You use the name Rednex?

Why would I pick the name Rednex as a moniker? Aren't you afraid that people are going to label you a racist bigot? You must approve of slavery and all that goes with it to use a name like that! Nice name Strom Thurman wannabe!

These are all questions that I've been asked or comments that have been made to me because of the nickname I go by. Am I embarassed by the name or am I promoting racist behaviors by choosing it? Of course not! Anyone that believes that is just as ignorant as they claim me to be. I chose the name Rednex because I am a redneck and very proud of it!

The term "Redneck" originally came about to describe southern boys who worked out on the farms all day. With all those hours spent in the sun farming, they would get sunburned and thus have a "red neck". However, in modern society, this term has taken on a taboo meaning to describe anyone who is seen as a racist, uneducated, or opposed to any sort of change. If you look up the term in Encarta's online dictionary, you will first get an advisory that the definition could possibly offend, then it goes on to state that this is a taboo term to the effect of what I said above.

So, you ask, with this modern definition, why do you chose this name? Well, I choose it because of I'm extremely proud of my southern roots. I was born and bred in the south and I feel blessed to have been. Does this mean that I'm a racist bigot that believes white people are the only true race? Please, I'm not even going to answer that. Were awful things done under the banner that is now the confederate flag? Of course there were, but you will be hard pressed to find any flag that wasn't flown in the course of horrendous events including the American flag. This fact does not make me value the Confederate flag any less. This was the same flag that flew over the states that opposed a over-powered federal goverment. This was a flag flown by people who laid down their lives in support of an idea that state goverment had the power to determine the course of it's people not the federal goverment. In a way, the Civil war was the grass roots of what is now considered the Libertarian movement.

My childhood was a happy one. My greatest moments were spent on a back porch listening to my father, grandfather, uncles, etc telling stories of their youth. We commonly had parties were neighbors and friends would gather around a fire in the backyard playing music and visiting while the kids ran around playing. People waved to you when you drove down the street and strangers would strike up conversations with you just because you looked in their direction. Hank Willimas, Waylon Jennings, and George Jones served their time as my musical babysitters. Potluck dinners after Sunday service were to be expected and enjoyed. Families spent time together working on the land they lived on during the day and watching tv or playing board games at night. The south was a god fearing, patriotic place where the 4th of July was celebrated with parades in even the smallest cities. Rodeo's were our version of "rock concerts" and you could almost always expect to see the whole town in attendance. Childern were taught to respect their elders and every kid had atleast 2 to 3 "grandparents" that had absolutely no relation to them. People spoke their minds even if they knew that people disagreed because they felt it was a duty to speak out on things that they felt were wrong. Good manners weren't just a niceity, they were a religion and things like holding the door open for those behind you, male or female, were expected but also appreciated.

These are the values that I consider to be redneck. So I ask you, why should I be embarassed of that term? I'm not, I'm proud to be a redneck. I think if more people grew up "redneck", this world might be a different place. A place where family values are strong and people have strong ties to their community. So to all of those people that belittle me because I'm a redneck, you go right ahead. You won't hurt my feelings. You call me a redneck as an insult and I will lift my head in pride. You call me a bigot because I'm proud of my heritage, and I will call you ignorant for not taking the opportunity to get to know me before making such an absurd statement. Being a redneck made me who I am today, a person whose friends always know they can count on me when they are in need. Someone who isn't afraid to speak his mind but at the same time tries to treat everyone with respect. I'm not ashamed of who I am or where I come from. I wear your "taboo term" with honor.