Posted on 07/03/2008 2:19:08 PM PDT by forkinsocket
"Hick." "Hillbilly." "Redneck." "Inbred." "Cracker." "Ridge Runner." I heard and self-effacingly used them all when I left the mountains of Appalachia to attend college in the great metropolis of Williamsburg, Va., in the '80s. I was mercilessly ribbed as a rube when I brought along my sky-blue JCPenney suit—with reversible vest—and my stack of Willie and Waylon albums, and entered a world that was as foreign to me as I must have seemed to my fancy William & Mary roommates from the private schools. Imagine my surprise at their surprise when, thinking nothing of it, I casually mentioned that I missed my mom's home-cooked squirrel.
Well, look who's laughing now. In this strangest of political seasons, Appalachia, the last forgotten place in America, suddenly matters. Never mind Florida and Michigan. In a close election come November, the difference between President McCain and President Obama could come down to me and my people: a bunch of ornery, racist, coal-minin', banjo-pickin', Scots-Irish hillbillies clinging to our guns and religion on the side of some Godforsaken, moonshine-soaked ridge in West Virginia. The Democrats comically pandered to all these stereotypes during this spring's primaries, when the 23 million people of Appalachia—that 1,000-mile mountainous stretch from southern New York to the middle of Alabama—briefly hijacked the presidential race. Scrounging for every last vote, the candidates went out of their way to look country. Hillary got all twangy. Barack tasted beer.
It was fun to watch them make fools of themselves. It was also a little depressing. Taking in the coverage, I was struck by how clueless people still are—and this goes double for presidential contenders—about this vast chunk of the country. If they think about it at all, it's not as a real place where actual people live actual lives.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsweek.com ...
I’m always amazed that “Appalachia” doesn’t include the Appalachian Mountains of New England. I guess we were the rich cousins up here. Fine with me. I don’t need to be identified as any kind of a victim.
You must of had the best of Appalachian ancestors. I have to admit many West Virginians have no trouble being on welfare. However, “too hard-headed to take to authority very well and a determination to survive no matter what comes my way” is right on the money. Obeying the law is pretty optional to many but most won’t do anything particularly bad.
When I was in boot camp in Parris Island, SC, I remember a young man, a fellow platoon mate, from West Virginia named Hatfield asking me where I was from. I told him New Hampshire. He said “Is that up near Massachusetts?” I told him it was. He said “Well, at least they won’t call you a hillbilly”. I laughed my head off. I figured I was just as much of a hillbilly as he was and didn’t much care if I got called one.
squirrel stew ain’t a bad way to go either. real tender.
And most of them know how to take care of themselves and their families. I think they are more self-sufficient than city folk.
Nope. Now the smug big city liberals think everyone from flyover country is a hillbilly and look down their noses at us from 30,000 feet in passing...which is fine, it is more pleasant here that way.
When I first moved up north, I had to leaarn to speak with a 'radio' accent. Not only could I not be understood, but the disdain for someone speaking with a Southern accent was immediate and detrimental, and largely a result of television stereotypes.
After I learned to speak like Johnny Carson (Goodbye, drawl!), I did okay.
It was pretty tough on a science Grad Student on a NSF full ride, though, to be thought an ignoramus because Boss Hogg and Jed Clampett were the only exposure anyone had had here to someone who 'spoke Southern'.
Here's a picture of my great-grandmother and my great-great-grandfather with my dad and his older brothers. The boys all ended up with college degrees or owning their own successful businesses. My dad put himself through college selling strawberries he raised and everything else he could do to make money. America sure has gotten off track - welfare never has eliminated poverty.
I see the picture says Ramage WV. My maternal grandparents were from Six Mile (Hager).
USN40VET
Allot of the Scotch-Irish were English, Maxwell and Sandlin, in my family were from Northern England originally.
Emailed it to my daughter and asked if she knew this nitwit.
She went through W&M at the same time.
My ancestors came over from England and Ireland in the 1700’s to Virginia, making their way west until gradually settling in Pike County, Kentucky - where my grandparents & parents lived. After WWII - they scattered to the cities. I only have a few kinfolk left up there now.
I’m proud of my heritage - call me a hillbilly anytime - I love it!
SirKit and I once spent Columbus Day weekend, which sometimes coincides with our Anniversary date, at the hotel at Canaan Valley Resort in WV. The next year, we went back, bringing our two young boys, and stayed in a cabin. We had such a great time! We had deer come within 10 ft. of our front porch! The Resort even had activities for the kids, and I still have a set of candles that I dipped there. It is just a beautiful place.
It was a lovely weekend, and we went down to Blackwater Falls State Park to hike some of the falls there. It's been 20 years since we were there, but I'd love to go back sometime.
I’d guess squirrels and Snapping turtles provided food for country folk where ever they were. I like the general friendly attitude. People would wave as you went by just because you were human. If you acted like a friend, you were a friend. It’s a simple way of judging people and things.
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Yes, and a handshake meant something and so did one’s word. I’m from Kansas myself and have been lucky to know people like this. Sadly they are fewer and farer between.
Sounds interesting! I really enjoy reading history! I’ll have to check our local library to see if they have it, or I can get it through the system.
I have a master’s degree and I’m a “Hick” a “Redneck” and a “Cracker”.
Well, it is more than History, it is like a Rosetta Stone for American culture.
Yes America has really gotten off track. My Dad used to tell us about his mother not accepting help even though the aid office left packages on the doorstep. They weren’t allowed to touch them. It’s too bad that attitude is not only not celebrated these days, it’s not acknowledged that it existed.
That I didn’t know. I thought the Scots-Irish were protestant Scots sent to Ireland to settle it.
Alicewonders: In case you are not familiar with Ramage,WV noted on the photo, Six Mile Creek discharges into the Spruce Fork of the Coal River at Ramage. My grandparents lived no more than 3 or 4 miles from Ramage, up Six Mile.
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