Paula Deen and the "N" Word

Give me a bloomin' break!  Paula Deen admitted using the "N" word in her past and people are trying to destroy her career because of it.  It's an ugly word with ugly connotations but it was easily used by whites back in the old days (not always as an insult in their minds, either) and is still easily used by blacks.  Because a white person once displayed thoughts and words that are now racially unacceptable should never mean that they should receive this kind of ostracism.  It's like taking away the career of a black person who once said "honky".

Words can hurt and humiliate and that's a good reason not to use them but we've all said and done things in our past that we regret today and shouldn't have to pay the rest of our lives for the indiscretion of using insulting words.  We do progress in our thinking, you know!

I like to brag that I've never used that awful word and it's because it was never used in  my family.  I learned very young that it was a cruel word for whites to use when referring to blacks but I've really never understood why some blacks use it.  "Honky" doesn't bother me so I'm immune to any insult intended in it's use.  Maybe blacks should follow my example when they hear the "N" word.  It says nothing about them but says a whole lot of negative about the user.