Growing up I was in a neighborhood where my family stuck out like a sore thumb. Our neighborhood was a predominantly Irish Catholic. My mother being Native American and my step father being Polish, we were truly a noticeable difference to the neighborhood. ALL of our neighbors welcomed us with open arms and frankly, I remember each of them quite fondly still today. Some of them have passed on or moved away, while others still remain now with their extended families.
Often times my own experiences have been at the hands of someone I looked up to or just didn’t expect to behave in the way that they did. I’ve gone to the Stop & Shop in my neighborhood with my husband, who at the time was my boyfriend, to have the cashier that was checking me out at the cash register say to her friend that was bagging; “Can you believe this dumb B—h is with a white man, this Ni–r, doesn’t care and this is why every race is being wiped out”. My response to her was, I know you’re talking to your friend about me. I’m not dumb, and no one gets to decide who I fall in love with. I’m with my boyfriend because I love him. I also told her that she was in a place of business and had no right to talk to or about a customer in the way that she had and that if she didn’t stop talking at that moment, I would walk over to the manager’s desk and report her, which I should have done anyway.
I don’t care what someones name is, their job title or what their background is. No one has the right at any time to pass comment about anyone because of their ethnicity. You might not like who someone is or what they are doing, but unless they are causing you physical, bodily harm, you have no rights to involve yourself in any part of their lives.
Now imagine being a person of color and watching a TV program and one of the people you really enjoy watching (Paula Deen) and all of a sudden you can’t believe the words that are coming out of her mouth. You sit and ask, is this really happening on TV? When you realize it is, you are still in shock. You don’t know if you should change the channel, turn off the TV, scream or what, but you know you have to do something. Then time passes and you hear that person gets fire because of what she said on TV.
Some people are mad because they like her show and they still want to watch it. Most people are mad because they don’t really think it is a big deal. That’s most likely because they have thought the same way Paula has or maybe they just don’t care because it doesn’t directly affect them.
I’m here to say that unless you are living it, you have no right to feel pity for Paula Deen or anyone else that behaves like Paula Deen does. For me, I feel she only made the teary eyed apology because she realized just how much money she could stand to lose should viewers decide to boycott her show. Well I know 5 in one household that have already stopped watching.
I’m moving on, away from this now. I just had to say my peace.
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