I don't GET anti-semitic remarks

[Anonymous]

Maybe it's my demographic (30, white, non-practicing Catholic from MoCo) but I have NEVER heard anyone say anything negative about Jews. Who even thinks about this stuff?

[Anonymous]

When people are dis-inhibited (drunk, on drugs, etc), they often express prejudices that have been passed on to them by their parents, or other authority figures, that they would never say at any other time since they know they are inappropriate.

[Anonymous]

OP, you have had a sheltered life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, you have had a sheltered life.

NP here and I'm happy to say that I must have had one, too. I agree it would never occur to me to say these things no matter how drunk/angry, etc. I was. I just never have these ideas in my head and have never heard anyone else express them either (save Mel Gibson and other anti-Semitic celbs).

[Anonymous]

I might have had a somewhat sheltered life and even I've heard the K word.

[Anonymous]

I'm Jewish and I never heard anyone say anythng anti-semitic until I was well into adulthood. I was quite shocked, having really felt during my childhood that such views were from a bygone era. I remember arguing this point with my grandfather, whose family fled Polish pogroms in 1909. Sadly, I have now heard of innumerable instances of anti-semitic remarks and even violence, not to mention the Holocaust denials and threats against Israel. I remember taking a train through Germany at age 20 and seeing swastsika graffiti on the train. It was eye-opening.

[Anonymous]

lots of historical and current resentment over money and power, especially during recessions and other periods of economic struggles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:lots of historical and current resentment over money and power, especially during recessions and other periods of economic struggles.

Agree. I have heard all kinds of antisemitic comments that are quite subtle, having to do with money or business -- well, not subtle actually, but not hate-filled. "He is good in business because he is a Jew." "He is asking for me to repay the loan because he is a Jew." "He raised the rent because he is a Jew." Etc. All said calmly as if they were perfectly logical statements. If you asked these people if they were antisemitic, they would say no.

[Anonymous]

C'mon OP. You never heard anyone say that someone negotiating aggressively was trying to "Jew me down" on the price? Never heard anyone talk about how the banks, the media and Hollywood are "controlled" by the Jews? Never heard someone deny or downplay the Holocaust? The list goes on.

[Anonymous]

I am not op. But I grew up in a strict catholic parish and neighborhood. And I was aware of a few of the stereotypes, but most of the foul language I didn't hear until college.

That is not to say that Catholicism is free of anti-Semites, but more that strict religious communities probably don't permit it as much. Also we were sO heavily catholic that it probably lessened the odds just because there were

[Anonymous]

Few Jewish families nearby.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Few Jewish families nearby.

???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe it's my demographic (30, white, non-practicing Catholic from MoCo) but I have NEVER heard anyone say anything negative about Jews. Who even thinks about this stuff?

OP, open up MSNBC, CNN, or any other major news site this morning and you will see that Julian Assange has decided that his troubles are the result of a "Jewish smear campaign." If you have NEVER (all caps yours) heard anyone say anything negative about Jews, you need to kindly get your head out of your ass. I mean really.

[Anonymous]

For those interested in details of Assange's conspiracy theory:

Mr. Assange was quoted as saying the Jewish conspiracy was led by The Guardian and included the newspaper’s editor, Alan Rusbridger, and investigations editor, David Leigh, as well as John Kampfner, a prominent London journalist who recently reviewed two books about WikiLeaks for The Sunday Times of London.

When it was pointed out that Mr. Rusbridger was not Jewish, Mr. Assange countered that The Guardian’s editor was “sort of Jewish” because he and Mr. Leigh, who is Jewish, were brothers-in-law. Later, the article recounted, Mr. Assange asked to “forget the Jewish thing,” but he continued to insist there was a conspiracy against WikiLeaks based on the friendship among Mr. Rusbridger, Mr. Leigh and Mr. Kampfner.

(From MSNBC)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:C'mon OP. You never heard anyone say that someone negotiating aggressively was trying to "Jew me down" on the price? Never heard anyone talk about how the banks, the media and Hollywood are "controlled" by the Jews? Never heard someone deny or downplay the Holocaust? The list goes on.

NP here, and while I certainly had heard plenty of anti-semitic things growing up, I never heard the phrase "Jew me down" until I was well into adulthood.

I don't understand why people are attacking the OP over this - isn't it a good thing to have never heard anyone make anti-semitic remarks?