One of my biggest pet peeves as a man is trucks with smokestacks built into them - whether they be functional or not.
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| Example A |
First off I have a question: WHY IN THE WORLD ARE THEY ALL DODGES???? I truly don't understand this. I feel that Dodge trucks with added smoke stacks are the first explicit symbol of redneckery.
I feel like the reason this irritates me so much is that it's completely unnecessary and an unsurpassed display of a big finger to the population of the country that are not "country people" - whether it is a conscious decision or not.
**Before I go any further with this post let it be known that I was born and raised "country". I spent the better part of my childhood working on a cattle ranch in the heart of Kansas, my parents still live way out in the boonies where they own more than one truck, more lawn tractors than are strictly necessary, a duck, and a rabbit and love it whole-heartedly so I do have room to talk.
I was explaining to Reina today that there are two types of country people. I'm not exactly sure how to classify them because the terms "redneck" and "hick" are affectionately used by both parties. Honestly, the easiest way to describe the difference is in the trucks they drive. One one hand you have those who drive the jacked-up Dodges with stacks and/or jacked-up and always muddy 4-Runners and the like. On the other you have those who drive Chevys and Fords that are constantly dusty... from actual work.
Aaaaand we move back to my original point. On my way home I saw the epitome of a truck that fits the type of country that I am staunchly not. It was a Dodge Ram with a 6" lift, stacks, a rebel flag sticker and flag on both the toolbox and 6' CB antenna bolted to the top.
I got to thinking about why the Confederate flag has become such a symbol for redneckery (term used without mockery or disdain.. just the best way to describe it),
I mean, it's understandable to see the relationship between the south and "being country" but I feel like people have a gross misunderstanding of what that flag means and what it stood for.
The popular reaction to seeing the rebel flag is the connotation of being in favor of slavery, or racist, or something along those lines as was the rebel south during the Civil War. The frustrating thing about this is that the actual moral issue of slavery wasn't the root cause of the war between north and south. It was definitely an issue put forward by the north in order to have justification and raise support for the Union soldiers but the whole war wasn't built around slavery.
In all reality it was built upon the issue of federal control and states rights. Slavery was a major point of contention because the south stood by the stance that it was an issue to be discussed within the states own congresses - and I feel that's an incredibly valid statement. I'm not in favor of slavery, racism, or human trafficking of any sorts but I do feel that there are times when issues should be determined by the state rather than the feds.
I'm not going to get into the issue of slavery, the causes of the war, and the conflict between states rights and big government. I just am truly curious if people know what the symbols they now use for one cause was originally used for.
In the case of the rebel flag being used for the symbol of "country" it makes me wonder what Gen. Lee and the rebel army - the men who fought and gave their lives for whatever cause they felt the rebel flag stood for - would think of its current use. Just food for thought and another question that will never have an actual answer but please feel free to weigh in on the issue.
God bless,
Connor
p.s. I apologize for any lack of editing. My computer is dying in my lap and I really want to post it before my week gets hectic.
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