As one of the last surviving native Atlantans, I feel well-qualified to answer this question.
I find it highly offensive, if only temporarily. It is erroneously applied by those who are uneducated about the the south. Contrary to popular belief, Georgians and other southerners do not fly rebel flags, do not have empty cans of Budweiser littering our yards, do not take great pleasure at AIMING at animals on the road, and do not yell with a great YeeHaw, that “the south’s gonna do it again!”
To be honest, that phrase confuses me. Do WHAT again?
I avoided “rednecks” throughout my dating years, which was a lengthy amount of time, since I did not marry my cousin when I was 14. My family tree BRANCHES, thank you very much.
The term redneck comes from farmers who till and toil the earth in order to feed their families. But it has taken a derrogatory tone over the years, and even “I” can see the clear cut difference between a redneck, and that most charming creature, the southern gentleman.