Monday, July 8, 2013

Come, sit, pour a cup of coffee and lets talk current events...

If you visit blogs for sunshine and light, it's not happening here today. Some of you have asked me what I think of the P*ula Deen fiasco. I don't think I'm going to make any friends here when I say I think she is getting what she deserves. It's not that she's a terrible person, but I have no tolerance for prejudice and racism, not even in stupid callous jokes. She's known among her colleagues for this. It's not funny. Ever. Abuse of employees in this manner is never right... and one of her ideas - the hiring of all black men to serve at a dinner party representing a by-gone era she cherishes is kinda disgusting. There is nothing to celebrate about the way black people were treated back-in-the-day. Nostalgic? Hell no. I know she's sorry now, because she was called on it and is now embarassed. She should be. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ That being said... Paula is just a tip on that iceburg. There are many rappers out there who call each other the "N" word. I will never understand this. Here's something else entirely - why are there magazines such as "Ebony" and events such as "The National Black Writers Conference", among many other examples? Somehow I don't think there is a "Snow" magazine in publication and I doubt you'll find "The National White Writers Conference" in session anywhere. No, I'm pretty sure those would be called... racist. So why keep separating blacks and whites in this manner? And there's the religious aspect of all of this...We're all created equally,and if you're a God believing person, surely you hold this to be true... all his people were created equally, right? He loves all? Yet some of the most religious people I've met are also.. prejudice. How do they justify this in their own head, I ask you. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The barbaric acts we are seeing in the news are just mind blowing, sometimes literally! How about that Brazilian Referee who was attacked by a player, pulled out his knife in defense, I guess, and killed the player right there on the field! Then, the angry mob came out on the field and beheaded and dismembered the referee!! If you're so inclined, you can see those graphic photos on the internet. What are they doing there, I ask you. Does the media ever think of the torture that must be to the families of the victims? And why do WE need to see it at all? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Have you been privy to the mess that is the Osc*r Pistor*us investigation? This is what Bill Maher had to say recently... "I wouldn't shoot her thru the bathroom door" is the new "I wouldn't kick her out of bed for eating crackers" Funny, but not. Oscar claims he mistakenly shot and killed his girlfriend, who was in the tiny little toilet area of his bathroom which had it's own door, closed, at the time he shot her. Apparently, he thought she was an intruder. He claims he felt vulnerable in his gated, security camera'd and alarmed home because he did not have his "legs" on. This turns out not to be true according to the evidence, which shows the shooter was standing at a mans normal height judging by the angle of the bullets and how they hit and killed his girlfriend. He shot her several times, all fatal blows... did he not hear her cry out after the first shot? Why would an intruder lock him/herself in a three by three ft. toilet? Did he not look beside him in the bed to see if his girlfriend was there in the bathroom before he jumped up and assumed there was an intruder? She lived there part time, after all. The kicker is... Oscar is free to leave the country and pursue his athletic career while the court system figures all this out. Something smells funny. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Speaking of athletes behaving badly... what a fool a certain football player is for behaving as if he is God and taking the lives of others whenever it suits him. Do you know why he had such a high opinion of himself? Because we pay these guys millions upon millions of dollars, an insane amount really... just because they're really good with a ball. I can see a million a year if you're so unbelievably good (and lucky to have that talent) at any given sport. But the salaries they pull are insanity. The NFL is not the only culprit. We treat them like they are Gods, we worship them, throw insane amounts of money at them... so why would we expect them to believe any lesser truth? Our educators, our law enforcement and rescue people, our physicians (well, some) and our farmers, all valuable and necessary and vital people in our communities, are underpaid. Our politicians and athletes are phenomenally overpaid. What's wrong with this picture. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Zimmerm*an vs. Martin... a sad and tragic case. A young man killed, another's life most likely ruined by the ensuing mess. This one is tricky. Was Zimmerman attacked in a life threatening manner? Was Martin an innocent just walking through a neighborhood? I don't know. In general, if a kid of any color is just walking through a neighborhood -not doing anything wrong- , odds are he's not gonna be shot point blank in the chest. No, there had to be some sort of provocation. However, was it the kind that deserved a bullet to the chest? Was this a hasty move by an overzealous neighborhood watchman? ... Sad all around. The truth will never be known with absolute certainty. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Are we becoming a more barbaric society? Or is the media just giving us all the information we weren't privy to before the internet and instant news gratification? I think the media is going to be our fall from grace in the end. It WILL be our end. There's my spin, and it's perfectly OK if you feel differently. I welcome all opinions, as long as you show respect for others opinions.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PS.. BLogger is being a real bugger today, posting is almost impossible, so I apologize for the poor format. I hope to correct it once blogger straightens up and flies right. (sigh) UPDATE! Blogger is still wonky...and I find reading a post with poor format is just annoying, so until blogger straightens this out, I'm taking a blog hiatus. As always, thanks for your comments, I enjoy the conversation.

18 comments:

  1. About PD, I thought this all started because of something she said 25-30 years ago, in which case my comment would have been, I would hate to be judged by something from my past. I'm not the same person I was then.

    I'm not closely following the Z trial, only catching the news updates. Can't help thinking if Z had done what the PD told him, none of this would be happening, period. Also can't help wondering if he feels the same way.

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  2. I don't believe we're becoming more barbaric. There are a lot of violent and horrific things since the dawn of man. The crucifixion for starters.

    I never have any good answers for any of this reprehensible behavior. I wish I did! I wish I knew why people are the way they are. I've said bunches of times if I could go back to school I'd study anthropology.

    I will comment on Ms Deen. She is no one I want to know. Her self-righteous pleas on television and "apology" videos made me vomit.

    I heard a clip of her talking about an employee, Hollis Johnson, where she laughingly says, "He's right over there. You can't see him against that dark board." Wow!

    I also watched her blubber her way through a television interview on The Today show. Funny thing though - there were no tears.

    Sit down Paula and take your insulin. Oh wait, that drug company endorsement went away too didn't it?

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  3. I agree with all you said.I just don't know what is happening to us.It is though we hear about these horrible things and have a moan about them then just go back to our lives.I wish I knew how to do more .You are by bringing it to our attention and writing about it making us think.Thanks Karen -love dee x

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  4. bravo !!!! I agree with all you said.....

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  5. Great post, Karen, you made me see both sides of the coin in a clearer light. You are very firm in your beliefs and opinions and I guess I let compassion guide me much too often. But the facts in these matters clearly outweigh my convictions about forgiveness.

    Thanks for sharing a straightforward and very informative view on these issues.

    XO,
    Jane

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  6. Well.....so much for my self imposed news blackout.

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  7. Great post k !!! Number one MEDIA is why alot of this happens ! Pd thing I agree totally with you I do think enough is enough but you know what 6 months from now all those companies will sign her back the only reason they droppe her is to let it calm down they could care less its all about the $

    The z trial Number one I hate the kid died nobody deserves that ! This kid was no Boy Scout at all But Z doesn't look like a great person either !!!! So I don't know !

    I know if people would just learn to live a simple happy life it would be such a great place to live but I don't ever see that happening


    Thanks for being you k

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  8. The state of the world today is enough to make a person want to just stay home all. the. time.
    Little House on the Prairie, here I come :/
    PD - if she and her brother are guilty of any of the things covered in the deposition that was released to the media, they have a lot of problems and should be held accountable for them. The problem is just as you described it though; how do we know the truth from exaggeration? I don't think the answer is a witch hunt, however, and the PD situation is turning out to be just that. I smell a rat somewhere...and it may very well be PD, but I don't know.
    Sad times we are living in for sure.

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  9. While I usually agree with most things you blog about, I have to respectfully disagree about Paula Deen. I would hate to be judged by what I said and did 25 years ago. No one other than the disgruntled employee has come forth from what I have read online. In fact there has been numerous people currently working for PD who have said so much that was been said is not true. While that word is hurtful and ignorant, in my heart I don't think that it is currently in Paula vocabulary.It really shouldn't be in anyone's vocabulary. When you know better you do better and I think after years in her business Paula knows better. I also feel everyone deserves to be forgiven. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. As far as the Zimmerman case, I hoping the judicial does it job the way it was meant to be done and justice no matter what the outcome is served. There are no winners in that sad case.

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  10. Totally agree with your take on these issues. I think having to fill up a 24 hr news 'cycle' leads to an over-examination of all the rumors, innuendo, muck raking etc for all these cases.
    Back in the day, David Brinkley and Walter Cronkite got to paint with a broader brush, giving us an overall picture, with some analysis - without all the cell phone videos and talking heads as 'experts' fueling the fire - and that was just fine with me!

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  11. i agree with it all....everything you said and honestly we have been trying not to watch any news, but it's still there....the stuff we need to hear and know and the stuff that makes for a good dinner conversation.....

    thank you for being you and being brave enough to voice your thoughts and opinions !!!
    xo

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  12. If only we could see - and treat - one another as individuals more often. MLK spoke about justice and equality, and Elvis Costello sang about peace, love and understanding. Sometimes, the best thing to do is write your solutions down - blog it, sing it, speak it. People will hear, and maybe they'll think some more, and suddenly you've got a dialogue going. Keep at it, Karen!

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  13. I'm not familiar with a couple of things you wrote about, although your commentary most nearly I agree with.

    And, I do agree about PD. Of course no other employees are not going to come out about her behavior in the workplace; they need their JOBS!!

    This is not about what she said many years ago; while she admitted to having said that word a long ago; of course she wasn't going to say "yeah I say that all time, don't you?" IMO, love me or hate me; racism from a young age ain't gonna change!

    Z court case. Yes, NO we will never ever really know. I just hope there won't be an uprising if he's judged guilty. I understand the police are already taking precautions.

    bye bye

    xoxo

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  14. This will probably be an unpopular point, but I don't know that I've heard anyone else make it: Does it matter how Paula Deen feels? To my knowledge PD is an equal-opportunity employer, has black employees who are paid equally (of course), and provides health insurance. Not to mention she drives the bus that keeps all these people employed. Without her appearing on television, writing books she wouldn't have the national audience that supports her large staff. I think in the age of social media we expect/demand to know everything about celebrities like we do real friends. I don't know that I've ever made a PD recipe, but I'll admit I enjoy watching her on TV. I think she's funny and cute. If I heard that Paula Deen made gay slurs, I wouldn't really care. Might not watch her show anymore but wouldn't feel the need to nail her to the cross either. It just doesn't matter. She's not a politician, not an Olympian, not a journalist. She's a sweet-seeming lady with blue hair and a funny voice. A character whose business is entertainment. The first amendment protects mean words just as it does nice ones. Another thought: would anyone think twice about having servers at a party dress as geisha? No, not exactly the same thing but very close. I wholeheartedly agree with your point about how segregating black events from white is racist as well.

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  15. Stephen, thank you for a very thoughtful comment. And now I wish I could change my own commentary just a little....although I am still glad she's been held accountable.

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  16. Unfortunately the news tells us what they want us to hear and see. So what is the whole story? What is all the information? What are the complete circumstances? We'll never know, because we aren't involved.
    So, that being said, I take the news at face value and try my best to not to judge. I just don't know all the info.

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  17. I tend to distance myself from the news, aside from scanning the major headlines. Perhaps wise, perhaps unwise - likely a mix of loss and gain by absenting myself from the news. Doing so evolved, for me, as a way to reinforce my tattered sanity (insert a slight but honest smile here). There are points in life/time (for me) when the combination of the silliness and violence of the world served a la mode on my life total too many emotional calories lol. So I cut back - way back - on the world 'out there' news.

    That being said, I do think that while the volume and/or depth of violence may not differ on a historical basis our revulsion of it (as a society in general) has changed. We don't seem to object to to: horrific images. Details. Redundant replays and pointless opinions of each heartbreaking aspect by the newscasters.

    Just-too-much. Too intense. Too often (for me). I've actually begun to write to the advertisers on certain shows to say 'not amused' you apparently support the kind of violent cruelty shown on (fill in the show) on channel (whatever).

    Video games, movies, tele shows in which the core of the story is brutal violence is the norm. And as a general statement, we deem that to be 'ok'. Acceptable.

    I like to be scared at a movie. I used to like news - when it was more information and less gore.

    At a movie - give me hauntings, strange aliens, vampires not hostage taking and chainsaw hacking of human beings..... Pain and suffering and are not (IMHO) entertaining.

    Tragedy and heartlessness don't need to be relived ad nauseum under the banner of 'news'. (again OMO). If half these (and I use the words loosely) entertainments (movies/games) and news stories showed the same acts of fear and cruelty being perpetrated upon animals/pets I suspect (curiously) there would be widespread outrage.

    Methinks our collective compass could use a bit of a reset in the categories of entertainment, news, legal decisions.

    Wow - time for me to put a sock in it, roflmao. Thanks for reading this far (to anyone who has) and as always, excellent post. And so many good points of view to consider in each and every comment!

    Issy

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  18. Karen, who among us could stand the light of day when it comes to something we said 20 years ago? Not one, so why should Deen be crucified? If Hollywood did the same and called it art, they'd win an Oscar. Remember when Ted Danson put on black face for Hasty Pudding? "Art" it was called, but not in my book. Racism is racism is racism no matter if it's whites calling blacks "nigger" or blacks calling each other "nigger". I'm sick and tired of racism and reverse racism; it should all STOP. I haven't a clue how people justify anything in their own head, that's a question to ask them. But each day people justify lies, news spins and the killing of innocents because it suits their larger picture.
    Haven't seen the photos and don't care to see them; I refuse to throw gasoline on that particular fire. The media is interested in selling and selling out; they care not for morals, ethics or the care and safe keeping of others. It's all about $$$.
    The Good Book says men do evil because justice is slow in coming. It also says God will not be mocked; judgement day will come, for all of us. I try to live so if I die tonight, I can face God and hold my head up.

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Thanks for stopping by! I always appreciate your comments, even opposing views, as long as we're all respectful.

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