“We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid.”  ― Benjamin Franklin

Whether we look at the decisions around marriage and equality we have seen today or we listen to the wailings of Paula Deen, it becomes obvious our biggest enemy remains ignorance and hate.  I still struggle with why anything I feel is important or “right” is the same for others or why the wills and beliefs of others need to be applied to the rest of us.  This is not a new problem nor is it one that is going to go away in the near term but it is one that we cannot let take any greater hold than it has already.  To be honest, I harbor no illusion that people who are so ignorant and bereft of empathy will ever change or see life and liberty thru any glasses other than their own thick and obviously warped lenses but we need to call bullshit when we see it.

Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity. – Martin Luther King, Jr.

So back to Paula Deen –

Let me preface this with the fact that I am not a Christian nor a believer of any religion for that matter so forgiveness is something I work thru given my own faculties and beliefs based on what I see in people.  I do believe that people make mistakes and there are times they are truly sorry and apologetic and they really mean it – can’t say I saw that in Deen’s Today show appearance this morning.  I expect people will see what they want to see and her supporters saw one things and the rest of us something else but I’ve looked at the interview several times to see what I missed and I really didn’t see much apology or her taking responsibility for her actions.  Yes, she was sorry it caused the problems it did.  But she seemed to have every excuse in the book for why she really wasn’t accountable or wrong.  I did love her line at the end that there was someone evil who was essentially jealous of what she had and wanted to take her down.  Her confusion over what was hurtful or derogatory to others was also laughable – and blaming the young people around her for it was even more unbelievable.  To reach her age and to live in the times she has and to not know the “N’ word was bad – amazing.  I’m not quite 66 years old but I have a pretty good idea of what is acceptable to minorities and what isn’t.  While I can’t guarantee it, I would submit that use of the “N” word wouldn’t be in my response even with a gun to my head – that word is either in your vernacular or it isn’t.

I was also pretty amazed at the lack of tears.  A lot of sobbing but no real waterworks.  Hate to admit it but I’ve cried in situations of lesser issue or stress.  Note to her handlers – tell her to get some tears going next time around.  For my part she remains pretty much the shitbag and low-life I thought she was.

So for you supporters, you should be all set.  She was really speaking to you all.  You can continue to eat the bacon and sticks of butter that she offered to get you down the path of diabetes and you can continue to frequent her restaurants.  Me, I’m heading out to the store to get some Smithfield ham.

“Imagine the people who believe such things and who are not ashamed to
ignore, totally, all the patient findings of thinking minds through all
the centuries since the Bible was written. And it is these ignorant
people, the most uneducated, the most unimaginative, the most unthinking
among us, who would make themselves the guides and leaders of us all;
who would force their feeble and childish beliefs on us; who would
invade our schools and libraries and homes. I personally resent it
bitterly.”
  ―
    Isaac Asimov