Sounds like a legal team for apples, doesn't it?
Both of these people are in the news for racial and homophobic slurs. One of the slurs coming from a history of oppression and murder of minorities; the other from a history of oppression and murder of minorities.
Both are reprehensible; both are a reminder of what I called, in another post, the bloated corpse of bigotry that lurks in the murky depths of the American soul.
I have no sympathy for either of these people. Not for Deen and her excuses and apologies, and not for Baldwin and his excuses and apologies.
But I'm glad people are having a discussion over why this country can't let go of its miserable attitudes toward minorities. Yes, I understand other countries do it too.
But, wait.
How many times have I heard people tell me that America is EXCEPTIONAL! Wouldn't an exceptional country have learned by now that demeaning minorities and treating them as second-class citizens is not acceptable, and that we shouldn't have to always fight discrimination at the highest courts in the land?
It's all very discouraging, because I lived through the Civil Rights Era and I've lived through the Marriage Equality Era, and that gave me so much to hope for.
With the gutting of the Voting Rights Act and the backlash from certain political and religious sectors in this country on giving minorities, gay and lesbians, the right to marry whom they choose, I'm not so sure that hope was well placed.
What will happen going forward? I don't know.
Read these two opinions on these controversies:
THE BANALITY OF BUTTER
MORE ON THE PAULA DEEN SCANDAL
PRESS CHARGES AGAINST ALEC BALDWIN
14 comments:
Wonder if Baldwin will be loose his endorsements like Deen.
Having been born in the South and raised there in the 50's and 60's, the mind set toward race was totally different, wrong by todays standards but accepted at the time. Times have changed and so have attitudes. Deen was a Southern girl during those times and her language reflected the times. To persecute her for living in those times is is in itself showing prejudice.
Prejudice exists in many forms and not just race. Some people believe that southern states should not be treated equal to the northern states and wants to regulate their voting policies, is that not prejudicial?
Maybe a little common sense would be a nice touch instead of cremating those who disagree.
As an example I am not in favor of spending 100 million on a family vacation and giving 7 billion to a country and turn around and deny some military bases the funds to celebrate independence day because of the sequester. I use common sense and realize some favor that and I will back obama for developing the sequester to cut spending. I do wish he would curtail his as well but he is the leader.
"What will happen going forward? I don't know."
Neither does anyone else. I suppose that is the beauty of it. I mean not knowing keeps people of good conscience continuing to improve real liberty and diminishing the threat of rising tyranny.
It is unfortunate that there are people on both sides of every political and liberty issue that are not of good conscience and wish to demonize every idea and view of those who oppose their own.
FreeThinke and his Hate Week with references to mirrors can be instructive, if properly understood.
Anyway, it's far too soon for the good people of good conscience to give up. There is work to be done.
Maybe, although I ain't holding my breath, the people of good conscience on thew left and the people of good conscience on the right will find a way to accomplish it together.
All an individual can do is her or his part.
And as Forest Gump would say... "And that's all I have to say about that."
The ones making our laws believe racism no longer exists. How smart can a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court be, if he does not know what most Americans know, racism is alive and well and needs the law to curb it.
Alec Baldwin has a history of support LGBT rights. That said, I find his apology lacking. Hopefully he'll rethink his inadequate apology and try again. The bottom line is that Baldwin has a history of supporting LGBT rights, while Deen has a history of allowing racist comments by employees in her place of business (why she's being sued). That is why I have sympathy for Baldwin but not for Deen.
Right-wingers complaining about Deen using the N-word 30 years ago and saying that is why she is being condemned are wrong. She's being condemned for what she did recently, not what she did 30 years ago.
In regard to Skudrunner asking if the Federal Government regulating the voting policies of some Southern states is "prejudicial"... my answer is NO. The states themselves show they should not be treated equal by passing laws specifically aimed at disenfranchising minorities.
"Deen was a Southern girl during those times and her language reflected the times. To persecute her for living in those times is is in itself showing prejudice."
Bullcrap. I have many close friends and a relative who lived and lives in the south. And they did not succumb to the race baiting and denigration of a group of people whose skin was black or brown. So no. Your excuse doesn't for Deen's slurs doesn't work.
"Prejudice exists in many forms and not just race. Some people believe that southern states should not be treated equal to the northern states and wants to regulate their voting policies, is that not prejudicial?"
No.
Cremate? "To incinerate a corpse."
Seriously?
"The bottom line is that Baldwin has a history of supporting LGBT rights."
I find it difficult to believe that someone with an unswerving and deeply felt commitment to LGBT rights would use such language in attacking a writer who is also gay. Baldwin could just as easily criticized Stark without using homophobic language. He could have called him a rotten reporter and a miscreant...or something, without going after his sexuality.
And I don't think it adds to civility when adults act like language goons when they go on the attack.
It's called self-control.
I know there are people who claim they're only "words" and words can't hurt people.
WRONG.
Imagine a young boy or girl having to hear, day after day after day, n***er n***er or fag, fag as they grew up. It is, IMO, a form of abuse.
shaw...seen on one of your favorite rightwing blogs...
OneSlickRacer • 3 hours ago
Why do black people hate white people?
First of all I’m sure that they were taught by their parents to hate whites, . As we all know, or should know niggers make up about 30 percent of America but our prison population is about 60 percent nlggers. Maybe their parents should have taught them the difference between being honest and being crooked instead of teaching hate.
And remember, if it duck quacks like a duck its a duck right? well apparently if it steals like a nlgger is unemployed like nlgger and goes to prison like a nlgger its nlgger thats all im sayin...
And another thing, if the white people didn’t steal them from Africa and force them to work hard labor they wouldn’t even know what the internet was and they would be dancing around a fire in loin clothes throwing spears at lions.. So maybe they should be more thankful that the whites rescued them from that live and brought them here. And that about wraps it up.
Do you know why African Americans act so much differently than Native born or descendants of people born in Africa? because they are stupid and lazy uneducated criminals. Nlggers in Africa know if they steal, some one is probably gonna throw some tires over them and lite them on fire they know if they don’t work they don’t eat . Here in America, nlggers live off the government have more opportunities for a better life, even if they don’t take advantage of it, they still live high, they can make millions dancing and singing and telling racist jokes or playing football until they are caught killing someone. but Yep, nlggers here are to lazy and stupid to take advantage of America.
no problem with racism in America...nope...none...
looks like the wingnuts over there are all having a meltdown mikey...poor dears...end of DOMA...gay marriage...and the repukelican party losing everyone except old farty white dudes and dudettes...only thing they can do like shaw said is yell n***er! n***er! n***er!...calling david duke...your peeps need you!!!!!!
Shaw, I must ask the question, in the philosophical sense of course and as reasonable adult to reasonable adult...
Is the word nigger any more bigoted or offensive than fag. If so how and why... Since both are meant to demean the character of the individual based on a difference from the "majority norm." Whether it be skin color or sexual orientation seems to be merely a distinction of specific differences.
Perhaps I'm over thinking it?
In any case the prolonged exposure to such bigoted and hateful language take a toll on the individual and by extension of the larger group society.
Mu apology in advance if I have offended anyone by my questions.
I just don't know, RN. Here's a link to the history of the word.
I saw the linked information some time back.
I appreciate your honesty. I don't know the answer either. What is sad is that the question even has to be asked.
I know. The N-word is worse. You can't tell someone is gay by looking at them. Gay people were never enslaved. Gay people can pass for straight. A silly question if you ask me. The answer is obvious.
As for Baldwin, you are correct Shaw. I was not defending him, as his words were not defensible. Just stating my personal opinion. I not someone who says these are "only words" btw. Words can hurt and Baldwin's were pretty bad.
Anons@4:30 and 5:00
Nothing new there. Their idea of free speech is the right to make incredible jerks of themselves.
They defend the "sanctity of life." Apparently, their idea of the "sanctity of life" doesn't include according dignity to people different from themselves.
I guess the recent Supreme Court ruling on equality of marriage and the Paula Deen scandal pushed them over the edge.
I don't think they were too stable to begin with.
Sigh.
Good people make mistakes, bad people look for opportunity to push their hate filled agenda. All the reason we need laws to curb bigotry and discrimination. Tear down those laws and racism rears its ugly head, it's human nature. Lets see how responsible States are not being supervised over their voting laws. Many cases are already in court making Roberts statement that Sec. 4 is outdated, ridiculous.
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