Lines in the Sand

Well, one of the best will be voted out of Big Brother this week. Helen is a great player and incredible with social skills.I felt a little disturbed that her friend and partner Elyssa will not be the one voted out.

Elyssa is not the strategist or has the personal connection with other players to really be the true winner. Helen is. I was disturbed she would not play to the game and make nice with Aaryn for her friend and the game's sake. Then I saw the comments of Arryn and GM.

Arryn and GM took cattiness to a new level by getting racist. Of course they both have lost their jobs as a result. Aaryn will not get to Hollywood as easily with her BB15 appearance. Elyssa did not like Aaryn to begin with and the comments sealed her judgement of the two.

Paula Deen made public statements several times crying over having used the "n" word. Honestly, people of her age group used the word. People who said they didn't have a convenient memory. I remember my mother considered the word cursing.

After 1970, the world had changed and there was societal pressure to not use the word. A politically connected teacher used it while I was in high school around 1972. He kept his job by the skin of his teeth. As a public school teacher, I followed the news and every once and a while a clumsy reference or use of the word, someone in the public eye would lose their job.

I saw innocent people be tarred and feathered over the word. I had African American colleagues take my side when another African American co-worker had it out for me. Life is luck, learning, and planning.

The race card is a violent one. I've seen manipulative African American parents accuse African American teachers of racism. One of the saddest ironies is that people who suffer racism often have no voice. It has reverted to an insidious, sneaky form.

I know why Paula Deen cried so hard. She may have been crying for herself. She may have been crying because she has experienced rejection herself. Face it, restaurant work is not glamorous unless you are the boss and making lots of money.

Paula Deen probably has a lot of respect for an excellent server or cook. She has made "bocoodles" of money with their finesse. We are a funny society. We respect money. We don't respect hard work.

Anyway, I can understand why Elyssa did not want to sit with Arryn and Gina Marie.