I hate intolerance- and the parents who teach it

[cdb]

<rant>

Yep, I know-- don't hate the fucking haters-- but its time for my semi-annual anti-semitism thread. On the way home from school-- My sweet, sensitive, 9 year old daughter heard a truly gruesome, horriffic, anti-Semetic joke while walking home from school- it actually brings me to tears its so horrible -- and when my wife picked her up, she was devastated. As she relayed the joke to my son (13) he bacame enraged and wanted very badly to injure the kids who were telling it. Me too. Totally blind rage.

My point:
After all these years of diversity and tolerance education that the schools have been pounding into the kids-- the fact that this "joke" is still being told-- tells me that there are still some extremely fucked up parents out there. And education on this matter means NOTHING.

</rant>

Time to watch Lost and lose myself in a "happy" place now.

Just had to vent.

[King Kashue]

I've often thought on this.

I am largely without prejudice (though certainly not devoid by any measure), and I and my friends will joke about certain things that if we truly meant them would be horrible (generally statements to each other that if genuine would be horrible, horrible insults).

Comedians like Dave Chappelle and Sarah Silverman (*crush*) make racial jokes that are "okay", since they're making it about their own groups.

And I find myself torn between thinking "well, clearly these sentiments aren't real, so there's no harm in them" and "these jokes mock sentiments that are indeed genuine for some, and without any clear distinguishing characteristics, they can be just as harmful".

Is it truly harmless, or is this just another form of "Some of my best friends are ______".

Is mocking bigotry by joking about such statements worth the price of having to say those statements at all?


In other words, a few years down the line, would I want my kids to hear me joking with a Jewish friend, or a Black friend joking with me, and have heard the same sort of words from someone else (who meant them) and have to decipher the difference between what Daddy said to his friend and what some bigot said on the radio?

I'm still not sure...

[BassMaster General]

What was the joke?

Mind you, I'd be a bad person to judge. I've got a sense of humor that is not safe around children. Or most people really. Comes with having a lot of friends who are cops, doctors, soldiers and funeral directors.
My only judgment of humor is whether it makes me laugh.

[oldivor]

Tell those kids to get in a oven and see how it feels. :mad:

XD

[Croissant Seven]

Alot of that stuff is passed along among kids; I never got any ethnic jokes from my parents, but boy howdy did I hear alot of them growing up. It originates somewhere, for sure, but kids learn alot from each other. As for the sensitivity teaching in schools, I think it stops racism about as well as D.A.R.E. stopped drug use for my age group...
C7

[beam]

I dunno, even if something is totally racist and downright horrible...if it's funny, I'll laugh. Hell, My dad's a Jew and he tells some of the best Jewish jokes I know.

Context is everything. If you are telling a joke in the context of a conversation where you are indeed joking, I have no problem with it.
If you genuinely feel the way a lot of bigoted jokes sound, then I don't mind if you are stuffed in a wood chipper :)

[Thunderbroom]

As she relayed the joke to my son (13) he bacame enraged and wanted very badly to injure the kids who were telling it. Me too. Totally blind rage.

My kids (11/14) would have dismissed the joke-telling kids as dolts and would not associate with them further. "Blind rage" would never enter in the picture. If it did, I'd be concerned as their father.

I've made the "some of my best friends are..." comment before at HC. I've had this link (http://www.blackpeopleloveus.com/) posted in the thread by other forum folks. While I found it personally an afront to me because my wife and I do have many friends that happen to be African-American, Korean, Japanese, Puerto Rican and Cuban I understand the disbelief. Most people talk shit about racism but have likely never shared a meal in their home with someone of a different race. We routinely have our friends over to our home and we go to theirs. They're our friends, not because of their race, but because we share the same values. To me, this is the way to make movement in race relations...not some bullshit diversity class in school.

[mnemosyne's lobotomy]

Having been the target growing up, I can relate. I got teamed up on at baseball camp when I was in middle school by a bunch of kids from Redford. I got spit on doing warm-up laps in Hazel Park during a track meet. I got called a kyke during a football game against Royal Oak Dondero. I had a swastika burned into my driveway and another drawn with ketchup in while in high school. Those are just some of hte highlights.
It's incredibly frustrating and as a kid I felt obligated to prove how tough I was as a means of proving them wrong. Thankfully, I grew out of that. However, I still know people that are like that well into their 30's and will still take an anti-semitic comment and start a fight within a fraction of a second. It's a shame.
There will always be idiots. Ignorance and prejudice are part of human nature. I just try my hardest to suppress my rage and pity the dumb fucks that can't see past their shoes. And, yes, it is rage. Anyone who doubts that has never been put in that position. It's a reaction you can't eliminate. But, you can control it. Acting on it is an expression of immaturity.
In NYC, you don't worry much about anti-semitism. In fact, I worry more about chasidic patients discriminating against me because I'm not Jewish enough.
Most other places in teh world, though, it's still pretty common. I've experienced it everywhere I've traveled.

[ironfist]

As she relayed the joke to my son (13) he bacame enraged and wanted very badly to injure the kids who were telling it. Me too. Totally blind rage.

It's a joke dude. No joke, no matter how horrible, justifies "badly injuring" the teller(s).

[mnemosyne's lobotomy]

It's a joke dude. No joke, no matter how horrible, justifies "badly injuring" the teller(s).

While the action might not be taken, the feelings are still there inside. If you've been the target of something like that, you know it well. And, a joke about the holocaust is not a joke.

[beam]

In fact, I worry more about chasidic patients discriminating against me because I'm not Jewish enough.


My grandmother got this growing up in Brooklyn during the depression.
They would actually spit on her for working on a Saturday. Nevermind that her income helped feed her family or anything...

[King Kashue]

Having been the target growing up, I can relate. I got teamed up on at baseball camp when I was in middle school by a bunch of kids from Redford. I got spit on doing warm-up laps in Hazel Park during a track meet. I got called a kyke during a football game against Royal Oak Dondero. I had a swastika burned into my driveway and another drawn with ketchup in while in high school. Those are just some of hte highlights.

Shit man, I'm surprised at that for Oakland County. :(

Honestly, the only thing we thought about our Jewish friends/classmates at Adams Jr. was "Damn, Marc made an assload of money at his Bar Mitzvah, he's totally gonna be able to buy any SNES games he wants!"...

For most of the folks from Jr. High, High School it was just another factoid about them, filed away with "Likes Pearl Jam" and "Totally can bum cigarettes off of him"...

[i_wanna_les_paul]

Honestly, I just don't get antisemitism. Just baffles me. It's nothing kids should have to grow up around.

Sorry to hear about it all, Chuck.

[King Kashue]

I've had this link (http://www.blackpeopleloveus.com/) posted in the thread by other forum folks.

Off topic: Reading the letters people have sent...Seriously, how do people not get when stuff like that is a joke? :smack:

[mnemosyne's lobotomy]

Shit man, I'm surprised at that for Oakland County. :(

Honestly, the only thing we thought about our Jewish friends/classmates at Adams Jr. was "Damn, Marc made an assload of money at his Bar Mitzvah, he's totally gonna be able to buy any SNES games he wants!"...

For most of the folks from Jr. High, High School it was just another factoid about them, filed away with "Likes Pearl Jam" and "Totally can bum cigarettes off of him"...
Yeah, there were areas that were worse than others. Being from Bloomfield Hills, you're a target right off the bat. When you've got something more tangible than "may or may not come from a privileged background" to add into the mix, it becomes an opportunity for people to express some bad blood or stupidity.
FOr the most part, it was isolated stupidity during sporting events. A lot of times, though, I avoided different areas as I felt like I'd be singled out. Most high school kids just want to blow off some teen angst and call you a dirty jew to make themselves feel good. Some are just looking for a reason to get into a fight. Others take it a step further and burn a swastika into your lawn/driveway. For the most part I was fine ignoring it. On the field, it gave me added reason to beat--legally--the snot out of hte person in front of me (oh that poor poor kid from Dondero.) In the last situation, however, I was definitely seeing red and my parents had to stand in front of the door to keep me from going out and hurting someone. Thankfully, they stood their ground and I grew up a little bit.

[King Kashue]

On the field, it gave me added reason to beat--legally--the snot out of hte person in front of me (oh that poor poor kid from Dondero.) In the last situation, however, I was definitely seeing red and my parents had to stand in front of the door to keep me from going out and hurting someone. Thankfully, they stood their ground and I grew up a little bit.

Eh, he was from Dondero...He's not "people" like the rest of us...

[Drippin' Robin]

Honestly, I just don't get antisemitism. Just baffles me. It's nothing kids should have to grow up around.

Sorry to hear about it all, Chuck.

Yup. Pretty much sums it up for me.

I don't know a lot of jewish people, but the ones I do know are very kind, friendly and open people. Racism and antisemitism are so dumb that it goes beyond my comprehension.

[Grant Sharkey]

I don't know where i stand on this. Religious jokes are even more stupid than skin colour jokes because the religion part is only offensive to people who have religion - which requires a certain amount of self dellusion and prejudice to obtain IMO - so it's almost like joining a club and saying 'i've made choice and now i'm different from others, but why do you keep telling me i'm different?'

Which is utter shit to me and makes no sense. Sadly because we had a war partly based on these self imposed differences and attrocities are still carried out because of them - i think jokes will always be made about them (because human beings, no matter who or what different Gods say about it just can't handle people who join different groups)

It's all a downward spiral if you ask me - as we get rid of skin, sex, sexuality and nationality (to a certain extent) from the list of differences that cannot be changed - we're left with religion (which is either chosen, or forced upon us as children - a dispicable practice if ever there was one) to be the medium in which to carry a very natural defence/offence system.

I'm sorry it's causing upset Chuck - I'm willing to say it was a joke and your kids should learn that people say nasty things whether they are there to hear them or not. I'd much rather the debate was out in the open with these people than behind closed doors, bottling up annimosity.

Dumb all over, a little ugly on the side.

[Weirdocat]

... but what was the joke?

[bassesofalessergod]

word.

whats the joke?

[burdizzos]

I base all my opinions of Jews on what I know about BOALG, so I can totally understand Antisemitism.

[bassesofalessergod]

I base all my opinions of Jews on what I know about BOALG, so I can totally understand Antisemitism.
*blind rage*

[burdizzos]

*blind rage*

More like stoned blind.

[Les Izzmor]

For as long as there have been people and probably for as long as there will be people there will be prejudice. At some times it's rampant, see Nazi Germany, and at other times it's just a few idiots.

If you took one million white people and put them in a room (a big room) and one said, "I hate niggers", that's probably going to get some attention. Even though the vast, vast, vast majority of people in that room have no issues with Blacks.

Don't let the opinions of one idiot spoil your day. And. Don't let the opinions of a small minority spoil your life.

Martin Luther King said one of biggest problems with racism in America wasn't the white, racist Americans, it was the white Americans who aren't racist, who do nothing about the racists.

So. Chuck. The fact that we don't like you has nothing at all to do with us not liking Jews. We're fine with Jews. We don't like you for the content of your character. Just like MLK dreamed it would be.

[Grant Sharkey]

So. Chuck. The fact that we don't like you has nothing at all to do with us not liking Jews. We're fine with Jews. We don't like you for the content of your character. Just like MLK dreamed it would be.

+1
Hate you Chuck.

[Perfessor]

I can't understand why people can't be like we are on this and other forums. I have no idea what color or religion or any of that about 99% of those on here and don't care. Everyone that gets miffed at some one here is because of anything except race/religion. Why isn't world like this place?

[lug]

I can't understand why people can't be like we are on this and other forums. I have no idea what color or religion or any of that about 99% of those on here and don't care. Everyone that gets miffed at some one here is because of anything except race/religion. Why isn't world like this place?


Some of my best friends are bassists.

[Zamfir]

I hang out with Texans and Canadians, although I rarely accept dinner invitations from them. :confused:

[lug]

I hang out with Texans and Canadians, although I rarely accept dinner invitations from them. :confused:

social climber. :rolleyes:

[Zamfir]

social climber. :rolleyes:

Well, how else do you get away from the other 99% of Texans and Canadians? :confused:

[Jugghaid]

Antisemitism and/or racism is just an expression of ignorance. Don't hate those people Chuck, pity them. They will never be 1/2 the person your child will be.

And chances are their parents don't even know they are doihng shit like that. If they did they would beat them with a stick.

[spezzy]

Hating someone because of something like their beliefs or the color of their skin is stupid. It's an issue that really really hits close to home for me.

After my father left he became (or was all along and never told us) a fundamental white supremacist. (I think that's the term).

The last time I saw him I was 18. He asked me about the boy that I was dating at the time - wanted to make sure he was white. Not only was the boy I was dating not white, he wasn't American.

My father then told me all about how my blood line is pure, and how I can't dirty it. And how he wouldn't approve of anyone who is not white or fundamental christian.

I then reminded him that I'm Jewish.

Haven't spoken to him since.

[The Hammer]

This is going to sound like a lie I'm sure but I've lived in Tennessee all my life and I've never see much of any anti-semitism around me. My college roommate (son of a southern Baptist preacher) and myself had girlfriends who were jewish for most of our time in college. Never heard anyone make any comments about it. Maybe its because most christians in this part of the world still view jews as "God's people" and believe that God still has their back. But, in the rest of the world I see that hatred of the jews is getting more evident everyday. I think that this is going to unfortunately continue for awhile to come:(

[ModmanQ6]

Sorry to hear that Chuck. Unfortunately the human condition will always breed this type of ignorance and hate. I don't think it will ever end and truly consider humans as a parasitic infestation on the planet. (As a general whole)We consume everything in sight and even out of sight, have self righteous indignation towards others who don't share our opinions and beliefs, destroy anything in our path if it interferes with our plan.

This is the curse of the apple, or pandora's box if you will... Power corrupts and free will swings wide in all directions. This is evident in all of us if you really look at it... got a yellowjacket nest in your yard and tired of being stung when you cut the grass? Get some Raid foaming yellowjacket killer and wipe out the population while they sleep at night... there goes a whole colony of living beings, but we just consider them pests and it's nothing for us to do this. We tend to see the much larger human vs human scenarios and lend them more weight, but it all boils down to the same thing IMHO...

I guess you just have to know that they are out there and not going away and steel yourself for when you encounter them. Ignorant fucking assholes...they are everywhere... :(

[Jugghaid]

This is going to sound like a lie I'm sure but I've lived in Tennessee all my life and I've never see much of any anti-semitism around me. My college roommate (son of a southern Baptist preacher) and myself had girlfriends who were jewish for most of our time in college. Never heard anyone make any comments about it. Maybe its because most christians in this part of the world still view jews as "God's people" and believe that God still has their back. But, in the rest of the world I see that hatred of the jews is getting more evident everyday. I think that this is going to unfortunately continue for awhile to come:(

I personally have never understood the rampant anti-semitism in this world. Especially in europe and the middle east. It's been going on for millennia as well, and yeah, I don't see it changing either.

[Les Izzmor]

Antisemitism and/or racism is just an expression of ignorance. Don't hate those people Chuck, pity them. They will never be 1/2 the person your child will be.

And chances are their parents don't even know they are doihng shit like that. If they did they would beat them with a stick.



Juggs, you are a wise man.

I think I've said that about 50 times.

[Thunderbroom]

This is going to sound like a lie I'm sure but I've lived in Tennessee all my life and I've never see much of any anti-semitism around me.

I totally believe you.

I grew up in rural GA and NEVER heard any kink of anti-semetic comment until I had flown the coop and moved northward. I did; however, hear many, many hateful comments about African-Americans growing up...mostly from my family.
:(

[Zamfir]

This is going to sound like a lie I'm sure but I've lived in Tennessee all my life and I've never see much of any anti-semitism around me. My college roommate (son of a southern Baptist preacher) and myself had girlfriends who were jewish for most of our time in college. Never heard anyone make any comments about it. Maybe its because most christians in this part of the world still view jews as "God's people" and believe that God still has their back. But, in the rest of the world I see that hatred of the jews is getting more evident everyday. I think that this is going to unfortunately continue for awhile to come:(

Same here. But then, I just didn't see that many Jews around my hometown either. Just one of my group of friends, and a few others.

Like Tbroom, however, I'd see much more frequent racism towards African Americans on various levels. :(

[Jugghaid]

Same here. But then, I just didn't see that many Jews around my hometown either. Just one of my group of friends, and a few others.

Like Tbroom, however, I'd see much more frequent racism towards African Americans on various levels. :(

I saw much more frequent racism FROM african americans. Then again, I got bussed to Jamaica Plain and was one of a few white kids in an all black school. ;)

[cdb]

As for the sensitivity teaching in schools, I think it stops racism about as well as D.A.R.E. stopped drug use for my age group...
C7

Unfortunately, this is true.


I just try my hardest to suppress my rage and pity the dumb fucks that can't see past their shoes. And, yes, it is rage. Anyone who doubts that has never been put in that position. It's a reaction you can't eliminate. But, you can control it. Acting on it is an expression of immaturity.

Luckily neither of my children acted on this. They are well trained. But they did react very strongly - and I fully understand that rage.

And, a joke about the holocaust is not a joke.

Not in any way. Some things are just off limits, even to me.

... but what was the joke?

I will not repeat the joke.



So. Chuck. The fact that we don't like you has nothing at all to do with us not liking Jews. We're fine with Jews. We don't like you for the content of your character. Just like MLK dreamed it would be.

+1
Hate you Chuck.

I knew I could count on you guys to snap me out of this.

Antisemitism and/or racism is just an expression of ignorance. Don't hate those people Chuck, pity them. They will never be 1/2 the person your child will be.

And chances are their parents don't even know they are doihng shit like that. If they did they would beat them with a stick.

I knew I could count on you guys to snap me out of this.

This is going to sound like a lie I'm sure but I've lived in Tennessee all my life and I've never see much of any anti-semitism around me. My college roommate (son of a southern Baptist preacher) and myself had girlfriends who were jewish for most of our time in college. Never heard anyone make any comments about it. Maybe its because most christians in this part of the world still view jews as "God's people" and believe that God still has their back. But, in the rest of the world I see that hatred of the jews is getting more evident everyday. I think that this is going to unfortunately continue for awhile to come:(

Why wouldnt I believe you? You are a totally righteous dude.


Thanks all for the responses and great discussion, still feeling a bit off balance about this today

[Les Izzmor]

Thanks all for the responses and great discussion, still feeling a bit off balance about this today


I just bought a six-pack of Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Ale.

It says it has 9.6% alcohol content. Why not come on down and have a couple with me?

[cdb]

I just bought a six-pack of Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Ale.

It says it has 9.6% alcohol content. Why not come on down and have a couple with me?

Yummy- Bigfoot Ale. Really, I would LOVE to do just that-- but I have this pesky job, and practice tonight...

usually at practice we take a break and I drink a Blithering Idiot. 11.6% -- really, more than 2 is bad news... if I wish to continue playing or drive home..

[Les Izzmor]

Yummy- Bigfoot Ale. Really, I would LOVE to do just that-- but I have this pesky job, and practice tonight...

usually at practice we take a break and I drink a Blithering Idiot. 11.6% -- really, more than 2 is bad news... if I wish to continue playing or drive home..

Excuses, excuses.

[cdb]

Excuses, excuses.

I know... plus it is SO NICE outside...

[Les Izzmor]

I know... plus it is SO NICE outside...

I'll let you drive the Vespa.


It really is fun!!

[King Kashue]

I personally have never understood the rampant anti-semitism in this world. Especially in europe and the middle east. It's been going on for millennia as well, and yeah, I don't see it changing either.

European antisemitism is complex, but not obscure. If you're really interested in it, I can give you the titles of a few books that deal with it really well.

As for the Middle East, it's actually not millennia old (at least not it's current form), but a product of the modern period (last couple hundred years, particularly the last two centuries or so). There were several large Jewish populations in the Near East, and Islamic Antisemitism was nothing like European (which was pretty awful during the High Middle Ages in particular)


To be overly simplistic, economic motivations (Jewish money-lending in particular) combined with xenophobia and the need to have an "other" by which to define their own identity (nothing makes "us" more efficiently than pointing to a "them"), both placed in the context of increased religious fervor and violence (aka the Crusades), equaled a violent and increasingly organized oppression of the Jewish communities in Europe...


Sometimes it was entirely financial. For instance, during the 100 years war the English king expels the Jews from England every time he can't pay back the money he owes them, then lets them back in when he needs to borrow again.

Other times, it's born out of mob mentality and religiously motivated hatred, like the mobs who kill entire communities in the Rhineland during the People's Crusade.

It's rarely that simple though. For every peasant mob looking to kill Jews, you have someone like Hermann III, Arch-Bishop of Cologne who hid the Jews from the Crusading peasants and the people of Cologne who did the same.

[The Hammer]

I totally believe you.

I grew up in rural GA and NEVER heard any kink of anti-semetic comment until I had flown the coop and moved northward. I did; however, hear many, many hateful comments about African-Americans growing up...mostly from my family.
:(

oh yeah +1000000000000 on the racism towards blacks. There was a girl in my dental class whom I liked and the feeling was more than mutual (this is before I met Ms. Hammer). We talked about going out and dating but in Memphis at the time the shit we would have caught from both black and white communities would have been enormous. That coupled with the huge amount of shit we were already enduring in dental school pretty much made any chance of us having an relationship out in the open out of the question. So we just remained good friends and then I met Mrs. Hammer and that was that.:D

[King Kashue]

oh yeah +1000000000000 on the racism towards blacks. There was a girl in my dental class whom I liked and the feeling was more than mutual (this is before I met Ms. Hammer). We talked about going out and dating but in Memphis at the time the shit we would have caught from both black and white communities would have been enormous. That coupled with the huge amount of shit we were already enduring in dental school pretty much made any chance of us having an relationship out in the open out of the question. So we just remained good friends and then I met Mrs. Hammer and that was that.:D

Geek Moment: One of my favorite X-Men storylines was the alternative future storyline where Wolverine and Storm were together. Every time someone would make a racist comment, Wolverine would kick their ass...:D


Which of course leads me to ask: Hammer, how come you didn't just pop your adamantium claws and kick butt in Memphis?...wuss...:P

[ironfist]

How can you hate Jews when...

http://www.hulkmovies.com/images/promos/jennifer-connelly.jpg

http://www.nndb.com/people/966/000031873/amanda-peet-sized.jpg

http://www.oceleb.com/img/sarah-silverman/pictures/14.jpg


DOES... NOT... COMPUTE... :dunno:

[Jugghaid]

To be overly simplistic, economic motivations (Jewish money-lending in particular) combined with xenophobia ........

This is a big part of it. And from what I remember of my reading, this was decreed by the Christians as they deemed money lending to be a dirty and very un-christian profession, and therefore assigned this task to the jews. And then hated them for it. :dunno:

I'd love some more reading material on this subject. I did a bit on it 15 or 20 years ago, but it was fairly limited in scope.

[lug]

This is a big part of it. And from what I remember of my reading, this was decreed by the Christians as they deemed money lending to be a dirty and very un-christian profession, and therefore assigned this task to the jews. And then hated them for it. :dunno:




I understand. Kinda like liberals not fighting terrorism, and assigning it to George Bush and then hating him for it.






........flees forum for 8 weeks

[oldivor]

How can you hate Jews when...

http://www.hulkmovies.com/images/promos/jennifer-connelly.jpg

http://www.nndb.com/people/966/000031873/amanda-peet-sized.jpg

http://www.oceleb.com/img/sarah-silverman/pictures/14.jpg


DOES... NOT... COMPUTE... :dunno:

DO WANT

DO NOT WANT

sort of want

[Pugflop]

How can you hate Jews when...

http://www.hulkmovies.com/images/promos/jennifer-connelly.jpg

http://www.nndb.com/people/966/000031873/amanda-peet-sized.jpg

http://www.oceleb.com/img/sarah-silverman/pictures/14.jpg


DOES... NOT... COMPUTE... :dunno:

Or, on the topic of the forum:

http://redbirdnation.blogspot.com/371x555geddy.jpg

[Les Izzmor]

Or, on the topic of the forum:

http://redbirdnation.blogspot.com/371x555geddy.jpg

And.

http://images.washtimes.com/photos/full/20060816-120127-9758.jpg

[Weirdocat]

be that as it may...

WHAT WAS THE JOKE?! :mad:

[Seethroughsouls]

I want to go on the record.
Chucky, your ethnic background has nothing to do with why I hate you.










:rofl:
It's your silly assed blind faith in liberal politics
:rofl:






PS. What was the joke?
Hell I'll tell a Greek joke if you tell a Jew joke. Deal?
OK I'll go first:
Know why the Greek boy left home?
Didin't like how he was being reared.
Know why he returned?
Couldn't leave his brothers behind.

:rofl:
There, feel better?:P

[ironfist]

Or, on the topic of the forum:

How are hot chicks not on topic for this forum? :D

[Grant Sharkey]

oh yeah +1000000000000 on the racism towards blacks. There was a girl in my dental class whom I liked and the feeling was more than mutual (this is before I met Ms. Hammer). We talked about going out and dating but in Memphis at the time the shit we would have caught from both black and white communities would have been enormous. That coupled with the huge amount of shit we were already enduring in dental school pretty much made any chance of us having an relationship out in the open out of the question. So we just remained good friends and then I met Mrs. Hammer and that was that.:D

Funny - this happens just outside of london as well.

Dated a girl at the end of the last century - tall, black, attractive, dancer - she lived in a little posh town just north of london called Radlett - lots of lawyers and professionals (it's the green belt for london) - she was an au pair and living with a family there. Walking down the street as we would get well to do people yelling 'i feel sorry for the kids' in reference to any half cast children we might have one day...blew my mind. I don't do racism, i do individuality and i'm not a big proponent of diversity (it just doesn't work) but i do believe in individuality - some people are just arseholes regardless of their colour, creed, sexuality, sex etc (chuck) and some people (luckily in my life, most people) are prety cool. I'll stick to them.

It wasn't the racism that drove us apart - it's the fact she was nuts for living beyond her means.

[bassesofalessergod]

Walking down the street as we would get well to do people yelling 'i feel sorry for the kids' in reference to any half cast children we might have one day.


maybe they just meant cuz you were ugly...

[ahpook]

kids are total shits, they're not old enough to understand what they're saying, or the effects that what they can say can have.

i suffered a lot at school for being a southerner in a northern town, being a bit of a geek, etc, etc, etc.

i've got over it, i'm sure your kid will too.



as much as i've said that kids are shits, they also bounce back.

[Grant Sharkey]

maybe they just meant cuz you were ugly...

Have you ever seen me?

(does chunky wanna bun?) :)