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If You Can't Take A Joke -----

   I am from Southern Illinois in a region that was isolated for many years. Southern IL was primarily settled from migration of southerners, my heritage goes back to Virginia before the Revolutionary war as do most in the area. A strong southern accent remained in the people I grew up with and in my family. When my family moved up to central IL I found that a southern accent was equated with stupidity. I even had teachers who belittled me for the accent even though  I had  excellent grades.

 There is an uproar presently about a cartoon that supposedly represents obama. Afro Americans become inflamed with any depiction they consider to be a racial slur. Italians Americans, Irish Americans, Hispanic Americans, Jews, and every other ethnic or nationality howl if they are stereotypically treated comically. The network TV shows tread lightly with them. The one group that is constantly put into a buffoonish role is southern "rednecks" . The actual term redneck goes back to the Scotch-Irish dissenters of Anglican rule. Many of the people who took a role in securing our freedom and liberty in the Revolutionary war were Rednecks. And I am proud to be descended from them. How many of the people who find mirth in depicting them in a depreciating light can boast a heritage so steeped in our history. The military has always been largely made up of southerners.  Many of our greatest generals and admirals have come from the south. Today is no different.

 There is another group that is depicted as the fool. When a TV comedy show is all black any whites are usually  playing the fool. An all white show could never get away with treating a black character the same.

 If we put up all the jokes and treatment as low class members of society remember we are the ones who serve in our military, we are the ones who marry and take care of our kids, we are the ones who believe in self responsibility and work for a living, we are the one who are going to church, we are the ones who believe in helping others. We can see the humor in the jokes about us why can't everyone else?