More on local attitudes - nowhere near the progress since the 60s as thought.

[archaeobob]

There is a poll being conducted on a local news website that I find revealing... and backs up what I heard from the guy who is taking down the houses next door

Comments

[cinnamontoast]

Oops. I would have been fired. I know that I've learned a lot of life lessons in my years. Especially after I moved to the city and actually interacted with people who were different from me.

I think people can learn. Plus, the more I read about what actually went on with Paula Dean, she's really being punished for being honest. She could have said that she didn't and no one would have believed her. Anyone who hasn't held a grudge or a prejudice in their lives is lying. Seriously.

I don't have a single person on my FB list (brown, black, white or anywhere else on the color line) who is saying that Food Network is right to fire her. They really don't care about her attitudes ten years ago. They care about the expertise she brings to her cooking show.

*shrug* She's not a social worker who needs to ensure equality. She is a television and cooking celeb. I think at some point people have to let go. People are tired of the whole "you did it once and we are going to condemn you for the rest of your life" thing. It doesn't give people the opportunity for change.

(Quick note: I'm guilty of doing this to Michael Vick - But, I want to use him as an EXAMPLE to all other people fighting pit bulls. There are no other people as famous as him condemned for animal abuse.)

I seriously think that you guys should start making plans to move somewhere else, even if it's in Florida. Your local area sucks horribly. If I had half those problems I would make some sort of plans to get out and go somewhere that was more welcoming.

I know that the east end of Long Island has some major bigotry problems with Native American heredity. My housemate was clearly of NA heritage (she had the coloring and cheekbone structure) and she faced some really stupid shit there. But I've never seen it in other areas of the Northeast. In fact, in other areas it's just the opposite; people of Native American heritage are openly welcomed in communities.

[archaeobob]

I think that in my case, I've seen so many people who claim to have changed but didn't that I'm jaded about it, although I've gone through a lot of changes through my life (mainly being forced into a personality and belief system that wasn't right for me - and then eventually returning to the person I once was). I know it can happen because of my life, but I rarely see it - for real - in others (exception being those who walk... they change radically but often back to the person they were when they were young... or to the person they WOULD have been if the damned churches didn't force them into molds).

Part of it is Florida, that we both know and we've long wished we could flee this place. We plan to move as soon as it's economically feasible... and the move won't mean us having to kill most of our kitties (can't rent a place... and many counties in Florida have a limit on the number of pets you can have). If we could, I'd move to Hillsborough to be near the school while I'm there... I miss out on a LOT of stuff because it's so far (might have problems in that county as I think they limit you to five pets). Once I'm done and have my Ph.D., we're talking about one of the western states... somewhere where it's much cooler and drier (and where we can see mountains and have fun, unlike this hellhole).

[cinnamontoast]

I know that people tend to stay the same when they are locked into a life and aren't exposed to anything else. But I wouldn't say that about someone like Deen.

Don't get me wrong, I've got no love for her. I've never seen her show and I don't watch the food network. Personally, it doesn't matter to me one way or the other.

It's just that this whole "You said something once in your life, so I'm going to condemn you forever" stuff is a trend that's worrisome. If she were in her 20s, I'd say that they might be right to let her go because there's a good chance that her career would bounce back, but she isn't.

I don't remember being quite so unforgiving when I was young and idealistic.

If we ever decide to rent out the apartment upstairs, I swear I'm going to advertise it as "smokers with pets only". I bet people will pound down the door for an application.