Re: Self-Use of Ethnic Insults (was: Re: Ebonic Christmas )

At 10:14 -0600 14.1.2000, Daniel Seriff wrote:
>
>Steg Belsky wrote:
>
>> The closest Jews come to anything similar to the gansta-rap use of
>> "nigga" is using the word "jew" instead of the phrase "jewish person".
>> For some reason it sounds rougher, like a Nazi would probably yell "hey,
>> jew!" and not "hey, jewish person!" when chasing you down the street or
>> something.  For some reason it sounds derogatory.
>
>You know, I never really thought about it before, but you're right, Steg
>(btw, I am jewish). I think the word "jew" is far more objectionable
>even than the German "Juden", despite it's rather negative associations.
I had *no idea* there was anything negative attached to the word _Jew_ in
English, anymore than to _Swede_ or _Buddhist_ -- i.e. not anymore than
individual people may attach negative connotations to people of other
nationalities/religions than their own.  Least of all I would have thought
it had negative connotations among Jewish people themselves!  In Swedish
_jude_ [jÜwd@] certainly has no negative connotations to people who aren't
nazis/religiously prejudiced.  The word _judinna_ for "Jewish woman"
certainly is a whole other story -- so are most special "feminine"
occupational/nationality words in modern Swedish, but there is something
especially bad with this word.

I sincerely apologize if I've ever offended anyone by using the simple noun...

The lame, spastic, epileptic cripple,
(+ other words I would have no "able" person use about me! ;-)



/BP

 B.Philip Jonsson  <mailto: bpj@...> <mailto: melroch@...>
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