, all over the United States, whether it is Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, and so on. I've seen houses in rural Ohio, with gables painted as the Confederate flag, and even that doesn't necessarily mean what you might think right off the bat.

[MolsonExport]

^sodahead.com

^soundofthepounding

A town full of Doyle's. How horrible.

Never got to Ark'n'saw, but did see parts of rural western Mississippi a few years back that somewhat resembled the "trailors in the forest" social fabric.


Doyle:
• Video Link

[photoLith]

^^^
Sadly enough, it is really like that for a lot of people around here.

[mobyhead]

Originally Posted by lawfin

I live in Chicago and the nearest walmart is more than 45 minutes away particularly in traffic......do I live in BFE?


Pics.....great......situation....brutal...it would drive me insane

No but the last time I checked Walmart was HEADQUARTERED in Arkansas. All I'm saying is that the In-laws live in a very remote area. If it rains hard enough there is a creek that runs over the main road to town and they can't get through.

They like it though. My father-in-law was born and raised there. In fact he was born in a chicken coop. He likes to brag about that one.

[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.

[LouisianaRush]

Originally Posted by RockMont

It's not confined to just the South either, you can find any small town, or out in the country folk, all over the United States, whether it is Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, and so on. I've seen houses in rural Ohio, with gables painted as the Confederate flag, and even that doesn't necessarily mean what you might think right off the bat.

This is very true. I am surprised on the amount of confederate flags people fly here in Miami/Fort Lauderdale especially around Davie, Weston, Southwest Ranches, Cooper City and Miramar.

[Austinlee]

You know you're in for a treat when they combine the rebel flag and git-r-done.

[The North One]

Originally Posted by Kingofthehill

For better or worse, often times I tend to forget that they're in the same "country" as us Californians..

Californians are weirder...

[JBoston]

I love how there's just trash strewn all over the place. Even if you're poor shouldn't you be able to throw things out properly?

[photoLith]

^^^
Dump trucks dont come out into the country around here for the most part so these people have to take care of their own trash. It costs a few bucks to take your trash to the dump so they would rather just throw their shit out in their yards, these arent even the worst examples of what Ive seen around here. Last week me and a friend went to Hot Springs and we drove down this one street and it was full of trailer homes and every single one just had mounds and mounds of trash, they pretty much lived in a landfill, and we were like, Ive never seen anything like that in my whole life. It was terrible.