I listened with disgust to two women on a San Francisco radio station – one a talk host, the other a talk show producer – respond to a question about their reaction to the travails of chef Paula Deen.
The celebrity chef admitted once using the "N"-word, and the world fell in on her. She almost instantaneously lost her cable show, her publisher, her numerous sponsorships and more.
She was an instant pariah, despite her honest admission and pleas for forgiveness.
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For Paula Deen, there's no redemption, no second chance.
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For those out of the loop, Deen has been sued by Lisa T. Jackson, a white employee of her brother's restaurant, and among the allegations is the use of "racial slurs."
What's happening to Deen stems from the release of a deposition she gave during the proceedings.
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During that private deposition, Deen was asked if she ever used the infamous "N"-word, and she said, "Of course."
She recalled the time, more than 30 years ago, when she was held at gunpoint during a robbery at her place of employment. Later, in the privacy of her own home, while recounting the event to her husband, she used the word to describe the guy who held a gun to her head.
Mind you – 30 years ago in the privacy of her own home! She was honest enough to recount that during the deposition but that was the beginning of the end for Deen, her career and her cooking empire with an estimated revenue of more than $100 million annually.
It's never been totally clear who made the deposition public, but it certainly was done with intent and the results anticipated, since it's been reported Jackson asked for a million-plus settlement and Deen refused.
Trial? Proof? Who cares? Destroy her!
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All because of a word – forbidden to all but blacks and liberals.
Those two women on the radio laughed at and derided Deen for her ancestry, her accent, her looks and her work. They cackled like Macbeth's witches.
Their support of the dramatic take-down of Deen was appalling. Not only did they take total delight in the almost instantaneous destruction of Deen, her career, her business and likely her life – but when asked if Deen losing her program and sponsors was enough punishment, both media woman shrieked and laughed "NO" – more was required.
I guess they wanted a tarring and feathering, followed by a week in the stocks and then a burning at the stake.
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Deen is not one of the Salem witches, but she's become an instantaneous victim of the politics of personal destruction.
The only problem is that Paula Deen is not a politician, and other than her reported support of the Obama campaign – oops, she's a liberal! – politics has not played a part in her business success.
The public likes her personality, her presentation of delicious food and her recipies. Her down-home, welcoming Southern accent and cute silliness hasn't hurt.
Overall, Paula Deen is totally welcoming – unless of course you're one of the political elite who disdains the South, the people, the accent and the traditions.
But people enjoyed Deen's programs and books, even those who disdained the calories!
I rarely watch television. While I love to cook, I don't watch cooking programs.
My mother though, a fabulous chef, loved them and had favorites, Paula Deen being one of them.
Not that she copied the high calorie, delicious Deen recipes, Mom enjoyed Deen's personality and her presentation of the food.
But liberals play for keeps, and in this case, the only satisfactory punishment for a perceived transgression is total destruction.
Personally, I have no doubt that if they could jail Deen, or doom her to the death penalty, they would.
Politically correct hate runs deep and wide in the America of today and has free rein in the public square and in the media. If you can add the racial dimension to it, you've got a winner.
They got that with Deen – not only was it the "word" but it was with a southern accent!
Just as an aside, only Jimmy Carter said Deen should be forgiven but, unless I missed it, no other politician has had the courage to speak up about the injustice done to Mrs. Deen personally, her family and to the hundreds of people her business enterprises employ.
Just add them to the Obama unemployment rolls.
At first report of the "N"-word, the Food Network dumped her program. Then Wal-Mart and Target jumped ship, as did Home Depot, Sears, J.C. Penney, Smithfield Foods, Caesars Entertainment and her publisher, Ballantine Books. QVC is still thinking.
Others will follow, no doubt, all upstanding examples of fairness and courage.
No, all are guilty of buying the left-wing Kool-Aid of gutless political correctness.
A white, Christian, traditional, somewhat overweight southern woman with a southern accent who's a self-made success – used the naughty word in private and must be destroyed
Deen issued at least three, tearful apologies but the left simply vilified and demeaned her for them. Apologies not accepted.
There is freedom, law and the right to a fair trial.
None applied to Paula Deen.
It's a major black eye to our celebration of Independence Day.
Big Brother must be smiling.
On the other hand, I know where I won't shop anymore, and southern fried chicken sounds better and better, calories be damned!
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