Judging from the hundreds of views to my column about the Paula Deen fiasco, many people apparently feel some kinda way about my calling her out as the ignorant, arrogant and entitled racist that she is. With the exception of one letter, all of the responses have come from Team Paula, calling ME out as the problem for daring to speak on Ms. Deen’s actions and making my opinions the issue rather than the lawsuit deposition and the perceptions created thereof. How original.
Here is the most passive-aggressive of the letters I received (minus her identity) and my ethering response. Your thoughts and comments, as always, are appreciated.
NEWSPAPER ARTICLE IN THE DALLAS BRIEFING
I’ve never written in to anyone before, so I have no experience like this to
express what I feel. I just felt so bad after reading the article you wrote
about Paula Deen. It seems from your article that you are very much like
Paula Deen, with prejudice against whites. Where did your feelings come
from? You weren’t a slave, so I guess your ideas came from your parents or
school, just like Paula Deen got her ideas handed down from her parents or
her surroundings. Of course we don’t want to forget the past so it doesn’t
happen again, but with the translation from generation to generation, the
hatred is passed from one generation to the next. Your article shows that
hate, sarcasm, and wishing the worst for another person is evident in your
everyday thinking.
It was really sad to observe your article and realize people think this way.
I have never been around anyone who is sarcastic toward another race,
especially publicly in an article that everyone can read.
Classy letter huh? My reply is below.
Hello Ms. Millie (not her real name, but it might as well be),
thank you for reading my article and for your illuminating response. I call it such for the following reasons, and I hope that you’re able to learn from my reply as I’ve learned from yours.
“It seems from your article that you are very much like
Paula Deen, with prejudice against whites. Where did your feelings come
from? You weren’t a slave, so I guess your ideas came from your parents or
school, just like Paula Deen got her ideas handed down from her parents or
her surroundings.”
I don’t have to have personally been a slave to have felt the pain of being discriminated against or dehumanized, nor do I have to have ‘ideas from parents or school.’ I have PERSONALLY been subjected to the harsh and ugly realities of racism, such as being called the n-word, criminally profiled without evidence and told that it was shocking that I am so intelligent, articulate, etc. (as if whites are the only group of people capable of such achievements). Also, if you’re someone who’s so apathetic that you need to have firsthand experience with an atrocity before you sympathize with a victim/group, that speaks to deeper issues that I don’t have the training or inclination to address.
“Your article shows that
hate, sarcasm, and wishing the worst for another person is evident in your
everyday thinking.”
Like other Paula Deen sympathizers, you apparently have more of an issue with the MESSENGER (myself) rather than the context of the MESSAGE (the legal transcript). People, according to your narrow viewpoint, are supposed to keep quiet about injustices such as a hostile work environment, racial discrimination and the other flagrant violations that Ms. Deen and her brother are accused of. It’s called ‘projection’ to be so aghast at my pointing out the transgressions, rather than for you to be aghast at the perpetrators, just like rape victims earn scorn for THEIR actions/inactions and other surface issues instead of the rape assailant getting scorn for violating another person’s civil rights. what about the ‘hate and sarcasm’ displayed when Ms. Deen humiliated Mr. Johnson in front of an audience and compared his skin tone to a blackboard? Why do you have a problem with MY use of sarcasm, but not hers? What exactly is the difference?
You express sadness at my words, yet like other critics I’ve heard from over the last few days, you have NO objection or argument whatsoever to the alleged actions and misconduct of Ms. Deen. For my pointing them out and having a problem with her warped and entitled mind-set, you’ve decided to make ME the enemy rather than the cause that affects us all; the civil rights violations of others and the arrogance and ignorance it requires to degrade and belittle someone, especially as an employer, of someone because they happen to be of a different race than you.
I have the right, as a professional journalist, to express my views, just as you have the right to ignore the facts, make the truth your enemy and become ‘sad’ in the process. I again thank you for your educational letter and hope that going forward, you project less and empathize more. Just because something isn’t your personal experience doesn’t make it less valid or less worthy of discussion, and just because I rightfully call out one white person as a racist doesn’t mean that I automatically believe ALL of them (such as my great-grandmother and sister-in-law) are.
2 Comments
EXCELLENT RESPONSE in the article, as it describes EXACTLY what is taking place with PD supporters aka PROJECTIONISTS.
Forgiveness comes when the transgressor is contrite, humble and truly repentant. The bulk of PD supporters do so out of a space of superimposing their own bigotry and self justified racial animus, thus a twisted LAW OF ATTRACTION exchange of energy dynamic transfers from their psyche in their defense of her.
Her detractors don’t see, hear or feel the ring of truth in what she has stated, as her ACTIONS speak louder than her hollow words.
Those who are self entitled typically feel EMBOLDENED when their dysfunctional behavior, words or deeds, go unchecked or unchallenged over a long period of time.
They don’t GET THE PICTURE, until they come across a individual or situation that will stand up to CONFRONT them head on. The self entitled then takes great affront at the REACTION towards their action, as if they are somehow exempt from the universal laws of CAUSE & EFFECT.
June 30, 2013 at 1:35 pmI’m always glad to read your columns as I believe that you speak truth to power. I’m especially glad that you continue to do so no matter the pressure from readers to do otherwise. It is mostly the discontents you hear from but I know how important it is to know that people are in your corner, so I apologize for not having commented sooner.
You hit the nail on the head wrt Paula Deen’s current difficulties. It is ironic that all this hit the fan just as the Supreme Court ruled that parts of the Voting Rights Act are no longer needed because racism is no longer an issue. How wrong they are (and just look at Texas’ new law to see an example).
Anyway, what has been wrong in all this (as 2BEnlightened pointed out) is that PD has yet — as far as I know — to sincerely apologize for her mistakes and seek out additional education and training so that she never again makes such errors. Whatever happened to accepting responsibility and making needed corrections?
As far as your readers like Millie who are threatened by your comments, you must remember that they are coming from a place of privilege and entitlement. Perhaps your words are planting seeds of fairness that will take root at some point in time. At least we can hope. Keep fighting the good fight!
July 2, 2013 at 4:35 pm