I'm 63 years old this year and when I was very young (less than 10) I asked my grandmother what I was. She said I was Scotch Irish, Dutch & the Devil. I recently learned that years ago, the Scottish working class was persecuted by the elite in Scotland. So, they left Scotland and landed in Ireland looking for equality. When they got to Ireland, lo and behold, they were treated the same as in their homeland. They became known as Scotch Irish. They got tired of their persecution in Ireland and so decided to leave and come to America. Their departure from Ireland was about the same time as the Irish Potato Famine. When they got to America, almost all of them settled in the Appalachian Mountains of the east central part of the United States. Guess what; when they got here they were persecuted again as being foreigners. They finally got tired of their persecution wherever they went and became defensively belligerent. To mark their identity as a culture that wouldn't deal with persecution any more, they became united and identified themselves to each other by wearing a red neckerchief around their necks. Hence the term "Redneck" was coined. So, am I a redneck? Probably a little. Am I Irish? Yeah but with Scottish heritage. Do I drink green beer? NO WAY! Do I ever wear a Kilt? NO!! Do I wear the GREEN on St. Patrick's Day. You betcha by Golly. I favor my heritage and would love to fish the Chalk Streams of The Northern Isles. Perhaps one day in Paradise.
When your time comes, May you be a half hour in Heaven before the Devil knows you're dead.