Rothermel Star

Accused of racial discrimination, Paula Deen responded under oath that she had used the N-word on occasion, decades in the past. Apparently inquiring minds found that shocking. Personally, I would have been shocked if she claimed she’d never used that particular word. It’s not a word I heard very often in my childhood, but I grew up in the 60’s in Utah and California. Deen was raised in the 50’s in Georgia. Her admission set off a media firestorm resulting in severed ties with Caesar’s Entertainment, Food Network, Smithfield Foods and even Wal-Mart. It’s amazing what one little word can do. It’s even more amazing when you consider it’s a word people of color frequently use to describe each other. If Paula Deen was a black woman, no one would have batted an eyelash. But because she’s white, she stands to lose her career and her reputation. Isn’t THAT racial discrimination?