Mr. Murtha is just telling it like it is!

[Antipsych]

To anyone who was offended by John P. Murtha's statements about racism and rednecks in Western Pennsylvania: If you don't live here, then try doing so for at least a few months. It probably won't even take that long until you start hearing the ugly n***** word. If you do live here, then you're either extremely sheltered or you're in denial. I can understand if you're offended because you thought Mr. Murtha was labelling all of us as racists - I wouldn't want anyone thinking that of me, either. But don't take it personally. Step back and look at the big picture - there are a lot of willfully bigoted people all around us. The jerk at the Johnstown Palin rally, for one - and there are many more idiots like that. Jack Murtha tells it like it is.

[Boozy]

What happened at the Johnstown rally?

[Antipsych]

What happened at the Johnstown rally?

This: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKUovpF9LWU

Some racist jerk of a so-called man was waiting in line to get into the War Memorial Arena for the rally, and he was caught on camera waving a little stuffed "Curious George" monkey around; he had wrapped an Obama sticker around its head and called the monkey "Little Hussein." He proceeded to wave it at protesters across the street.

[CancelMyService]

As someone who's lived in Western PA all his life and has a job wherein I speak to members of the public every day, I have to agree Murtha was right.

It wasn't a smart thing for someone running for re-election to say, but that doesn't mean he was wrong about it.

It's always alarming how since I apparently look like someone who would be racist (I guess the long hair and beard make people think I'm a redneck, I dunno) start dropping n-bombs and other mind bendingly racist comments in conversation like it wasn't a big deal.

[Antipsych]

It's always alarming how since I apparently look like someone who would be racist (I guess the long hair and beard make people think I'm a redneck, I dunno) start dropping n-bombs and other mind bendingly racist comments in conversation like it wasn't a big deal.

Having somewhat long hair and a mustache and beard, I can definitely identify and sympathize with you. So much for not "judging a book by its cover." I fear people will think I'm a redneck, even though, by definition, true rednecks have short hair. But over time, the term has come to symbolize the attitude more than a certain appearance.

Just two of many experiences with local stupidity I've had over the years: From 1992-1997, my best friend and I were a mobile DJ team. When we were just getting established, going around the city talking to local bar owners, one potential employer told us, "I don't want any of that n***** rap!" Fine, it's your establishment, but do you realize what most people will think of you when you say things like that? Oh, wait, I momentarily forgot what city (I use that term loosely) this is. Over the years, our name got around, and we received more and more bookings. Every September, we provided the music at a local bar's customer appreciation picnic. The final year, (1996, I think) there was a group of about 20-25 bikers there, along with the other regulars. I'm not trying to stereotype bikers, just making note. We started playing our music at the normal time, and were playing songs from different genres: rock, country, pop, dance. Apparently, some of the pop and dance songs struck many of the bikers right in the whitey zone, and they began to approach my friend and I, saying "Don't play any more of that n***** music!" What really made my jaw drop was that one of them was the group's chaplain. Nice message you're preaching there, butthead. Since we wanted to escape with our lives and DJ equipment intact that night, we didn't reply, just clammed up and kept the songs rolling. I wanted to ask the bikers two questions: (1) Just who the hell put them in charge of anything or anyone? (2) Who were you speaking for? The people who were having a great time dancing to all the songs we were playing, not just the rock and country? I don't think so. At the end of the gig, I let the bar owner know we'd played our last picnic.

A local restaurant and theater owner who writes a weekly local newspaper column penned an interesting article recently which explained the difference between prejudice and racism. I must admit to having had my eyes opened and to being guilty in the past of lumping the two together - not that either of them is right.

[AdminAssistant]

Having somewhat long hair and a mustache and beard, I can definitely identify and sympathize with you. So much for not "judging a book by its cover." I fear people will think I'm a redneck, even though, by definition, true rednecks have short hair. But over time, the term has come to symbolize the attitude more than a certain appearance.

"Redneck" comes from the fact that these folks usually work outside for a living and get sunburned on the back of their neck. Therefore, red neck. (This is according to my Dad - the wikipedia article on the subject also lists this as a possibility)

[Antipsych]

"Redneck" comes from the fact that these folks usually work outside for a living and get sunburned on the back of their neck. Therefore, red neck. (This is according to my Dad - the wikipedia article on the subject also lists this as a possibility)

Exactly - and continuing along that line of reasoning, rednecks would have short hair.

[wanderingjoe72]

This: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKUovpF9LWU

Some racist jerk of a so-called man was waiting in line to get into the War Memorial Arena for the rally, and he was caught on camera waving a little stuffed "Curious George" monkey around; he had wrapped an Obama sticker around its head and called the monkey "Little Hussein." He proceeded to wave it at protesters across the street.

I was waiting for this to come up. I am guessing it has to be a race thing, because it is ok to compare Bush to a monkey, but not Obama?

[smileyeagle1021]

I was waiting for this to come up. I am guessing it has to be a race thing, because it is ok to compare Bush to a monkey, but not Obama?

the reason why people consider it acceptable to compare Bush to a monkey is because the people are comparing his facial expressions to the facial expressions of a monkey (which admittedly, there is a strong semblance ) and the people comparing Obama to a monkey are doing so to imply that because of his race he is less evolved.

And on the topic of west virginia... that is a state where during the primaries people were going on tv interviews admitting (on national television) that they voted for Hillary for no other reason than because Obama was black/muslim/had a funny middle name... at least in most states when people vote like that they aren't clueless enough to say it on national TV (of course there are exceptions to that)

[Flyndaran]

Bush is a monkey in that he is trained rather well, and constantly has a perplexed by the world of humans expression on his face.

Obama doesn't look like a non-human simian in any way, even when disregarding the obvious racist overtones in comparing a black man to a non-human simian. Has no one heard the porch monkey insult?

Unless someone compared Bush to a saltine ie. cracker, then the terms aren't comparable at all.

[AFPheonix]

Actually, cracker came from the sound of the whips of slave keepers. That's why it's pretty insulting when it's hurled at a white person.

[Boozy]

Actually, cracker came from the sound of the whips of slave keepers. That's why it's pretty insulting when it's hurled at a white person.

Huh. I didn't know that.

Now I find it really offensive. I didn't before, because I didn't understand what it meant.

[AFPheonix]