Celebrity Chef Paula Deen has been fired from Food Network because it came out, in court depositions, that she, at some point in her life, used the N word (and in case you don't know what word I'm talking about, it is the derogatory word for African Americans), told jokes that weren't exactly PC and, at one point, planned what she called a true Southern wedding reception with an all Black waitstaff.
Evidently, because this, Food Network decided to not renew her contract, which is up in June.
Let me first start off by saying that Paula Deen's usage of the word is NOT okay. Words hold power and they can hurt. HOWEVER, I don't feel she should have been fired for something she said or did on her own time.
She didn't say these words on her show. She didn't misrepresent Food Network in any shape or form. She used words that can be hurtful, that are racist, and she apologized for it. Shock, I know, but Miss Paula isn't perfect. She's human.
I am an extremely tolerant person. I'm an advocate for equality and the GLBT community. But I'm not perfect and I have demonstrated intolerance. Was I wrong? Yes. Am I proud? No. But it happened. 8 years ago, I did something I am not at ALL proud of. I called my ex-boyfriend's new girlfriend's house and told her little sister things that weren't exactly true because I was being vindictive. I told my ex boyfriend that I didn't want him around my kids because he'd left me for a Latina woman. That was absolutely HORRIBLE of me. But that doesn't make me a bad person. I just made a bad decision.
Paula Deen isn't, in my opinion, a bad person. She just made some bad calls. She shouldn't be punished for that. Especially when so many people in our government basically do the same thing. We are a hateful country at times. People are so quick to place blame and cry foul when people do something wrong, when they, themselves, do it too.
The girl who filed the suit against Paula Deen and her brother isn't perfect. She isn't innocent and I'd wager to say that she, herself, has done at least something similar to what she said Paula Deen did.
That is the problem with this country. People are too busy playing victim to realize their OWN crimes. We are sue-happy and after that almighty dollar. And we don't care who bring down in the chase.
