Snow day

I object to the term white trash. I have heard this term used often, usually describing a part of society that is Caucasian, not necessarily poor, but usually is, and having clothing, decorating, cars, and housing choices that for some reason people not "in" this category find the need to separate themselves from. Like the distant cousin no one in the family wants to talk about in public, but gossips greatly in private. Yet, when I was home on a snow day this last Tuesday (December 9th, 2008), and as I was scanning the satellite viewing choices, I found a plethora of shows devoted to the subject. I didn't actually find any titled White Trash, but Mobile Home Disasters and Pimp My Trailer were two I did run across. I'm not going into detail about either show, but I fail to understand why these shows hold anyone's attention.

One of my main problems with the term white trash is the fact that you cannot apply any other ethnicity in place of white and get away with it. You will instantly be labeled bigot or its kinder sounding term of prejudiced. Can you just imagine the uproar over the term black trash? Or red trash? Or yellow trash? Somehow, those terms are wrong, yet white trash is accepted in society without a blink about the inappropriateness of using skin color to describe a segment of society. Or is it the term trash? Why do we accept trash as a way and a word to label people? My husband challenged me to think of a different term, and without using established prejudiced words; I can't. Has the term white, in reference to people, become the general kick-around, you-can-make-fun-of-without-repercussion term? Is it because of history? That somehow the current Caucasian group has to pay for the sins of their fathers? But then why aren't ALL Caucasian people referred to as white trash? And, it doesn't explain why some other Caucasian people use the term. Usually quite frequently, with laughter, sarcasm, and sometimes general embarrassment.

In the last decade or so, the message has been loud and clear that we should not judge people for their lifestyle choices. Whether it's significant others, or where we live, the cars we drive, the money we spend and what we spend it on; it doesn't matter. We are being taught not to judge lest we be judged. Yet something that is not a choice (skin color) is being used as a way to dismiss and ridicule large numbers of people. Enough so that various television stations create and maintain shows devoted to the term and its trappings. Is an entire mobile home park any different that an entire apartment complex? Or a gated subdivision? Or your local village, city, or country road? All have large numbers of people living there, all have financial differences running to gambit from poor to rich, all have people who have different views of life and how you should live it, all have different tastes in lawn decorations, and all have to get along to have peace. Yet all have people who could be considered "trash" using today's definitions. Why is the cash poor family living in a McMansion they can't afford and have to file bankruptcy different from the cash poor family living in a mobile home they can't afford and have to file for bankruptcy? Why is the mobile home family considered "trash" and the McMansion family just down on their luck and need a handout from the taxpayers to stay in their McMansion instead of suffering the horror of living in a mobile home and becoming "trash"?

This isn't a new term. My other problem with the term is that it has been applied to me while I was growing up. I grew up living in various mobile homes and with the exception of 9 months at an apartment complex when I was 4, lived in one until the age of 22. I was called white trash and trailer trash for most of my grade, middle, and high school years. I'll be the first to admit that living in a mobile home is a little different than living in a "traditional" home, especially from the 70's and 80's. Construction usually wasn't as top quality as today's standards and not having a basement or attic has some unique issues with appliances. As a side note, however, I have noticed in recent years that many new "traditional" homes now have utility rooms on the main living floors. Mobile homes have had these since their creation. Coincidence? I used to think I objected to the term white trash because it was hurled at me so many times that I was just sensitive to it. But that's not completely it. After thinking about this for years, I just don't understand the disparity between skin color and living arrangements. And then, why the term trash? In it's strictest sense, the term trash is something that you throw away, discard, and have no use for. Why do we accept that a whole segment of society is throw away, discardable, and are useless? If that was applied to any other ethnicity, the outrage would inspire riots.

Is it human nature to find someone one considers less than oneself and belittle it? And, if that is human nature, how can we ever expect to find some measure of peace between us?