Here Is An Apparent Contradiction That I Have Never Understood

[ThomWV]

Maybe someone here can explain this to me. This is about young men mostly. How can a young man be at the same time smart enough to earn the sort of money a new pick up truck cost these days and yet so stupid he'd put a confederate flag in its back window? I see it all the time, a 20-something driving a $35,000 pickup truck with the very symbol of ignornace plastered all over the vehicle. How can it be?

[zanne]

1. It isn't about intelligence...

It's about attitude.

[Winterblues]

2. Daddy

There are a lot of red neck bigots that make decent money though...Most probably got their truck from Daddy..

[uppityperson]

3. They buy it on time, with parents co-signing?

[Mist]

4. Truck: maxed-out credit. Bumper sticker: white identity decal. nt

[trackfan]

5. I'm 48 years old, UCLA graduate and couldn't afford a 35,000 car in any forseeable furture.

I've never figured out where the money comes from.

[pnwmom]

7. Do you happen to own a house? People who throw money away on

expensive vehicles probably have trouble affording a down payment on a house.

[trackfan]

14. I do. So at least I have that.

We bought in 2000 before the prices really shot up (and subsequently came down).

[elizfeelinggreat]

6. just ignorance

I think you're right, it's ignorance. Whether they have the money or not, there are a lot of ignorant people walking around. I think that kind of macho sh*t has been glamorized to the hilt and it's as dangerous to our male youth as anorexia is to young girls but who is going to delve into that swamp?

No one has made them own up to the pain that symbol represents. It's very sad.

[Arctic Dave]

8. Its not what you know, its who you know

Maybe the redneck symbol is what gets him the door of where ever he works. Whether you like to admit it or not the good ole boy system is very alive and well.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

9. Your problem is conflating intelligence with wealth.

That's a very common mistake.

[Bobbieo]

10. Will those confederate flagers be happy to see Hillary or Obama as POTUS?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

12. They don't usually vote, I think.

But they'll be happy with health care and not getting shot in Iraq.

[Thothmes]

13. You don't think they vote

How many general elections has the Democratic party won in the south in the 30 years.

[pnwmom]

17. They wouldn't be happy with ANY our our candidates,

including Edwards. Not those creeps.

[Donnachaidh]

11. Leases.

Around my area these dealerships are offering leases on the big tires *I'm compensating for SOMETHING* trucks these little boys like to drive. How else can you explain a kid making $10 bucks an hour doing drywall driving a 40K+ truck?

[LSK]

15. Car Payments and living at home

[pnwmom]

16. Car loans stretch out much longer these days, which lowers the monthly

payment. And lots of twenty-somethings still live with their parents.

[krispos42]

18. Maybe his or her parents' truck?

And he or she is just borrowing it?

I dunno. They argue that it's a symbol of "states' rights". I guess they can't or won't figure out that the right they want to give the states is the one to declare a human being property instead of citizen, the one to actually take away somebody's right to be a human being.

:shrug:

[mdmc]

19. could be heritage?

If my bloodline ran through the south, I might want to honor it the way Irish people put an IRE sticker on their cars in my neck of the woods.

A friend of mine went to Clemson U. When I was visiting him, I was shocked at all of the confederate images I saw on display. I was told that the flag represented the South, states rights, opposition to tyranny.
They would all laugh when I admitted to being a Yankee.

This would come up at every party I went to while down there. I would see a flag, shirt, or poster and ask about it. The response I got would always be about honor, respect, and tradition. And a firm denial (sometimes a soft denial) of racism.

I would always toast the flag, ten add, "But if I see any swastikas, I'm out the door."

I was a funny yankee, like George Costanza and Jerry Seinfeld.

[mvccd1000]

20. It doesn't necessarily mean that to everyone...

I grew up in the 70s and 80s, watching the Dukes of Hazzard. They had about as big a rebel flag as you'll see on a car, and they obviously weren't racist.

Since that was my only exposure to it, I did not realize it had racist connotations to some until probably well into my 20s, when I started reading about people considering it to be offensive or threatening.

(I grew up in Michigan, and didn't see a lot of them displayed, anyway.)

[Bongo Prophet]

21. EZ - One can have multiple degrees, high income and no empathy or compassion whatsoever.

I see it all the time here in big truck country, Tx...
Sometimes the education shields one from other, less fortunate people, and the "wealth" can come from many professions.

[Norrin Radd]

22. Hopefully those confederate navy jack flags are a female-repellant. n/t