My WV story - Democratic Underground

MattBaggins

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Tue May-13-08 10:39 AM
Original message

My WV story

I went through basic training at fort Knox Kentucky during winter. We were given a four day weekend for Christmas and one of my buddies from Michigan took me with him to stay with his relatives in WV. I really had good time and met some decent folks that I found to be quite likable. Was there the typical stereo types? Of course there was. There was moonshine, his 13 year old pregnant toothless cousin and her 15 year old brother who bragged to me about being the biggest kid in the 6th great. Not a single bit of that suprised me though. I grew up in Upstate New York; just as country as any town in the deep south. We had more than our fair share of toothless pregnant 13 year olds. Every year there would be the one 15 year old sixth grader who would without fail, drop out the next year. As for the moonshine; bring it on. I brew my own beer and wine. My father in law is German and makes his own schnapps. My Austrian born great grandfather kept his special schnapps as well. Don't see a damn thing wrong with making your own spirits.

His uncle was actually well off and a great funny guy and by no means a stupid person. I still don't get that one; very intelligent and witty, yet "honored" me by naming one of his fighting cocks after me. Really, I was told many times by townfolks what an honor that was.

There was one little problem though that clouded the whole experience. Some of the nicest people I have ever met who treated me like family yet thought it was just peachy to nick name "NY N@##$R" I actually got introduced around by that name. I pointed out the fact that I am one pastey white guy but it did not matter. I was from NY and there for "NY N@##$R". Strangest part about it is that despite this mentality not one actual word was uttered about black people, not a single stupid joke was told, no discussions about race at all. Just shy of 20 years ago and I still scratch my head over it.

I really understood where Obama was coming from when he supposedly threw his granny under the bus. I don't understand the nickname I was given yet genuinely liked the people I met and can't bring myself to hate them either. My brother in law is black and despite two wonderful neices; my parents never excepted him. They are the ones who won't vote for Obama because he is black. Some how they can have two beautiful grand daughters who are half black yet oppose Obama simply because he is one of "them" and we have to stand up to "them". That stupid kind of mentality isn't just in WV. Trust me, as a New Yorker it lives in the "progressive" North East as well.

I kind of feel like calling for a pox on both camps. Hillary supporters who say WV isn't a state steeping in racial stupidity are only fooling themselves. Those of us on Obamas side really need to listen to what he was saying when he tied Wright and his grandmother together. Throwing hatred around at people and dismissing them as stupid bumpkins isn't gonna help make changes. Don't apologize for the stupidity, but please do realize that yes most of them are still decent people and some times you have to let the racial comments slide off your back. Reaching out and influencing them is how you change the culture. Spitting at them and calling them retards won't help.

The entire state of WV is not some backwoods inbred bunch of morons to be tossed aside and forgotten. If you want to decry that bullshit of using the term Elitist Latte Liberal as an identity politics wedge; why are you falling for it hook, line and sinker with WV?