Paula Deen Compared To Martin Luther King Jr. As Radio Personality Glenn Beck Defends Racial Slur

Glenn Beck is courting controversy, for the umpteenth time, after defending Paula Deen during a Web broadcast on Wednesday. Deen, who is acclaimed for her Southern cooking, has been fired from the Food Network and Walmart after using racial slurs and admitting to using the N-word and calling black people “slaves.”

Beck, however, defended the 66-year-old chef, stating that her past use of the word was a “violation of political correctness, nothing more.” The New York Times bestseller continued to ask, “How can people advance if we suppress any thought?” adding, “I’m not putting the N-word into any category of great thought.” Beck did, however, compare Deen’s situation to that of historical figures such as Christopher Columbus and Martin Luther King Jr.

“Where would the world be if Columbus and Magellan and other world explorers believed conventional wisdom and believed the world was flat. … Where would we be if Martin Luther King didn’t speak and challenge segregation? Where would we be if everyone in the world thought in the box?” Beck asked.

Deen has apologized repeatedly in statements as well as on the “Today” show Wednesday, in her first interview since admitting to using the N-word.

“The main reason I am here today is, it’s important to me that I tell you and everyone out there, what I believe, and how I live my life," Deen told "Today" host Matt Lauer. "I believe that every creature on this earth, every one of God’s creatures, was created equal. I believe that everyone should be treated equal. That’s the way I was raised, and that’s the way I live my life."