# Rednecks with screwed up priorities **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 15, 2001, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rednecks-with-screwed-up-priorities/81792 "2001-09-15T07:56:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2001, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rednecks-with-screwed-up-priorities/81792/1 "2001-09-15T07:56:36Z")
The place - Winter Garden, Florida, a working class suburb of Orlando that I drive through every day. A disproportionately large percentage of the town’s residents were born and raised in Central Florida – there’s not too many Yankees among the city’s population. The scene - Since the crash at Daytona some months ago, perhaps the largest collective demonstration of grief towards the death Dale Earnhardt of any town in the United States. Memorials can be found in car an truck windows, on residential garage doors, worn on t-shirts and caps, plastered on billboards, and so on. What’s wrong - after the WTC bombing, these ‘necks are STILL driving these rolling memorials to Dale Earnhardt. CONFEDERATE BATTLE FLAGS are flying from vehicles in the town, instead of the Stars and Stripes. With the exception of some American flags along the town’s main street, it seems as if nobody gives two GPCs about the WTC/Pentagon disaster. The town’s priorities seem screwed up – who cares about the 10,000 or so potential fatalities that Tuesday. After all, there’s a trajedy that’s far worse --Da-yul ain’t gonna’ rayce no more!! Hey, Winter Garden … there’s more important things to think about right now! Peel those massive “3” stickers off your cars and trucks, and get your priorities in order!!! Yes, Dale Earnhardt was a great man and a good racer. Yes, you have the right to display a symbol that represents the pride you have in your Southern heritage. Don’t you think, though, that the death of countless police officers, firemen and innocent civilians, in the country you and your family live in, is a far greater loss? ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2001, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rednecks-with-screwed-up-priorities/81792/2 "2001-09-15T12:30:42Z")
I agree completely, with one nitpick; > [@](#): > > Dale Earnhardt was a great man… In what way was he a great man? ---
**Author:** ![Spider\_Woman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cdc98d/32.png) [@Spider\_Woman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spider_Woman)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2001, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rednecks-with-screwed-up-priorities/81792/3 "2001-09-15T12:38:17Z")
and good to his family. That makes him a great man in my book. Incidentally, he also raced. There are lots of great men, and great people. Not all of them get the same publicity as Dale Earnhardt, but they are great as well. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2001, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rednecks-with-screwed-up-priorities/81792/4 "2001-09-15T14:39:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by August West \* > \*\*I agree completely, with one nitpick; In what way was he a great man? \*\* He gave thousands of dollars to charities and other non-profit organizations. Anonymously. Still, Dale Earnhardt’s actions don’t even come close to the sum of the innumerable contributions and sacrifices made by the thousands of police officers, firemen and civilians who died as a result of the terrorist attacks. ---
**Author:** ![ramesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d07c76/32.png) [@ramesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ramesh)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2001, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rednecks-with-screwed-up-priorities/81792/5 "2001-09-15T15:22:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elmwood \* > > He gave thousands of dollars to charities and other non-profit organizations. Anonymously. That _was_ sarcasm, right? ---
**Author:** ![Lady\_Ice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f1d935/32.png) [@Lady\_Ice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lady_Ice)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2001, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rednecks-with-screwed-up-priorities/81792/6 "2001-09-15T15:34:35Z")
I’ve heard that Earnhart didn’t like to be seen as a good guy because it would diminish the hardass racing image that he had. When he signed autographs and took pictures with kids, he would ask it to be kept quiet. He also went and saw a dying child in the hospital. (no cite, sorry) I was no fan of Earnhart when he died.(I like Rusty Wallace) But sometimes the image that sports and the media represent of someone aren’t always true. In any case, it still doesn’t excuse anybody from thinking he’s more important than what has happened this week. ---
**Author:** ![Demise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/34f0e0/32.png) [@Demise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Demise)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2001, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rednecks-with-screwed-up-priorities/81792/7 "2001-09-15T15:58:38Z")
Maybe yall can get beyond questioning whether Dale was a great man or not. How about the point that OP made? As a resident of Texas, I was amazed by the number of people that took down their Texas flags and put up the Stars and Stripes instead. You may have to be a native Texan to appreciate this, but I was touched. ---
**Author:** ![pezpunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@pezpunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pezpunk)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2001, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rednecks-with-screwed-up-priorities/81792/8 "2001-09-15T16:03:33Z")
Welcome to Florida. Nothing suprises me here. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2001, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rednecks-with-screwed-up-priorities/81792/9 "2001-09-15T18:41:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elmwood \* > \*\* He gave thousands of dollars to charities and other non-profit organizations. Anonymously. \*\* Not for nothing, but how anonymous can it possibly BE if it’s posted on the freaking Internet??? People who donate anonymously…DONT LET IT BE KNOWN ! Ta dah. ---
**Author:** ![GENE\_STONER](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/2bfe46/32.png) [@GENE\_STONER](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GENE_STONER)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2001, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rednecks-with-screwed-up-priorities/81792/10 "2001-09-15T22:41:37Z")
I can’t believe the moderators did’nt censor the word “redneck” from this post. This is a racist slur, akin to the “n” word. …MMMM…maybe there’s a double standard going on here.Being that we’re living in the 21st century,elmwood, racial slurs against ANY groups of people are wrong. ---
**Author:** ![pezpunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@pezpunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pezpunk)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2001, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rednecks-with-screwed-up-priorities/81792/11 "2001-09-15T22:49:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GENE STONER \* > \*\*I can’t believe the moderators did’nt censor the word “redneck” from this post. This is a racist slur, akin to the “n” word. …MMMM…maybe there’s a double standard going on here.Being that we’re living in the 21st century,elmwood, racial slurs against ANY groups of people are wrong. \*\* And since when is southern white trash a race? ---
**Author:** ![Lionors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c37758/32.png) [@Lionors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionors)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2001, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rednecks-with-screwed-up-priorities/81792/12 "2001-09-15T22:58:52Z")
With all due respect, I find redneck as offensive as I do any other demeaning epithet which is applied to race, class, religion or resident of a particular country, and avoid it just as scrupulously. And incidentally, not all Southerners are white trash, thank you very much. I’ve seen more than my share in the North also. Wasn’t it enough to just say these people had a skewed set of priorities without pissing on people whose heritage is Southern, also? For all anyone knows, they’re a bunch of transplants into Florida from somewhere else. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2001, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rednecks-with-screwed-up-priorities/81792/13 "2001-09-15T23:28:17Z")
Pez: Since the word “white” is placed in there. The expression you used, as is the expression “cra\*\*\*r,” are terms of bigotry. ---
**Author:** ![OneChance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/74df32/32.png) [@OneChance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneChance)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2001, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rednecks-with-screwed-up-priorities/81792/14 "2001-09-16T00:50:15Z")
I love rednecks. Since Kirsten Gum covers NASCAR for Fox Sports, and she actually enjoys NASCAR, she must be a redneck. In that case, I really love rednecks. 🙂 Besides, what’s a GPC? ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2001, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rednecks-with-screwed-up-priorities/81792/15 "2001-09-16T00:55:40Z")
ARGH! I post a message about … oh, to be ultra-PC, caucasians from a certain subculture that bears a potentially offensive name among a few, whose practitioners tend to be working-class, blue-collar men and women who hail from the southeastern United States. I was upset because SOME OF THEM don’t seem to give a damn about the WTC disaster, instead continuing to mourn some NASCAR driver who got into a crash several months ago; and because many are flying the Confederate battle flag, an act that is questionable under different curcumstances but unacceptable now IMHO Instead, folks complain because I mentioned his anonymous contributions to charities. The fact that he donated to these charities and groups was revealed AFTER he died. Folks complain about my use of the word “redneck.” Well, it’s the same word many of these folks use to describe their subculture, too, and they don’t see it as derogatory. There’s a difference between a “redneck” and “white trash,” and I’m sure it’s been discussed in other threads. BTW, in Florida, “cracker” means a Florida native, and they definitely DO NOT consider the term derogatory. Being a “cracker” in Florida is equivalent to being a Colorado native living in Denver, or an Arizona native in Phoenix; it’s a badge of honor, in a way. When applied to all Caucasians, of course, “cracker” is derogatory. Think about this … what term is more offensive, “redneck” or “yuppie?” Both about the same, huh? Well, ever flame someone for using the word “yuppie” to identify an upper middle class white person, claiming the word “racist”? Probably not. The thread title includes the words “screwed up priorities.” Instead of discussing folks crying over the Intimidator rather than the 5,000 people who died in NYC, Pennsylvania and DC, we’re discussing semantics. That’s truly screwed up, and I got sucked right into it, in an attempt to defend myself. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2001, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rednecks-with-screwed-up-priorities/81792/16 "2001-09-16T01:10:40Z")
Gee, elm. Not all young upwardly mobile professionals are white. Trust you can see that. ---
**Author:** ![GENE\_STONER](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/2bfe46/32.png) [@GENE\_STONER](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GENE_STONER)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2001, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rednecks-with-screwed-up-priorities/81792/17 "2001-09-16T01:56:15Z")
Hello,edgewood, you racist you. Dont you realize your use of the term “Caucasian” is racist. Just ask Tomndebb or Collounsbury. You see, they dont believe there is any such thing as races. Also, just because some White people choose to use the term “redneck” among themselves, that doesnt mean YOU can use it. If YOU use it, its a racist term. BTW, “White Trash” is almost always a racist term. Steer clear of it!. ---
**Author:** ![GENE\_STONER](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/2bfe46/32.png) [@GENE\_STONER](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GENE_STONER)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2001, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rednecks-with-screwed-up-priorities/81792/18 "2001-09-16T02:02:28Z")
Not only that, but I noticed how the moderators allowed the use of the racist term “redneck” to be posted. I’d just like to say that I will be testing the moderators in the next week or two, regarding which racist terms they allow, and which they disallow. **Moderator’s note:** Don’t even try it. You have a genuine problem or concern? Then handle it cleanly. Email us or start your own thread about the issue. Instead you’ve hijacked a thread to rehash old grudges. You’ve stated you intend to deliberately bait and test. You aren’t trying to fight ignorance: you’re trolling. You’re being a jerk. The SD–posters, mods and admins–don’t have to tolerate self-indulgent jerks. TVeblen [Edited by TVeblen on 09-15-2001 at 09:38 PM] ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2001, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rednecks-with-screwed-up-priorities/81792/19 "2001-09-16T02:06:41Z")
Gene, what you plan is dangerously close to trolling. On 2nd thought, keep it up-maybe we can be rid of you once and for all. BTW, Caucasian is a misnomer-the Caucasus is a largely Muslim region, ironically, something that would upset our White Supremacists… ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2001, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rednecks-with-screwed-up-priorities/81792/20 "2001-09-16T02:29:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GENE STONER \* > \*\*Not only that, but I noticed how the moderators allowed the use of the racist term “redneck” to be posted. > I’d just like to say that I will be testing the moderators in the next week or two, regarding which racist terms they allow, and which they disallow. \*\* I don’t think so. your humble TubaDiva Administrator [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rednecks-with-screwed-up-priorities/81792.md?page=2)