Redneck nation

Read Michael Graham's book Redneck Nation last night. I liked it. Graham argues that the U.S. has adopted all of the South's worst aspects: the obsession with race (affirmative action), an unwillingness to consider opposing points of view (speech codes), anti-intellectualism (doesn't matter if you know something as long as your self-esteem is high) and the Tammy Wynette syndrome (women are presumed to be so weak and fragile that they must be tip-toed around, and every measure taken not to offend them).

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I think that some of what he said was a stretch, but much of it struck a chord with me. Just the other day I was thinking about how bizarre it is that in the U.S. that so many forms require people to fill out their race and/or ethnic identity. It isn't a whole lot different from apartheid-era South Africa. Sure, the aims are different, but I still find the impact to be incredibly negative.

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I also think that Graham hits at the more general trend of defining deviancy down. In the redneck South people are slobs and don't see anything wrong with it. They can be fat, slovenly and ignorant, but don't dare criticize them for it or you'll be considered uppity. Now this attitude seems to have spread throughout the country. Everyone's choices are considered to be equally valid. There is no right and wrong. Rather than being shamed over one's "white trash" or "ghetto" lifestyle it is celebrated. Indeed, witness the use of the term "ghetto fabulous."

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Graham may get a few of the specifics wrong, but I think his overall thesis is dead-on. People are rapidly losing respect for themselves, and few seem to care.

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Boycott Nascar.