I’ll begin with Paula Deen. I DON’T CARE. I know this is not the popular opinion among most African Americans, but I am actually surprised that people are
surprised. She is a senior, Caucasian woman
who has lived her entire life in the South…the Deep South…the O-G South. I
honestly don’t know why people wouldn't expect her to say it. She said it happened 20 years ago, and maybe
she is lying. But, I want to give her
props for admitting it at all. Is it
right? No. Does she need to issue an apology? It wouldn’t hurt. But we have politicians, athletes, and Wall Street
investors who lie, steal and cheat every day. They haven’t so much as missed a
good night’s sleep, much less lost their means of income. Wal-Mart bailed on Paula, but is known for
cutting corners and taking advantage of its employees. Who’s worse??
The fight for equality in same-sex marriages is a little
more complicated for me. Whether I agree
or disagree is purely a personal decision. But should we, as a country, let personal preferences affect the way we
govern our constituents? I tend to think
not. Should we deny people the right to get married? I believe there was a time when slaves were
denied the same right. And as for benefits, if you put in, you should get out,
right? If you have been a part of your spouse’s/partner’s
life, you should be given the right to make decisions, make hospital visits and receive death benefits, right? Same-sex marriage is not for me, but neither
is cauliflower. I don’t know if that
means I should keep you from doing what’s best for you. I feel like we, as a
society, are in a tight spot. Last I read, freedom was the premise for the
founding of this country. We can’t stop following
the rules now. But with freedom comes
responsibility. And that’s always the
hard part.
If Paula Deen hasn’t set black folks back 20 years, the Trayvon
Martin murder trial has. A young African-American teen, wearing a hoodie and
walking home from the store is considered to be a suspicious character. Because
of this “unruly behavior,” he is confronted by George Zimmerman. An altercation takes place and Trayvon is
killed. As the mother of two young boys, this scenario bothers me much more
than Paula Deen’s slip of the tongue. When does WHWB, wearing a hoodie while
black, mean you’re a criminal? And the trial is no better. The star witness is a young girl who has a
bad handle on the English language because English is her second/third
language, thanks to Caribbean parents. But the prosecution has no problem
mocking her and putting her on display for the nation to ridicule. Instead of being
a trial about accused killer, George Zimmerman, it has quickly turned into a circus
surrounding Trayvon’s friend. And if we’re not careful, this verdict will be
determined by entertainment value rather than facts.
Indeed, it has been a busy news week. Everything from World
News Tonight to the Wendy Williams Show has had something to say about the hot
topics in the national news. What do you
think about what’s happening? Let me
know.