Archives for June 2013

The attempted extortion of Paula Deen

[Originally published at American Thinker 6/30/13 -- article corrected to name Food Network as a sponsor who dropped Ms. Deen as opposed to the Food Channel] The real story behind the Paula Deen scandal can be summed up in a single word: greed. The American judicial system and the media are being used as formidable weapons in a brazen attempt to extort money from Ms. Deen, in my opinion. This isn't a story about racism. It's all about the money. The mainstream media have reported with glee only some of the gory details as Paula Deen's financial empire continue to crumble. The Food Network, Wal-Mart, Target, and the publisher of her bestselling cookbook all have abruptly terminated their relationship with Ms. Deen. The firestorm erupted after it was widely reported that Ms. Deen gave a deposition in a civil lawsuit in which she admitted using the N-word. Rarely if ever mentioned by the national press is the context in which the word was used, or the reason the deposition became public knowledge. No one is interested in defending the use of that particular word, including this writer. But for the record, the specific instance in which Ms. Deen admitted to using that specific word was in the privacy of her own home, used to describe a robber who had pointed a gun at her head. The mainstream media also doesn't seem to care that Ms. Deen could easily have lied about that specific incident, yet chose to tell the truth under oath. Apparently there's a zero tolerance policy when certain people use the forbidden N-word. Never mind that the epithet was uttered … [Read more...]

The Paula Deen bandwagon

Today Atlanta mayor Kasim Reid just made it official. Everybody and their brother is taking shots at Paula Deen. Reed went on Meet the Press and declared that her past use of the "N" word was "very unfortunate" and "totally unacceptable." The Food Network already fired her. Even my least favorite political cartoonist jumped on the bandwagon, this time associating celebrity cook Paula Deen with the Ku Klux Klan. And yes, the cowardly Mike Luckovich once again left the comment section closed. I don't own any of Ms. Deen's cookbooks, but I might have to buy one on general principle, even though I have no plans to use it. The politically correct have spoken unanimously to condemn Paula Deen for an apparently unforgivable sin. I loathe political correctness. I only care about fairness and justice. Now when I was a kid, growing up in Savannah, I'm sure that I heard the "N" word a quite a few times. I'm also sure that I've used it in the distant past myself when I was very young and foolish, before I understood the insult it represented. Since I can't remember when and I'm not sworn under oath, I won't be apologizing for any specific incident, or for being stupid when I was younger. I will say that I'm sorry that I've ever used the word. Mea culpa. Now, I'll politely ask you to get over it. It's not like the "N" word has been scrubbed from our culture. In fact, the last time I heard the "N" word used with alarming frequency was when I watched a Quentin Tarantino movie called Pulp Fiction. The "N" word is also very popular with rap artists. In … [Read more...]

Separation of church and state

This video is profoundly disturbing on a couple of levels. While an unglued, obviously deranged woman was busy assaulting innocent people, she was also claiming to teach children about a subject she clearly knows very little, if anything about -- the U.S. Constitution. It never ceases to amaze me, how many people can believe they know things with certainty, yet are absolutely, and often provably wrong. Take, for example, my atheist friends enamored with the phrase "separation of church and state," often citing it as their favorite part of the Constitution. The problem is that the phrase "separation of church and state" cannot be found in the U.S. Constitution, or in any of its amendments. Here's my most cynical offer -- I'll pay one thousand dollars reward to anyone who can show me where the exact words "separation of church and state" appear in the Constitution. No, I'm not being generous. I'm very confident I'll keep my money because I know where the phrase originated, verbatim; it came from a letter Thomas Jefferson wrote to assure the Danbury Baptists in Connecticut that freedom of religion in our new nation would never be limited to one official church. And don't try to tell me they are in there somewhere, in spirit. If you're an atheist, you don't believe in spirits, do you? The words specifically in our Constitution guarantee freedom of, and certainly not from, religion. "Separation of church and state" only meant there will never be a state-sponsored church, like the Anglican Church was in England. That meant Catholics, Baptists, … [Read more...]

Father’s Day

I've got a couple of things to get off my chest this weekend. I probably could have combined two blogs into one titled "Things that make me want to vomit" , but I'd rather stay on point. Say what needs to be said, and then get back to work. I've got to finish Premonition. And I'm working on it. So here's a quick thought... I won't be celebrating Father's Day this year. This has nothing to do with my children, or that my father is dead. It has everything to do with Father's Day becoming a joke this year. When I read that the National Father's Day Committee chose to honor Bill Clinton as 2013 Father of the Year, I forced down the bile that reached the back of my throat. Seriously? Bill Clinton? Forget politics for a minute. Forget the fact that this is a man that we know committed adultery in the White House and lied about it under oath. Forget that Clinton's license to practice law was suspended for five years for committing perjury. I'm not saying Clinton is the absolute worst father in the world, but really -- Father of the Year? Remember Bill didn't just cheat on Hillary while Chelsea still lived at home, he humiliated his wife on national television. Bill committed adultery, lied about it, and got caught. Hillary defended Bill as the persecuted victim of a "vast, right-wing conspiracy", making her look very foolish after DNA evidence was produced. Exactly what sort of example did this "Father of the Year" set? Chelsea learned that men who are rich enough or powerful enough can get away with anything. They can disrespect their … [Read more...]

Travesty of justice: corrupt cronyism and Barkley the Schnauzer

I was born and raised in Savannah. It will always be home in my mind, no matter where I live. Coastal Empire was the title of my first novel for a reason. Savannah is in my blood. But today, that blood is boiling. Last weekend I was back home, visiting friends, when an article in the Savannah Morning News caught my eye. The story was about a dog named Barkley, Savannah Chief of Police Willie Lovett, animal control, and a "volunteer" named Diane Abolt. I'll briefly summarize the salient details to be found in the article. Diane Abolt legitimately had first claim to adopting Barkley by virtue of being the first person to fill an application. No favoritism was shown. No argument from me on this point; she had dibs on the dog. However, Abolt failed to adopt Barkley within the standard time frame, forfeiting all claims under the shelter rules that apply to everybody else. This is pretty much universal, standard animal shelter procedure. As the saying goes: you snooze, you lose. People change their minds all the time, so you never hold a dog for one particular person. You certainly don't hold a dog after the waiting period has expired, especially when another fully qualified adopter is patiently waiting in line. The goal is to place as many healthy animals as possible into loving forever homes, not play favorites. A kennel run occupied by a dog that ought to be in its forever home takes up valuable space and could cause an otherwise adoptable dog to be euthanized simply due to overcrowding. It's how the animal rescue and adoption business … [Read more...]