The Real Sin with Paula Deen

Just Thought I’d Mention

C G Herndon

I guess I don't have a dog in the fight.

Let me go on record saying I’m not a Paula Deen fan…nor am I a Food Network fan (though I don't deny being an enthusiastic fan of foods of all countries, fat contents and cooking styles).  I am also not a fan of prejudice, political correctness or hypocrisy. 

I am a fan of human nature understood.  And it's human nature to feel superiority over others, either as an individual or a group.  We can deny it, but we love to think our virtue and intelligence exceeds others.  Whether it's liberals and conservatives, southerners and northerners or men and women, we love to watch the fall of those who are different and we love to superiorly offer our brilliant insight to enlighten the rest of humanity…so here are my thoughts on Paula Deen...

She's used racial slurs, she's likely held prejudiced beliefs and there’s not a person alive that should throw a stone. She was raised in pre civil rights days when races often lived in separate communities or parts of the community. Many people in her generation learned about other ethnicities through hearsay.  But she's lived a lot of years and had a lot of experiences since her youth.

I grew up many years later in a wonderful community, with loving, nurturing people and almost no racial diversity.  College was really my first exposure to other ethnicities but was limited to people with an interest in higher education, my perceptions changed.  The most extensive exposure I’ve had to ethnic diversity is as a teacher where I've had a large variety of children; again, my perceptions change.  Exposure yields education.

I remember my oldest child coming home from kindergarten talking about his new 'dark' friend. At the tender age of five he didn't have a concept of race.  Prejudice, though a human tendency, has to be learned.  And like anything else, it can also be unlearned.  People's beliefs change, mature and evolve.

Regardless of what Paula Deen may or may not believe, nothing has been proven.  You can't deny she is an odd bird that uses antiquated, rural sayings many would considered politically incorrect. But you also can't say that much has changed of our knowledge of her actions in the past few weeks other than she used a racial slur under duress nearly thirty years ago.  I'd hate to be judged on my actions thirty years ago...or my actions under duress.  Just last week I had a mishap installing a concrete anchor for a porch post.  I send words into the ether causing birds to fly from trees, animals to retreat into their burrows and Jesus to cry.  They weren't racially charged but I certainly wouldn't repeat them around my mother or daughter (as for the wife, sorry dear, you agreed to better or worst).

Paula Deen may not be racially sensitive but the real sin in this situation is the condemning judgment being heaped on her in the name of self-righteousness by hypocritical individuals and corporations...on the other hand, I guess I don't have a dog in the fight.