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- From: jlove@ivrit.ra.itd.umich.edu (Jack Love)
- Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
- Subject: Re: goy
- Date: 23 Nov 1992 16:39:40 GMT
- Organization: /usr/local/trn/lib/organization
- Lines: 58
- Message-ID: <1er1gcINNqgq@terminator.rs.itd.umich.edu>
- References: <1992Nov23.040258.28472@cs.albany.edu> <92327.2342272893684@QUCDN.QueensU.CA> <1992Nov23.071119.3812@cbnews.cb.att.com>
- NNTP-Posting-Host: ivrit.ra.itd.umich.edu
-
- In article <1992Nov23.071119.3812@cbnews.cb.att.com> ask@cbnews.cb.att.com (Arthur S. Kamlet) writes:
- >In article <92327.2342272893684@QUCDN.QueensU.CA> andy <2893684@QUCDN.QueensU.CA> writes:
- >>In article <1992Nov23.040258.28472@cs.albany.edu>, mark@cs.albany.edu (Mark
- >>Steinberger) says:
- >>>
- >>>Viewed another way, should we stop calling ourselves Jews because the
- >>>word has had negative connotations for a number of non-Jews?
- >>
- >>WHAT!!!! Jew is not a derogatory word, goy is. Would you not object to words
- >>like kyke, hymie, heeb etc? Don't justify racist words by pointing at the
- >>racism of others.
- >
- >Have you experienced people completely freeze, and their mouths shut
- >and eyes harden when someone says I'm Jewish?
- >
-
- Yes I have.
-
- >Have you met anyone who thinks "Jew" is the prefix to bastard? Or
- >suffix to %$#@!?
- >
-
- Yes I have.
-
- >Or anyone who can literally spit the word "Jew" through clecnhed
- >teeth, so viciously you'd think flames would start?
- >
-
- Yes I have.
-
- >I have and I continue to, all the time. And yet I would never
- >suggest anyone stop using the word "Jew" in spite of the
- >exceptionally negative connotations some people give it.
- >
-
- I too would agree that other people's racism and hatred is no
- reason for me to change what I call myself and what my people
- have called themselves for several thousand years. The problem
- is with *their* racism, and does not lie with me. I don't understand
- why this should be a legitimate excuse for one to use racist
- or hate language about others. If we want to end hatred and
- racism, we must begin with what we can control, and that,
- among other things, is our own language.
-
- >So should we assume that "goy" becomes a bad word just because
- >some people may use it that way If so, why the double standard?
- >--
- >Art Kamlet a_s_kamlet@att.com AT&T Bell Laboratories, Columbus
-
- As I stated in my earlier article, the word "goy" is a little tricky
- because it takes on its pejoritive character in the context of
- the Yiddish language, and also depends to an extent on the tone of
- voice. Those who know that they are using it in that fashion should be
- called on it. And I don't think there is any double standard here.
- Racism is racism and it should always be confronted.
-
- Jack F. Love
-
-