This is for my fellow Crackers out there...It would be great if you could just take a minute or two and put your two cents in here, at my former English teacher's blog. A student wrote the original post, which I responded to, and there were some....uh....ignorant people that responded to my response. I think it would be great if we got a couple non-students in there to respond and explain to these people that the Florida Cracker culture is not based on "oppression and enslaving people."
I am off to watch Gods and Generals for the quintillionth time.
Good night!
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9 comments:
ACK! I do wish the schools would get some decent history books and stop perpetuating all those revisionist myths.
Ouch. Do I still count as a Norhterner? Cause I think I might be afraid to count as a Yankee around you guys. And would somebody please correct that kid on rednecks being 'ignorant'?. I don't think that you can be too terribly ignorant and hold down a 3.81 average after three years of college, and 111 credit hours total. Yet I am most definitely a redneck!
The irony of the argument by our Northern Invaders is that we should all just get along and not harbor any ill feelings as our culture is torn apart in all directions in our Great State.
The times I have been past the Mason Dixon Line, they were not too happy by our accent, way of life or asking us to show them how cool it was to be from the South. Just the opposite.
I quote our beloved General Nathan Bedford Forrest who said "No One knows the embarrassment I labor under when thrown in the company of educated persons."
sophie - It's gotten a lot worse in the last few years with all the "political correctness" taking over. There is no culture more demeaned in this county than the Southern culture...But the victors write the history.
paint - I certainly don't consider you a Yankee. You're welcome in my house (The South) anytime.
scott - Isn't it funny that they say that we should not harbor any ill feelings toward each other, and then in the same sentence, insult and demean US? Ignorance, my friend, ignorance.
I also agree to an extent with your second paragraph. I find that many northerners that move down here get offended by MY culture and tell ME to change...I just want to say "hey, buddy, this is The South. Take it, or LEAVE IT." However, my experiences north of the Mason-Dixon Line have almost always been 100% pleasant, as the people I associate with up there are all very accepting.
I don't seem to be internet saavy enough to figure out how to post on that blog. But, if I could have, this is what I would have said:
While Cracker is defined as a Florida native, I prefer to think of it as someone who loves the real Florida and that transcends geography. It is someone who looks beyond Disney World, the beach, McDonalds and Wal Mart to the wildlife, landscape, culture, food, art, literature and language that make us unique from the rest of the country. Someone who recognizes that you can preserve our past and heritage without condoning all of it. Crackers are realists who don’t coat life with a Hollywood perspective. Crackers want to keep what is best about Florida and make what is not good better for the future. There have been northerners who transplanted to Florida and have done just that and southerners who tore the place up and left their mess for someone else to clean up. Crackers got their name because of the sound of their whips as they drove their cattle from the interior to the coast. Modern day Florida Crackers, whether they speak southern or with a New York accent, are the ones who are sounding the alarm that native Florida is too rapidly disappearing and if we don’t do something now, it will not be around even one more generation.
HT, rural culture and values are under assault everywhere, although I think Florida is taking about the worst hit from the sounds of things. We have hoards of NYC kids on scholarship to our local ag and tech college of all places. They whine and rant and hold rallies, because the cows smell bad and farmers get up too early and wake them up with their tractors and they abhor the aggie culture. At my advanced age I should just be able to shrug them off but all I can say is ARGGHHH!!!
Happy Mother's Day to your mom who has raised a fine citizen
I think Cathy S. pretty much nailed it.
cathy - I'll go ahead and post that on the blog when I have a chance.
threecollie - Hey it's the smell of money!! I am still wondering what city kids are doing at an A&M college...I also wonder why people have so much disrespect toward rural folk, who are often the most accepting and kind people in the world. I really need to get out of the city.
pop - I agree :-D
You sound like a young man with his head in the right direction. Keep up the good work.
Stop by my blog anytime. Blogging will be a little slow this summer as I am busy at both work and home. Will post a little less often. Stop by my other blogs also.
Life in America
The Rural Life is a Great Life in Arkansas
By the way - send me some peppers. I like hot spicy food.
10-4 Willy
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