Come on, people. We live in Oklahoma. You see it on television, hear it on the radio, and probably even buy your dad a birthday card about it.

The whole “I’m proud to be a redneck” thing - bad grammar, poor hygiene, and Confederate flags are depicted as stereotypical “redneck” characteristics.

I find the trend offensive. I drive tractors, wear blue jeans, and love mama’s corn bread, but I do NOT consider myself a redneck.

Perhaps there would be less use of this word if people knew the origin of  “redneck”.

 In 1746, Scotland fought its last war for independence against England.

It ended in a massacre at Culloden Moor, and English victors rounded up over 900 survivors and shipped them like cattle to American colonies to be sold as white slaves.

Once proud and free, these men and women were dubbed “rednecks” as a taunt referring to how severely their light skin burned in hot American sun.

I imagine the term would have been a painful reminder of all they had lost.

So why use “redneck” as something to be proud of? Why adopt racial slurs as endearments?

Perhaps before we use a label, we should first know what it really means.