I'm From Arkansas Ya'll

sick of negativity about Arkansans and other Southerners... we ain't idiots!

I'm from Arkansas, ya'll
I was born here
in Arkansas

I have teeth
I have shoes
I have a lover
who isn't my brother

I can read, write
add , multiply and divide
talk of this and talk of that

I am from Arkansas
guess what?
I am not a hillbilly
my neck is not red

I can cook, sew
hush a babe
shoot a gun too
I am southern lady
 through and through

I'm an Arkansan
and proud to be
Yee-Haw
Ya'll
Woo Pigs,  Sooie, Arkansas Razorbacks
I'm from Arkansas - ya'll


I read some comments on Yahoo news about the flood here in Arkansas at a camp ground. People were swept away... some still missing. Many were children... what is a parent's worse fear? Losing a child. This is something that is unbearable,
Many of the comments were cruel with a capitol C. Such as.. "Stupid crackheads", "Incestuous idiots", "toothless rednecks".
and one said something like, "Yay, got rid of a bunch of hillbilly scum".... I take offense!  This is so wrong. We are not inbred idiots here... nor toothless, shoeless hillbillies. We pull together in times as these. We are educated. I am tired of hearing all the negative comments about Arkansans and other Southerners .... All over the world and in the U.S. there are people who are rednecks, hillbillies. Incest was not patented in this state it happens every where world wide. So I think the people who wrote those ignorant uncaring comments show the world that ignorant people are rampant... all over the world

There are many famous people from Arkansas. Many well known writers, John Gresham, Maya Angelou, Helen Gurley Brown a writer who also publishes Cosmopolitan Magazine, John Gould Fletcher the first Southern poet to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry and a peer to EE Cummings and of course, Legion, the flying pig,Sam Dickens, Craig Froman and me! ~ (haha) ...Actors Mary Steenburgen, Billy Bob Thornton... this is getting long.. so let me mention William Jefferson Clinton one of the best presidents in my opinion, And Mr. Johnny Cash! No sir we ain't a bunch of ignorant hillbillies!

Author's Note

just a little crap poem and rant of sorts - written last year - it was in May i believe when this tragedy occurred .. entire families swept away...
This is a beautiful state.. the picture is of Old Mill Creek outside Little Rock click on it .. so beautiful... of course i am using 'ain't and yee-haw ' with some sarcasm... I don't say ya'll or ain't( i have a baby- i want him to speak correctly) ... if i drink a bit on New Year's Eve I might say yee haw tho :D

Reviews

[Fran Marie]

Yep, I hear ya on this one,a rightous rant on the hillbilly and such stereotypical connotations, of the term Hillbilly,then redneck, supposely refered as to southerns who picked cotton got sunburned necks~etc....indeed; it's a cruel world to hear such derogatory comments and remarks such as hillbilly scum
a great piece and love the picture~ y'all gut a rite purrdy state and i ain't a lyin hee haw~j/k

[SamBug]

Whoa no way. Go Arkansas!!!! I loved this, mostly because I'm from Arkansas, too. :D

[The Analog Kid]

Thank God for the people of the south! If everyone in the US were like these NE and CA people, we would have a lot harder time getting our country back on track. People are waking up and the hard working southerners are our rock-solid, work ethic, moral, and patriotic foundation...nice rant:)

[Iota]

Rants, and emotional writings make for good poetry. I am not originally from the south, I am from the north east. When I told my family I was moving to TN the horrid things they told me made me the south was this awful place and in any moment I would find myself hanging from a tree some place, however, I came here anyway. After about six months I returned home and from the time I got off the plane I saw Philadelphia in a new light. People were so rude, so much in a rush that they were missing the true meaning of life and I realized I was missing TN and the many wonderful people who accepted me as a friend.

Very powerful and even fun write here of yours, it is one that I will save.

[Ladysue]

A wonderful heartfelt piece that says so much on the ignorance of people at times...nicely done...

[Fabian G. Franklin]

And yall have the Ozarks which are so beautiful!!!! You forgot to mention my favorite son of Arkansas and one of the greatest influences of both Rock n Roll and country music who ever lived, the late great John R. Cash...always remembered as Johnny by his millions of fans across the world. He is one of my personal heroes as well.

[The Rock And Roll Cowbo..]

Thank you for sharing your pride in your states and your roots... one thing I always love bout traveling to other states is to break the stereotypes and see what things are like first hand.
I like that you were able to add a little wit while expressing the truth bout your great state.

[TL Boehm]

AMEN, Sister! Seriously, I was raised in Jacksonville from 71 to 79. I consider it "home" and still have dear dear friends there. I do tease them sometimes but only because I love them - and I know they are intelligent enough to tease back. I remember the Old Mill. I have a couple of different shots of it on my screen saver (via webshots) I have such fond memories of growing up there, in Jacksonville and at the AFB...