Paula Deen: Reasons It Impact ALL of us

Clearly, Paula Deen has been making quite a bit of news recently.  The setting is a lawsuit:  waiter Lisa Jackson is suing Deen and her brother Earl "Bubba" Hiers for  exposing Jackson to “violent, sexist, and racist behavior” while working in their restaurants.

While reading about the lawsuit, everything seemed to be business as usual.  Until I got to this point:

In the complaint, Jackson is described as a “white female.” However the complaint noted she has biracial nieces, so “derogatory remarks regarding African Americans are even more personally offensive to Ms. Jackson than they would be to another white citizen.”

Um, I'm sorry, what was that?  Was that an implication that a white citizen without biracial family would not be offended by behavior such as making African Americans use separate bathrooms and entrances?

And let's be clear: that was stated factually, as though it is an agreed upon fact in our society that white people will not be offended (or, if I'm being generous, as offended) by racist behavior as minorities.

The attorney had to make the point that the white waiter had a personal investment in this discriminatory environment.  Or else- what?  Would the case be thrown out?  The implication is that this behavior is only offensive to those who are being targeted by the discrimination.

This has to change.

As human beings, we should all be offended by this.  Any discrimination, whether in practice or in thought, is an attack on human dignity that should outrage all of us.  To say that just those who are Black should be offended by Deen's statements continues discrimination.   And maybe it even makes it worse.

Using language of faith, this line of reasoning is not just divisive, it is actually an injury to the Body of Christ.  Faith calls us to a community of solidarity.  It does not mean that as a white female I have experienced this discrimination in the same way that someone who is the target of such discrimination has.  It is ludicrous to think that I could will myself into experiencing this on the basis of "standing in solidarity" with others.  What it does mean is that I recognize that an attack against someone else is also an attack against me.  It means that I do not sit idly by when this happens.  And it means that I speak and act when this happens.

Racism is real.  It is not a thing of the past.  And maybe more importantly: racism impact us all.