First Blog post - Paula Deen stupidity
Yeah, I'm an imaginary character in a mystery series by David H Fears, but I'm real enough. My opinions are my own, not aways in sync with the author. I've learned a lot about guys and dolls and hard knocks & bad scrapes, about love & hate & bruises & healing. I look out at the culture in 2013 and want to puke at times. Other times I'm encouraged by what youth is up to. So here goes my first post--all about PC-ness and the Paula Deen debacle. If you don't agree, tough beans. I'm hardboiled.
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The Paula Deen Debacle as seen from my old white mind:
Saying the N word isn't against the law. The true definition of racism is the belief that one race is superior or inferior to others. Still, such a belief is not against the law. There's a lot of anecdotal evidence to illuminate differences between races, though that may be relatively superior or inferior based on one's values. Today, is there truly such a thing as a "pure" race, anyway? Likely not.
Visibility (skin color, features) give blacks away even though (as in Obama's case) they may be partly white or half white or even mostly white (again, whatever that means because "white" isn't a race, per se). Terminology is like clothing fashion: it changes for each period. Today the anthropological term "Negro" is frowned upon, as is "Oriental" and others. Many blacks object to the hyphenated "African-American" due to having little if any connection with that continent. Mark Twain said "we are all 50th cousins." Maybe he was ahead of his time (1835-1910).
The Paula Deen debacle not only illustrates the idiocy of PC-ness, which often stands logic on its head (what do slurs uttered 30 years before have to do with her ability to continued success on the cooking channel?) Even more ludicrous is casting references to fried chicken or watermelon (my favorite foods) as racist?
Today's label of "racist" is a liberal favorite. If you disagree with Obama, why then, it follows that you're a racist. In Twain's day the term "warmonger" was similarly used ad nauseum against many. What will the epithet du jour be in 100 years? Writer? But I jest.
Our society is shell-shocked by PC and imaginings of racism. If I were Deen, I would replied, "So what? Don't many blacks call themselves that label? Does it always have to be denigrating (no pun). Further, there ARE no BAD words, merely bad intentions. My intentions are clearly not bad."
I also know that if Deen were black, no one would be hollering for her scalp. No apologies would be needed.
Hasn't our culture gotten stupid? Must we avoid anything which "offends" another? The only way to do that is to stay in bed.
----
The Paula Deen Debacle as seen from my old white mind:
Saying the N word isn't against the law. The true definition of racism is the belief that one race is superior or inferior to others. Still, such a belief is not against the law. There's a lot of anecdotal evidence to illuminate differences between races, though that may be relatively superior or inferior based on one's values. Today, is there truly such a thing as a "pure" race, anyway? Likely not.
Visibility (skin color, features) give blacks away even though (as in Obama's case) they may be partly white or half white or even mostly white (again, whatever that means because "white" isn't a race, per se). Terminology is like clothing fashion: it changes for each period. Today the anthropological term "Negro" is frowned upon, as is "Oriental" and others. Many blacks object to the hyphenated "African-American" due to having little if any connection with that continent. Mark Twain said "we are all 50th cousins." Maybe he was ahead of his time (1835-1910).
The Paula Deen debacle not only illustrates the idiocy of PC-ness, which often stands logic on its head (what do slurs uttered 30 years before have to do with her ability to continued success on the cooking channel?) Even more ludicrous is casting references to fried chicken or watermelon (my favorite foods) as racist?
Today's label of "racist" is a liberal favorite. If you disagree with Obama, why then, it follows that you're a racist. In Twain's day the term "warmonger" was similarly used ad nauseum against many. What will the epithet du jour be in 100 years? Writer? But I jest.
Our society is shell-shocked by PC and imaginings of racism. If I were Deen, I would replied, "So what? Don't many blacks call themselves that label? Does it always have to be denigrating (no pun). Further, there ARE no BAD words, merely bad intentions. My intentions are clearly not bad."
I also know that if Deen were black, no one would be hollering for her scalp. No apologies would be needed.
Hasn't our culture gotten stupid? Must we avoid anything which "offends" another? The only way to do that is to stay in bed.
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Gumshoe's Junk Drawer of Opinion
Mike Angel, Private Eye has had a long and successful career fighting crime, corruption and enemies of the little guy. Along the way he's observed various sorts of idiocy. Now retired he needs to expr
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