Another reason I'm ashamed to be from Arkansas

To: The Outsiders
From: The Insider
Date: April
Subject: [Insert 30 seconds of thinking up a vapid subject line.]

I try to take pride in my roots. I don’t know why. I guess it’s because I’ve always thought that’s what you’re supposed to do. “Be proud of where you’re from,” I think someone once said. “It’s made you who you are.”

Well, I recently came to the conclusion that the thought that you have to be proud of your roots is a load of pig shit. Where you hail from is just another way people will judge you.

In January 2005, some friends and I took a road trip to St. Louis. We were asked numerous times, at bars and clubs and such: “Where are you guys from?” We got one of two reactions every time. Either they looked at us with fear because they had seen Bangin’ in Little Rock and thought we were somehow gangsters or some bullshit, or they thought we were stupid and grew up on a farm.

At the time, I thought, “It’s OK, I’m used to that.” But no, it’s not OK. I don’t fuckin’ judge people or cling to an archaic stereotype when I learn someone is from a different state or country. I’m interested. I want to know what life is like there, like any normal human being should. But that’s what this world is lacking, or should I say needs to get rid of. “Normal human beings.” What the fuck is “normal?” I’ll piss on normal. OK, I’m getting off the subject of why I even started this blog entry.

The other day in the Jacksonville (Ark.) Patriot, a headline caught my eyes: “Mexican flag flying sparks controversy.” Here’s an excerpt to let you get the gist of the story:

“A local business owner has received complaints because of a flag flying in front of his business. Rosendo Delgado, owner of Delgado’s Market ... has flown the Mexican national flag since he first opened the store earlier this year. ... While shopping in the store recently, Wesley Snodgrass pointed out to Delgado that he should not fly the Mexican flag without also flying the American flag either above or to the right to it. ... Snodgrass reportedly contacted the Jacksonville Police Department about the flag."

Snodgrass... What kind of fucking name is that? Anyway, Mr. Snodgrass, where do you get the BALLS to tell a store owner, who happens to be Mexican, that he can't fly the flag of his native country at his own goddamn store? How rash, insensitive, bigoted and chauvinistic of you, Mr. Snodgrass. You need your ass kicked ... badly. That store owner could fly the goddamn Nazi flag if he wanted to. In fact, I think that store owner should make a flag that reads "I hate white fucking crackers" and fly it to the right of the Mexican flag. That'd be cute.

The saddest thing about this situation, though, is that I see jackasses like this Snodgrass fellow every fucking day of my life. In the grocery store. At the gas station. At the bar. Walking down the street. People who thrive on ostracizing those who don't follow their lifestyles. I'd shoot 'em all if I could. (In the leg of course.) They are detrimental to society, and mainly people like me, and my friends, and many of you — those who don't live "the American way of life." Fuck the American way of life, and fuck you if you try to make me live it. K? : )