Everyone there had a nickname. His was “Radio.”
“Why is he called “Radio” I asked another prisoner.
“Because he keeps talking, non-stop, all crazy stuff.”
Radio did seem to be dispensing a steady stream of gibberish. But something about him conveyed intelligence to me. I sat down opposite Radio at one of the tables (which are immovably attached to the floor, as are the benches). The individual cells were on one side. There was a wall of bars on the other and I guess behind those bars was the “free” side. Occasionally a guard would walk by.
Once a tour-group — they looked like college students — filed past on the “free” side, gaping at us dangerous animals. I quickly scrawled a note with my name and my family’s phone number, and an appeal to let my wife know were I was. (I had been allowed to make a call, but the line was busy, and I was not been permitted to try again.)
As I approached the wall of bars, the students shrunk away, scared. A guard threatened with his stick, and ordered me to get back. Normally, I would have turned into The Hulk, but this once I meekly retreated.
Radio must have been in his sixties. Light brown skin, short graying hair, wide face, mischievous eyes. There was another fellow at the table, kibitzing Radio. To this fellow’s delight, the more he kibitzed, the crazier Radio’s conversation became: ranging from accounts of space travel to CIA mind-reading technology.
Each time that Radio asked me a question, I gave him a straight answer. Before long we developed a rapport, and when no one else was present, Radio spoke in a serious manner, with a quiet voice. He told me about himself, shared his insights and perspective on life.
During my time in the lockup, Radio and I had lengthy conversations. He was well-read and thoughtful. But when someone else would briefly join us, immediately Radio’s spirited broadcast of gibberish would begin; and just as quickly revert to serIous conversation the moment our guest walked on.
The day before my arrest, the lead story in the local paper was about a young man who had robbed a bank and been nabbed quickly as he tried to speed away on his getaway bicycle.
“There’s this young fellow in here,” Radio said, “who has twisted ideas about what it means to be a man. I’m working on it.” Radio must have known something, because a few minutes later the bank robber joined us.
I do not recall how he got started, but before long the bank robber was bragging. At some point he made the statement: “I’m all man!”
Radio challenged him: “What’s your father, a man or a woman?”
“A man,” the bank robber replied.
“And what about your mom?”
“My mom is a woman.”
“So one of your parents is a man, and the other is a woman?”
“Sure.”
“Then you ain’t all man. You is half man and half woman!”
Before the bank robber could reply, Radio said: “Most everyone is half man and half woman because they got one parent who is a man and one who is a woman.” Then he lowered his pants a few inches, revealing two abdominal scars.
“But not everyone,” said Radio. I had a baby through here (pointing to one of the scars). And I had another baby through there (pointing to the other.) Then the doctor told me I couldn’t have no mo’ “
The bank robber was at a total loss to say anything. Then Radio said to him: “I can see your house. I see two woman. They are crying for you.”
After quite a pause, and without a trace of his previous swagger, the bank robber said: “That’s my mother and my aunt.”
At night, locked into our cells, we could not see each other, but it was possible to talk. But only Radio started nightime conversations.
My first night began in silence… until Radio began his broadcast.
“Hey Jew!”
I was silent.
When I had arrived at the facility, they took my wallet, keys, and money to hold, but I was permitted to keep possession of a small, gold Star of David on a chain, with Hebrew letters that spelled “Jerusalem.”
In the holding cell, was a young guy who was visibly shaken.
He was talking about how upset he was: He had never been arrested before. I removed my Jewish Star, handed it to him. He tried to hand it back, shocked that I was offering something of obvious value.
I insisted that he keep it, and finally he put it on.
“Hey Jew!” came Radio’s loud voice, “I’m talkin’ to you!”
“You mean me?”
“Yeah. You is a Jew, ain’t you?”
“Yes, I’m a Jew.”
“Do you eat po’k?”
“Yes, I eat pork.”
“Then you ain’t no Jew. A Jew don’t eat po’k!”
“Well I’m a Jew who eats pork.”
That ended it… for then.
About an hour later, Radio began a new broadcast:
“Hey Jew… you up?”
“Yes.”
“Let me ask you a question.”
“Okay.”
“I’m a business man. I import watches. I got 7 ships in the harbor, each one has a thousand watches that I’m importing. After paying import duties and shipping fees, I make $7 on each watch. When I get these watches sold, I’m going to make $70,000…”
I interrupted: “No you won’t.” You’ll only make $49,000!”
There was silence. Then… Radio’s voice, with feigned surprise: “You is a Jew! Only a Jew could figure out money that fast in his head!”
I don’t know exactly what Radio was doing, but I am sure that he was addressing someone’s stuff. After that, I too had a nickname: Jew.
After three days, my family had found out where I was and bailed me out. When the guard came to release me, I hesitated to leave. Five or six prisoners gathered around me, let me know that they were happy for me getting released, and urged me to go.
A couple of weeks later, expecting that Radio would be out by then, I sent him a letter at the address he had given me. There was no reply, and I never saw Radio again.
Very Interesting!
Hey there SK=B … this is a really good effort! Did you write it? And is it a true narrative?
True story
It happened in the late 1970s in Buffalo, NY. Like much that happens in life, this is really part of a larger story.
The short version, is that I got arrested in the lobby of the Statler Hilton together with a woman whom I was courting. We had come from a Gino Vannelli concert and Diane insisted on going to the Statler where Gino was staying, hoping to catch a glimpse when he returned.
I had no interest in going there, other than to be with Diane, who unfortunately for me was in love with the pop star. (Actually I think she expected that when he saw her, he would immediately realize that they were fated for one another.)
We were sitting on the wide staircase for about an hour, uneventfully, and when we ran out of cigarette I left to visit the cigarette machine. When I returned, about a minute later, I saw a plain clothes house detective with two uniformed security guards standing over Diane, hassling her.
I stepped forward and asked what was going on. The house detective nicely asked me to leave, and they would handle it. It became clear that they regarded Diane (whose skin is of a darker hue than mine) as a whore, and me as the John. So long as I would accept that premise I would be free to leave while Diane would take the heat.
I affirmed our friendship and did not leave. We both ended up being arrested, charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
I feel safer already
Just another example of “To Protect and Serve”.
...through a backdoor way
Many of us can recognize the screen name SK-B, the author, but not necessarily the actual person.
The ‘story’ is written in the first person “I.” It’s heavy on dialogue. It’s posted under creative, so I guess its fiction, an imaginary tale in dialogue and place. But is it semi- autobiographical, or in the context of someone else’s experience? I’m not even sure if there is a point to it, is it social commentary or just meant to be an attempt to entertain?
There is something of the NYC Jew in there somewhere, reminiscent of Jew friends of mine in the city who attempt to self-identify as Jewish, but through a backdoor way.
If it is such a “good effort” he doesn’t actually attribute authorship to himself, but posted it under “creative” without attribution.
There is an element of weird amateurish to it in what is something of a strange piece.
Actually...
It is an account of real events, to the best of my recollection.
I wrote it as fiction because more than 35 years later, I cannot be certain to get quotes and details perfectly accurate.
Steven K-Brooks.
Semiautobiographical
With attribution it would have seemed less strange. Your true story seems far more effective than the semifiction post and could have been easily incorporated into the original piece, although, I suspect the original post was meant as a carrot on a stick to elicit an explanation. Nothing wrong with that, if a bit strange.
Think, Write, Love
I think it’s a beautiful piece, reminiscent of the story of Edgar Cayce being locked in prison for practicing medicine without a license. The broader context adds spices to an already delectable pot. Bravo! The title threw me off a bit, cringed and almost didn’t read it. Glad I did.
"Some Of My Best Friends Are ..."
Vidda, I find this reference questionable.
The narrative that Steven has posted begs the reader to appreciate the crushing irony of someone, the person telling the story, having been burdened with the nickname “Jew”. I find the account both moving and illuminative.
Your reference to “the NYC Jew” … to “Jew friends of mine” … and to people “who attempt to self-identify as Jewish, but through a backdoor way” is hopelessly confusing and falls flat. It feels as though you are attempting to add meaning to a story which has plenty of meaning already. You are not speaking to the condition of the narrator, but rather trying to pin your own irrelevancies onto the end of the thing.
It’s reminiscent of the old saw “Some of my best friends are …” which at best sounds like self-justification, and at worst smacks of rank condescension.
Analyze This John
I met a few orthodox Jews in NYC. They were usually dour, standoffish, and humorless. Most of my Jew friends in NYC were nonbelieving, nonpracticing Jews who oft times hardly embraced their culture and when they did, they did so with a disclaimer “But I don’t practice.” Most self described as “atheist.” I never met a Jew who actually went to temple, except one Rabbi.
There was nothing hopelessly confusing or flat falling about the influence they had on me. The distinctive race and class groups in NYC were sharply felt, but not necessarily in a bad way, more like instigating utter fascination of the humanity in those crossroads of the world called Manhattan..Many of the Jews I met grew up in NYC and were real “New Yorker’s.”
They had a wonderful sense of humor, often hilariously self-deprecating, as if they were always trying to beat someone to the race punch line, making fun of themselves.
I learned to call them “Jew” when I made the mistake of asking if a new acquaintance was “Jewish” who promptly replied, “Jewish”? I’m a Jew, don’t call me Jewish!”
Of all the classes of people in NYC my Jew friends were some of my favorite (although, I was captivated by all manner of the human condition in that city). The non-Jew Jews were great company, socially, sexually, intellectually, did I say sexually? (The mohels usually did a beautiful job on the male babies, much appreciated by me and others into the ‘cuts’ as young adults!)
I’ve not found their equal since I left New York.
Now, you can attempt to analyze anything I write, but it won’t do you any good, and it means nothing to me. You cannot capture forty years of a life I lived in an amazingly mixed culture of distinct neighborhoods, people, places and things.
There is not enough space in comments sections to do justice to any words of mine that fly from a keyboard.
Re: "Some Of My Best Friends Are ..."
Vidda, I have read a great deal of what you have written on iBrattleboro. Read it and liked it, often very much.
I think it did me some good to analyze what you wrote before, and I’ll do it again … what you’re offering here is garbage. More elaboration on the “Some Of My Best Friends Are …” theme except now you go even further into “Some Of My Best Sex Partners Are/Were …”
Totally superfluous tripe. Borderline offensive to me as a non-Jewish person to read. Vida you’re “Letting It All Hang Out” here, and I don’t like the cut of what I see.
Need I offer, truly, that I and most others here don’t give a flying [anything] about what religion some of your sex partners are/were, whether or not or how they were circumcised, etc.? Or is your purpose, perhaps, to see how far you can go to trash one of our other subscribers’ good efforts at creative writing and relating a meaningful life experience? If so, you are Off, Off, Off topic, man. Period.
Go try to offend peoples’ sensibilities somewhere else.
“Most Others Here” ?
Protected speech isn’t an exacting defined freedom. It goes to say that with all of the standards, morals, likes, dislikes that we acquire along the way, some people will not like it. Should I be relieved that my sexual allusion was only “borderline offensive” to you? It makes me wonder just what “cut of what you like” you yourself would like see (this sentence is rhetorical.)
I will answer your “offer” by saying that ‘No, you may not say to me what “most others give a flying (anything)” about my comments. I am always interested in what you have to say, and have enjoyed a lot of your stuff as well. I prefer, however, that you let our “Most Others Here” speak for themselves and not funneled through your comments.
Moreover, I had no intentions of trashing Steven’s piece, but actually elicited responses from him through questions, which he did reply kindly to ‘flesh out’ his thoughts, as it were. If I had wanted to “trash” one of our ‘contributors’ on iBrattleboro, I would have taken a cue from you and used words and phrases like yours: “hopelessly confusing, falls flat, smacks of rank condescension, garbage, superfluous tripe, don’t like the cut of what I see, don’t give a flying [anything], go somewhere else, etc.”
Instead, Steven added, with or without my prompting, important connecting elements that I felt were left out in the original text. There was no originating conflict that gave rise to a resolution, but together the story and background gave a long ago example of police work gone bad and that would have tied it up nicely in today’s context. I urge him to do a rewrite, as perhaps a short story?
As far as my reply to ‘you’ goes, I have never thought of any elements of the consensual human sexual experience in any context to be offensive (with the exception of S&M, and even I would not try to suppress that). I have, however, too often encountered the deep run of religious people’s currents that react so strongly against it.
I don’t want you to “go somewhere else.” I want you where I can see you.
I enjoyed Steven's story..
It is an entertaining piece, with interesting characters.
Vidda asked a few questions, the kind of questions that would be asked in a creative writing class. But sometimes, the author isn’t trying to make some grand point, sometimes, it is what it is. The piece speaks for itself.
“There is not enough space in the comment section to do any justice to any words of mine that fly from a keyboard.”
While that is probably a factual, the statement is proof positive that Vidda has spent a little to long staring at himself in the reflecting pool.
Expressing my range through the dropdown menu
I don’t spend any more time at Fishboy’s reflecting pool than probably most others in this narcissistic species.
My words that fly from a keyboard widely range across many topics. They appear in different publications covering a variety of subjects.
On iBrattleboro, like the Reformer and The Commons, others and me have a valued venue to express that range through the Letter Box or here with the dropdown menu that writers use to identify the genre of their work.
Many of my story submissions and comments I make here are based in philosophy, OpEd, creative, nature , human behavior and others topics.
Your comment suggests that I have no topical variant, just myself. While I “reflect” on myself, I also “reflect” on that wide range of human experiences, in the context of “human behavior,” not necessarily, and certainly not just too “long staring at -himself- in the reflecting pool.”
you interpetated it wrong
“Your comment suggests that I have no topical variant, just myself.”
Wrong.
Your written pieces speak for themselves. Sure, you cover a lot of subjects, but you immerse yourself deeply in to every piece. Nothing wrong with that, that’s how you write and how you roll. But you also like to tweak and probe to get a reaction. Proof of that is your quip about mohels and enjoying “the cut.” I don’t think a comment like that would make it in a copy of the Commons or Reformer.
The forest for the trees
Newspapers like the Commons and Reformer are proprietary. Technically, they own the material published in their papers. iBrattleboro states very clearly that articles and comments are author owned and therefore the responsibility of statements fall to each individual writer. No such freedom of exists in our papers. Like the papers, iBrattleboro does reserve the right to remove entries, but very rarely do so with deliberative prior restraint.
I do use the technique of writing pieces that include myself in some articles, but those have an immersion spread that weaves the point to human behavior, nature, philosophy, etc. I’ve seen enough reader comments who clearly understand that.
Other articles do not use that ‘technique,’ such as my articles like Brooks House, Gendercide, Elm Street, Meatheads, Right Hand of Einstein, A Theory of Everything, Dog Eat Dog, The Suicide Tourists, The Uneven Power Dynamic of Community Policing and too many to list here.
I suspect the imbalance is yours, because your reactions to me are routinely funneled through that bias and as they say, you can’t see the forest for the trees…
Bottom Line ....
… you took someone else’s creative account and commented inappropriately, saying things that weren’t about the story or the writer, but about yourself and all your great NYC Jewish friends and sex partners, period. Borderline offensive, yes, but really much worse as drivel that no one else will care about.
There is no bottom line
The only bottom line I ever was aware of was the Bottom Line on Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village.
Even as Fishboy, my dear perennial protagonist said, and I quote, “Vidda asked a few questions, the kind of questions that would be asked in a creative writing class.“ Not to leave out his other comments, but he was essentially right about that. You, not SK-B, took umbrage at what I wrote and launched your 3 stage rocket in my direction.
My only comments to SK-B were directed at SK-B.
My comments to you…were directed at ‘you.’
I have a hunch that it was my oblique reference to the mohel’s beautiful craftsmanship that really set you off.
Now that my borderline offensiveness, yes, as you say, is now drivel, and that no one else will care about, I guess that settles it. It’s the bottom line.
About a week ago I logged in to inBrattleboro. Like many of us loggers I often check to see how many current users are on the site, how many guests were online. One morning I noticed that nearly 1,800 users were guests online with iBrattleboro along with several current users, including me.
I believe that Chris has reported up to 3 times that many guests (5 -7 thousand) and I thought, “That is a goodly representation of readership in Southern Vermont.”
Now, the notion that you, me or any one of them are the arbiter of what “no one else will care about“ must be damn hard to back up considering that 5-7 thousand guests on iBrattleboro is one hellava sample size.
Perhaps an overly emotional person can make the claim that what I say “no one else will care about” but no one with a rational head on their shoulders would say that. Anyone attempting to speak for 5-7 thousand people is indeed, irrational.
There is no bottom line, John. And, if there was, you surely are not in possession of it.
Your Only Defense is Freedom of Speech?
Vidda, you are copping the First Amendment, same as the Ku Klux Klan can do anytime.
We are free speech
Free speech is not a defense mechanism. Americans do not cop the First Amendment. We exercise it.
I made it clear to you that you simply do not the right to pick and choose the issues to be discussed in open forum.
Nor can you do the impossible and speak for everyone else’s mind. Those are forms of pathological tyranny.
Speaking of mohel’s, your central emotion here, is not like falsely yelling ‘fire’ in a theater causing panic, and falls well within the “extent to which free speech should be protected.”
As with my fellow Americans, I do not pose behind free speech.
We are free speech.
Defending Freedom of Speech
Exercising his right of free speech, one participant has made offensive remarks; and four participants, including John Wilmerding, exercising their freedom of speech, have expressed their distaste.
There is little sense in trying to reason with a fellow who writes that you can say what you like, but, “it means nothing to me.” And there is no need to try to convince others, because some of Vidda’s comments are so over the top as to make him seem like a caricature of himself.
What intrigues me the most
I specifically said to John only: “Now, you can attempt to analyze anything I write, but it won’t do you any good, and it means nothing to me“ in that one context, when I realized he had an emotional reaction to my oblique reference to mohel craftsmanship.
I bet Some people surely had to Google mohel to see what I was referring to.)
I have said on more than one occasion that what I like as much as the usual suspects (me being one) who make comments here, is not the few individuals who make them necessarily, but the readership on this site who are silent.
To date, there are 636 unique views of this site. It may be true that 4 people saw my comments with distaste and differing opinion. Nothing wrong with.
But, really, it’s the 632 silent readers I’m interested in. Throughout all the publications I submit opinion pieces to, the giant share of the readership are unknown to me, and me to them. That’s what intrigues me the most.
(I don’t think too many of the silent readers really think my comments are over the top, nor does my comment construe a caricature of any kind. But if all 636 readers agree with you, nothing wrong with that. It’s what free thought and speech is all about.)
For the record
I think that John Wilmerding’s comments are well taken.
Please be respectful
Vidda:
I am Jewish. I am not Jew. My friends – many of them – are Jewish. It shouldn’t be too hard for you to speak of others in a respectful tone, especially when you are speaking of groups of folks. Saying that someone once told you it was OK to say “Jew this” or “Jew that” doesn’t make it OK. The rest of us have figured that out. Now it is time for you to mind your manners and remember that hate has no place here.
Another fact. Just because some Jews practice their religion in a traditional manner and some in a more modern manner does not mean that some are Jews and some are non-Jew Jews. That kind of name calling is offensive and juvenile.
I think you may find that group stereotyping ( such as Orthodox Jews are generally….) is not a useful way to communicate in a public forum. Which is, perhaps, what folks are trying to tell you.
I have been civil where my accusers have not
Sender, I think you’ve veered a bit off course here. But, just to be sure, I reviewed what I wrote, and at no time did I intend, mean, say, write or imply anything “hateful, offensive, name-calling or disrespectful.”
Those terms are simply out of place with my comments. Your point that somehow I am hateful goes too far. There is no hate in my words or thoughts. In fact, I think I have been civil where my accusers have not.
It’s too easy for anyone to throw those words out if they feel they’ve been wronged. But that doesn’t give anyone the right to accuse me of intentional wrong, much less being hateful.
My experiences may be different than yours or anyone else’s, but I have a right to express them and if I think I’ve placed no intentional wrong on anyone, my comments as written remain.
I will drop the subject and read any other comments you or anyone might have. But I will not accept that I am or have been a hateful person. If anyone wants examples of what hateful really means they have several thousand years of religious history to read on the topic of hate.
The saddest thing is, the “greatest hate” in the world has been directed at women, who, thanks to Genesis, were turned in chattel, unclean people, coerced into second class citizens and segregated. Under patriarchy it is where misogyny is long engrained in the Jewish, Christian and Muslim histories, which dominate western civilization to this day. May I direct you to?: https://www.ibrattleboro.com/sections/oped/gendercide-social-pathology-kneeling-man-god-mythos
FWIW
The adjectival use of Jew, as in the phrase Jew boy, is now perceived as insulting; the adjective Jewish should be used instead. The verb Jew (down) is also perceived as offensive, because it perpetuates the stereotype of the shrewd Jewish moneylender or haggler. (Dictionary.com)
In some cases, some people may consider certain uses of “Jew” as a noun offensive as well.
I have been called “anti-Semite” on this very site for making that honest mistake.
Honest Mistake
Dear Tom,
I hesitate to write this on line because at this point I don’t want to stir the pot further.
I am sorry to hear that you were called an anti-Semite because of an honest grammatical mistake. I think the spirit in which something is said makes a world of difference. At a local meeting, one of our finest neighbors, an older gentleman, in describing a particular child referred to him as “a colored kid.” A politically-active African-American woman was sitting next to him, and she did not even flinch. Everyone knew that this man had not a trace of malice in his heart and I don’t think anyone had the heart to correct him, as he would have felt terrible.
There is a lot of sensitivity around the word “Jew,” probably because of historical context. No one thinks twice about a “Dutch Door,” but I’ll bet there would be raised eyebrows if someone were to refer to a “Jewish Door.” The reactions that Vidda’s observations about Jews were offensive, in my view, were not over formalities of lexicon, but because there was an unmistakable foul smell to his pronouncements. Had he simply said, “Jew” instead of “Jewish,” I think that, at most, a correction would have been appropriate. I think the reaction of John Wilmerding and others was to a consistency of contempt.
About 10 or 12 years ago, a client of mine used an anti-Semitic expression. I thought about whether to say something or not and decided that I should address what he said. So I told him, “I’m Jewish.”
He was mortified. He is a really nice guy, 76 years old at the time. I doubt that he was even thinking of Jews when he made the remark. Kind of like people saying, “gypped,” unconscious that it is a slur against Roma people (Gypsies). My client could not apologize enough. Six months after he and his wife had purchased a home, I went to visit him, just to say hello. Even then he was still apologizing, so much so that I felt embarrassed for ever having made him feel bad. Even though I had mentioned my being Jewish in a gentle, matter-of-fact way, the implied criticism hit him hard. He felt so bad that I truly regretted not having overlooked his original remark.
There is a world of difference between a good-hearted person who makes a mistake, and the type of individual who either revels in causing pain, or at best is obtuse.
SK-B
...some of you folks really just aren’t very nice
Submitted by SK-B on May 10, 2015
“I hesitate to write this on line because at this point I don’t want to stir the pot further.”
You then close your ‘Dear Tom’ letter with:
“There is a world of difference between a good-hearted person who makes a mistake, and the type of individual who either revels in causing pain, or at best is obtuse.”
I don’t question the veracity of your narrative but this letter honestly has a feel of being contrived and disingenuous to me, much more than being instructional. If you had left it framed as an illustrative piece of why you wanted to support your “I am sorry…” to Tom, there would have been nothing for me to say.
In review:: You know, sometimes, some of you folks really just aren’t very nice.
J'accuse!
Complete rubbish, no one called you a “hater” and only one person said you were “borderline offensive.”
If you don’t think your comments about Jews/Jewish people could be interpreted as offensive, you are delusional.
Oh course you are entitled to your opinion, but just be cause you have the right to free speech, it doesn’t mean your comments can’t be considered disrespectful.
As for being civil, as far as I see no one has violated the site’s policy.
Oh yes, your quip that we probably had to look up the word just shows the contempt you have towards anyone who dares to counter your opinions.
...they pull me back in
“Just when I thought I was out… they pull me back in.” ~Michael Corleone
Submitted by fishboy on May 10, 2015 “Complete rubbish, no one called you a “hater” and only one person said you were “borderline offensive.”
Submitted by sender on May 10, 2015 – 2:44pm “Now it is time for you to…remember that hate has no place here.”
Submitted by SK-B on May 10, 2015 – 10:06am. “Exercising his right of free speech, one participant has made offensive remarks“
Submitted by sender on May 10, 2015 “That kind of name calling is offensive and juvenile“
Submitted by JohnWilmerding on May 9, 2015 “Go try to offend peoples’ sensibilities somewhere else“
Submitted by JohnWilmerding on May 9, 2015 “Totally superfluous tripe. Borderline offensive to me as a non-Jewish person to read”
Submitted by JohnWilmerding on May 9, 2015 “Borderline offensive, yes, but really much worse as drivel that no one else will care about.“
RE: Look up mohel –
Submitted by fishboy on May 10, 2015 “Oh yes, your quip that we probably had to look up the word just shows the contempt you have towards anyone who dares to counter your opinions”
Submitted by Vidda on May 10, 2015 “I bet Some people surely had to Google mohel to see what I was referring to.”
[[ Fishboy, you really ought to try and read what’s written instead of just jumpin’ wumpin’ ]]
Postscript:
My words: “The distinctive race and class groups in NYC were sharply felt, but not necessarily in a bad way, more like instigating utter fascination of the humanity in those crossroads of the world called Manhattan. Of all the classes of people in NYC my Jew friends were some of my favorite (although, I was captivated by all manner of the human condition in that city)”
There’s no way this is a person who is hateful, disrespectful or offensive. Whatever anyone may feel about my retelling of an important part of my NYC life, to go on and characterizing those words, and therefore me, as hateful, disrespectful and offensive, is somewhat abusive and disagreeable to me. But more revealing, possibly some pretty insecure faithful out there.
If you disagree, or dislike my choice of words, then just disagree, but you don’t have to go off the wall defensive about it.
pot kettle black...
“If you disagree…then just disagree….but don’t go off the wall defensive about that.”
“You know, sometimes you people just aren’t very nice.”
My kettle is green with a cream lining
Without doubt, none of my comments were said in anger, and in no way abusive or “nasty.” Please use your reading skills to back up your contention that I’m a kettle calling the kettle black.
If you find any that I believe are nasty, I’ll rethink my view of them. If you don’t bother to look or simply do not reply, nothing wrong with that.
People, remember to take your medicine
Did you hear the one about the shipwrecked guy who washes up on a remote island? After he comes to his senses he finds he’s been take care of by some old focker, apparently the lone inhabitant of the island. This resident, the man who restored the suvivor—let’s call him Herb- says after a time, “Let me show you around…”
So they hop in a very primitive steampunk style kind of golf cart and start touring around…and all over amidst the lagoons, inlets and marshes are signs of prolific development. Tasteful, not garish, or overdone, but simple elegance… golf courses, compounds, parks, estates….And off in the distance a building stands more prominent than all the rest.
“Woaha what’s that place?”, the survivor asks Herb. “That’s my temple.” “Very Impressive.” They head over for a closer look. At the foot of the structure the magnitude sinks in. Not just grand, and ornate, but having a real feel for sacramentalized space. (whatever that means).
The survivor asks Herb, “What’s the deal here?”
“Vat do you mean?”
“You all alone on this island?”
“Yup”
“But all this building, this enterprise…?”
Herb with a shrug, “A guys got to keep busy.”
Suddenly the survivor sees a building off in the distance, even more impressive than all the rest.
“What’s that place?”
Herb, with a cock of the head and a fix of his jaw.. “That temple…I wouldn’t go there… if you paid me!”
An Essay on Criticism
“ Tis hard to say, if greater Want of Skill
Appear in Writing or in Judging ill,
But, of the two, less dang’rous is th’ Offence,
To tire our Patience, than mis-lead our Sense
Some few in that, but Numbers err in this,
Ten Censure wrong for one who Writes amiss;
A Fool might once himself alone expose,
Now One in Verse makes many more in Prose. ”.
An Essay on Criticism ~Alexander Pope