Is "White Trash" a harmless term or a hate-filled invective?

[ianplanner]

Since others thought the recent discussion about "White Trash" on another thread was off-topic (and perhaps made many feel uncomfortable), I thought a poll might be in order.

 

[el Guapo]

Poor White trash is as poor white trash does...

If you drop ashes in your babies eyes because you don't remove your cigarette from your mouth while you are breast feeding - then you might be poor white trash.

If you spent money on a NASCAR tickets and none on braces for your kids - then you might be poor white trash.

If your two children under eight years old have to bail the septic system out daily with their barney sand box bucket, but you can afford a satellite dish just so you can get the WWF - then you might be poor white trash.

I could go on...but these are a few that I have personally seen. I don't have a problem being judgmental about someone's actions - not their race. If you are black, brown, green or blue and you act like a dirt bag -then you're a dirt bag.

As a society we enable this kind of abuse because no one wants to be judgmental. Let's bring back positve societal pressure.

My vote is: None of the above -it can be an accurate label.

 

[planasaurus]

My boyfriend prides himself on being from a white trash family. When I went to his parents house for the first time I found out that he did not, in fact, grow up in a poor white trash family, but in a rich middle class suburb. His explanation was that his extended family is white trash.

I have heard other people brag about it too.