Paula Deen: Ignorant or deep seated hatred?

[Renaissance Man]

10. Ignorant or Deep-Seated Hatred?

I think that an assumption is made in the OP that making racially charged and racially derogatory statements has to have a qualifier or be placed on some spectrum of diagnosis when it comes to bigotry. It doesn't. Also, assigning "racist" or "bigoted" or any other character traits based on what someone says is short-sighted, and it doesn't look at the larger picture of how people treat others without the same racial makeup. Look to their actions, and you'll find a lot more bigotry under the surface without that person having to utter any racially derogatory term.

Personally, I'm more concerned with the racists and bigots that use their racism and bigotry to adversely affect public policy as it relates to poor people and people of color, red line property in poor neighborhoods, gentrify neighborhoods, those who bought into the "forced busing" meme and move their families to suburbia so that their children don't have to be exposed to children of different ethnic and socioeconomic makeup in schools, etc. I'm equally as concerned with those people like Ellen Sturtz who felt as if though she was within her right to heckle the first lady at a private fundraiser (that's more of white privilege than bigotry or racism, but there's enough to go around). Personally, I hate all of it -- racism, bigotry, prejudice, white privilege, etc.

With regard to Paula, yes, she is a bigot. The fact that she's a 67-year old, Southern Caucasian lady from South Carolina increases the chance of her being racist exponentially. I'm a life-long southern black male. Trust me. I've seen her type.

Deep-seated?

It depends with some white Southerners. The same Southerners that hate President and First Lady Obama can easily be found at a majority white Southeastern Conference school's football stadium on a Saturday flying Confederate flags (with said institution's colors) only feet away from the gate during tailgating only to walk in the football stadium and scream wildly for a team comprised primarily of black football players. Quite a dichotomy, but I digress.

The derogatory statements that she's said about the President, her gratuitous use of the n-word, and wanting her wait staff to mimic slaves from a bygone antebellum/Civil War era, is completely inexcusable. The fact that she has done any of this, considering the degree of notoriety and popularity she's gained on cable TV and that it is the year 2013 is gobsmackingly stupid. She knows better. There's no way to feign ignorance on this.

Let's not put qualifiers on this or make it as if though her racism is "maybe a little innocent" or "not as bad as we think it is." Racism and bigotry is always bad, no matter how "innocent" or "not as bad" or "ignorant" or "deep seated" we may feel one person portrays. No passes.