On 2006-01-20, Elaine Parrish > wrote:

> The "Gentle" people adhered to the code and
> were termed "Genteel". "Gentleman" has a specific meaning and is not
> interchangeable with "man" or "male". As is true for "gentlewoman" or
> "lady" [id.est the Gentleman's Lady].

These are the same "Gentle" people who would bring their children to
a public picnic to watch a black man lynched from a tree, have his
genitals cut off, stuffed in his mouth, and set on fire. How
very "Genteel".

> By the same token, "white trash" and "poor white trash" and "white trash
> scum" also have specific meanings.

Yeah, it pretty much means you're not one of the "Genteel" crowd and
there's a fair chance you can end up beat to a pulp or worse.

There's a lot of things I love about The South, but the lack of
tolerance for anyone not conforming to the accepted norm, whether by
choice or by chance of birth, isn't one of them. I spent a couple
years in TN. Some of the finest most friendly people I ever met.
But, you exercise individuality at your own peril.

nb