'White trash' Texas town written off by a professor

Daily Telegraph ^ | February 22, 2004 | Julian Coman in Washington

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Over the years, Texans have been the butt of many cruel jokes. Opponents of President George W. Bush, who grew up in Midland, Texas, love to lampoon his folksy cowboy language.

But no one has been quite as insulting as Dr Larry Sechrest, a university professor in the Texan town of Alpine.

Last month, he published a 7,000-word essay entitled "A strange little town in Texas", in a small-circulation magazine based in Washington state. Unfortunately, a couple of subscribers who live in Alpine read his indictment of his 5,000 neighbours, two of whom have responded with death threats.

"The secret problem here," Dr Sechrest wrote in the introduction, "is that the students and more generally the long-term residents of the entire area are appallingly ignorant, irrational, anti-intellectual and well, just plain stupid."

The diatribe, which appeared in Liberty, an obscure libertarian journal, was apparently inspired by a letter from a student. On reading the words "Thank you for all your patients", an exasperated Dr Sechrest put pen to paper. "Here, one has poor white trash and poor Mexican trash socialising with each other," he wrote. "Here, the lowest common denominators get together to pro-create."

There was more. "Many of the kids are only a notch above retardation," he said. "The students here are among the worst... anywhere. I am prepared to defend to the death the proposition that this area of Texas generally is the proud home of some of the dumbest clods on the planet."

As an economics professor, Dr Sechrest had tried to interest the residents in theories of capital markets but most were interested only in "football, beer, sex and church".

Now he says: "The article was a Mark Twain sort of thing. I can't believe there's such anger."

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

As an economics professor, Dr Sechrest had tried to interest the residents in theories of capital markets but most were interested only in "football, beer, sex and church".

With the exception of the last criterion, his description fits Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas and Texas...all states in which I have lived. Humor aside, the man is telling the truth. A Japanese exchange student in a school near here, after observing an incident in which the students in a math class programmed their calculators with the answers to a test and were caught, said, "Americans are stupid and lazy." She is, unfortunately, every day more correct in her analysis. And, if one tries to persuade them to change their attitude and direction, they become profoundly angry. Consequences coming... Mene Mene Tekel Upharsin.

[KC Burke]

This Hayek-rejecting Objectivist will piss you off.

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

And therein is the problem (even for Sechrest). So many people in the United States have not a clue as to what the Bible says. I've asked children about major Bible stories only to receive blank stares. It's scary. However, even now they still know who Larry Bird was and have heard of Pete Maravich and adore Herschel Walker. Mention a significant Bible event and they have never heard of it and the parents immediately complain about bringing up such topics. The saddest thing of all is that Sechrest himself probably is clueless about what the Bible teaches and doesn't care. Looks like the pot calling the kettle fat.

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

Here's a passage which describes what happened to the Roman Empire and is now happening to us...let folks argue with God:

Daniel 2:43 "And in that you saw the iron mixed with common clay, they will combine with one another in the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, even as iron does not combine with pottery.

I guess my major faults are bitterness and failing to participate very much in the first three of four items mentioned as being an obsession with those of us from Texas.

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

I don't think you would get what you expect. If you break down on the road you will have three pickups pull in behind you. They will call you every name in the book while they overhaul your engine. You will be lazy, stupid and incompetent for allowing yourself to get in such a fix. It's all a cover for the fact that they are helping you and will spend all day doing it. Samaritans in disguise. They can't give the appearance of being softies.

ROFL ... well, yes.

[raloxk]

"In a capitalist country like America though, we have no need for central planners. Intellectuals aren't just laughed at. It's far worse. They're simply ignored."

100% in agreement. Egg heads want ot be central planners. But as you said, in a market economy things get down by each individual pursuing their won economic well-being, no need for an egg head to direct it. Thus no need for egg heads

[Consort]

[e_engineer]

Who is the really stupid one in this story?

The deliciously ironic part is that this economics professor has given the whole town an inadvertent lesson in free market economics.

In a market where there is no shortage of service providers (economics professors), he has alienated his potential customers (the whole town), and they have responded by boycotting his business (classes).

His lost business so far amounts to $12,000. Let's hope the town continues to teach this professor about the free market till he gets a clue.

[solo gringo]

This jerk of a professer is a Michael Moore wannabee send this dope packing.Alpine and Texas will be a better place without him.IMHO

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

Perhaps it is not the concept that Sechrest tried to get across...that some improvement needs to be made, but how he communicated it. Maybe the following passage applies...

1 Corinthians 8:1 Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies.

Okay, that's enough. Flame suit on.

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

Was that posted in Hyper Texas Transfer Protocol? Okay, NOW I have to go.

[FITZ]

In a recent interview, Dr. Sechrest said he never expected the people in Alpine to read the article, nor did he expect such violent reaction.

Well that wasn't too smart of him --- but maybe he figured the people couldn't read.

[pepperdog]

"he never expected the people in Alpine to read the article"

Oh I believe that! He probably doesn't think the people of Alpine can read given his overall low opinion of them. What a disgusting little man.

[FITZ]

If you break down on the road you will have three pickups pull in behind you. They will call you every name in the book while they overhaul your engine. You will be lazy, stupid and incompetant for allowing yourself to get in such a fix.

You're right ---- some of the most friendly helpful people are in some of those small towns --- but they'll question where you're from for your accent and make comments while they're wasting hours helping you.

[Inyo-Mono]

Is Larry Sechrest following the Liberal dress code? We have a few living in our rural community and they dress just like the prof does in that picture you posted!

[SamAdams76]

Hey, it's Jerry Garcia in a XXXL shirt from the Casual Male catalog. And he writes about others being "white trash?" Talk about calling the kettle black. Is that stain on his shirt from that quart of Ben & Jerry's ice cream he just inhaled before the picture was taken? Hopefully he's got some kind of bra on underneath to keep those humongous breasts from jiggling around. He's got a bustline that would make Dolly Parton proud but unfortunately, its offset by his waistline. And his beard doesn't hide the fact that he's got more chins then a chinese phone book.

[freebilly]

"In the Land of the Blind, the One-eyed man is King."

He's screwed a monocle into that one eye as well--

As an economics professor, Dr Sechrest had tried to interest the residents in theories of capital markets but most were interested only in "football, beer, sex and church".

Is it just me, or does "football, beer, sex, and church" seem a whole lot more interesting than theories about capital markets or theories about anything, for that matter.

My theory is Dr Sechrest needs a little Levitra. An erection now and then might help the Perfesser get down in the dirt with his fellow clods, or clodettes, depending on just how liberal he is....

[DUMBGRUNT]

"Cowboy culture is a study in understatement. The idea is to think fast and talk slow."

Good words to live by.
Thaks

[William Terrell]

Furious, Sechrest accused the university of punishing him for his views and trying to drive him to quit.

Unlike the good prof, those dumb, ignorant Texans seem to understand that words have both meaning and consequences.

[MountainYankee]

Arrogant, self centered, self serving, pseudo-elite academia of modern American Society. How would folks in Sam Houston's day reacted to this twit? This is the prevailing academic attitude all over the land..