Thanks Ruth.  I'll share this with my son.

He is now attending a school full of young artists...the offspring of artistic
people.  Uncomfortably far to the left of me, where political correctness leaves
little room for appreciation for the folks you describe.  So I am forced to
present views, for fear he will not be exposed to them.

Recently he has been going on about the virtues of vegetarian diets...and I have
been musing why he gets his information from people who live in cities and have
no relationships with animals that are not pets.  Hardly expertise.

He suggests that people who eat meat should be required to go hunt...and I
respond by describing the cruelty and dangers presented by hunters in the woods
who have no skills.

I resent having my liberal credentials always on trial.  Seems to me tolerance
comes from exposure to people, not dogma.

Mississippi has not always been the poorest state.  I had the honor of being
unemployed one year while Maine swept Mississippi to the side in its race for
the economic bottom.  Many years ago, but I doubt that even today there's that
much difference between being poor in the 50th poorest and the 49th.

Hmmmm....maybe even in the least poor state.

-jc

[log in to unmask] wrote:

> ...Here in the styx....firearm safety and knife saftey....are taught early;
> Tonight under the glow of a couple of colemans I watched a father instruct
> his 10 yr old son on how to field dress the boys " first" deer ; a  buck;
>  with a "skinner" ;( a sharp curved affair of about 7 inches with a hook at
> the end ) that guts the deer; then expertly skins it.
> The boy; after his kill was initiated into the rites of passage by having the
> deer blood smeared on his  facial cheeks  by a circle of  boys ; with  dads
> and uncles.
> This is a big deal  Now it is his pride  that he for the first time will "put
> food " on his familles table ; This rite of passage;   simple and simplistic
> runs universal deep in the family circle of the rural south giving maturity
> to children of both sexes.
>
> Any irresponsibility regarding firearms or knife handling is a mark of
> immaturity; shaming both child and parent  and reaps. All the humility
> associated with such stigma  within  the peer group. No matter what the
> background of the parent very few kids will ever make the same mistake twice.
>
> In many ways the boys  skill with this basic technology of weapons  has
> allowed him to  join the family adults  now  as a "provider" ; serious stuff
> when you are poor and Dad and mom  cannot afford to eat out with the whole
> family even at a burger joint.
> Here in Mississippi the "politically correct "on the nightly news tell us we
> are the poorest state in the Union ; yea we(collective we )   live in tin
> roof shacks and eek by on part time jobs but the freezers on the porch are
> filled with game and fish; and most kids know how cook and clean fish;
> rabbit; deer; turkey and make their own bow an arrows; and tend a garden
> ....something none of our best schools are callable of teaching......Pyrate
>
> --
> To terminate puerile preservation prattling among pals and the
> uncoffee-ed, or to change your settings, go to:
> <http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/bullamanka-pinheads.html>

--
To terminate puerile preservation prattling among pals and the
uncoffee-ed, or to change your settings, go to:
<http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/bullamanka-pinheads.html>