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 Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 7:43 pm
I don't know what to do. gonk
The people at my school... they don't hate me because I'm Jewish, they just... look down on Jews or something. I mean, someone told me I had "jew blood" and no one has any inhibitions about telling Jewish jokes in front of me.
Does anyone have any advice for stopping this? I could tell them to stop it, but they'd probably just say, "Oh, I didn't mean it, it's just a joke."
Even if you have no advice, or if the thing to do is really just say, "STOP IT," it was nice getting this off my chest. Thanks.
Anyone else getting this type of thing at school? I know I saw a thread awhile back about someone who was considering taking karate...
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Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 7:52 pm
there are two approaches to take...one would be telling the people who make these "Jokes" how you feel about them and if that doesn't being calm then you go to the next level up the teacher, if the teacher does nothing, principle, then should that fail board of education with your lawyer and demand something be done
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Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 8:56 pm
Go up the chain of command, like Rabbit said, and if that doesn't work go to the press. I betcha that the school will come down real hard on those kids if a story pops up in a newspaper about them allowing anti-antisemitism. If they do say "it's just a joke" ask 'em if they'd make similar jokes about blacks to their faces, and if they say yes, go to the bloody press. If you're in an area where that sort of thing is tolerated and the press won't care, get in touch with a national paper (trust me, they'd love this sort of story).
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Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 9:35 pm
they eat those storied up!
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Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 9:42 pm
I would try to appreciate the humor value.
I work very hard at not being offended by anything anyone says, as I have the ability not to care about people's feelings anymore. I tell them like it is but do it in a way that their friends turn on them as well.
Keeping your wits about you is the first thing.
Besides, how old are your classmates?
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Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 9:49 pm
age doesn't matter! At a young age they should be taught that making such jokes are wrong, one time I had a manger tell me the worst joke ever
"My grandfather died in the holocaust, he fell off a watch tower"
tell what happens if she were to encounter this kind of remark? Ignore it? I think not
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Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 11:04 pm
To be fair, some jokes are pretty damned funny. I'm assuming that from what she posted, they're not being told in jest but in a racist (not the proper word, but whatever) mindset. See, when I tell a Jew joke, people laugh. When my friends tell a good Jew joke, I laugh. When a friend tells a Jew joke in poor taste, I point it out. When strangers start making Jew jokes in poor taste, they start getting in trouble.
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Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 11:04 pm
I don't believe in letting things lie or trying to find the humor in it. That is like saying, "I saw a landmine in a field. But I gave it wide berth--problem solved." People only joke like that because they don't identify with the person who is the butt of the joke. If the person joking doesn't identify... it's a short step away from dehumanizing the target and allowing (or actively seeking) worse things to happen. History demonstrates this again and again. And I'm not just beating the Holocaust horse, either. The Inquisition was no picnic, and most of us from the Pale (Poland, Ukraine, etc.) got there because we fled western Europe... where they were locking entire Jewish populations in their synagogues and burning the buildings to the ground in response to the black plague. I could go on with a zillion other examples. Silence leads to escalation.
One option not previously mentioned is to seek out a teacher or school counselor that you trust and explain 1) what is happening and 2) that you feel helpless to stop it. That adult could then act on your behalf to get some sensitivity/diversity programming going on at your school. There are some really great programs out there meant to address this very situation... and it sounds like your school doesn't have them going on. Hopefully the faculty and administration will be responsible and recognize this as a powder-keg situation. YOU may be sensible and well adjusted, and able to deal with this. But another person who is not well grounded could respond very badly to the kind of treatment you describe. That is a point that could be made to the trusted teacher, too.
Anyway, I always think it's a good idea to try and solve the problem using the "nice way" within the system first. It also takes the focus off of you... and you don't need the burden of trying to solve this yourself. If trying to enlist the infrastructure (teachers, administration) doesn't work, then it's time to think of more aggressive options, like documentation, media exposure, etc. And for what it's worth, if you are looking to violence to solve your problems (taking karate), that is 1) usually not a very safe choice, and 2) a red flag that sitting back and doing nothing is also not a safe choice. Well, that's just my $0.02, anyway. Your mileage may vary.
Fido
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Eloquent Conversationalist
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Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 8:02 am
I'd suggest asking why the joke is funny, when it's told. "Is that funny because Jews are so dirty and smelly? Is that funny because Jewish men aren't capable of making love to their wives? Is that funny because Jews are cheap? Is that funny because Jews control the media? Is that funny because Jews are rich? Is that funny because Jewish women are sluts? Is that funny because Jewish women are frigid?"
Jokes are funny for reasons. If you can pin someone down to saying the reason, they may realize why it's stupid, offensive, hurtful, and/or untrue. At that time, you can honestly say, "Well, if Jews control the world banks, I'd love to finally get my share, because as it is, I don't even know if I'll be able to pay for college. And if I can't go to college, how am I going to become the doctor or the lawyer that we all apparently become?"
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Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 11:37 am
I like what Fido and Divash said a lot.
If dispelling the "jokes" via the Divash method doesn't work, I would go through the Fido method.
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darkphoenix1247 Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 2:10 pm
Divash I'd suggest asking why the joke is funny, when it's told. "Is that funny because Jews are so dirty and smelly? Is that funny because Jewish men aren't capable of making love to their wives? Is that funny because Jews are cheap? Is that funny because Jews control the media? Is that funny because Jews are rich? Is that funny because Jewish women are sluts? Is that funny because Jewish women are frigid?" Jokes are funny for reasons. If you can pin someone down to saying the reason, they may realize why it's stupid, offensive, hurtful, and/or untrue. At that time, you can honestly say, "Well, if Jews control the world banks, I'd love to finally get my share, because as it is, I don't even know if I'll be able to pay for college. And if I can't go to college, how am I going to become the doctor or the lawyer that we all apparently become?" Agreed. I put up with a fair amount of stereotypical stuff at school, but I ignore it. If it's physically threatening, then you've got some major issues, but otherwise, martial arts should just be for fun/learning more than useful.
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Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 9:11 pm
How is that racist again? Hating one for race, not for religion and all other stuff that does not fall under it like economic class and such. Which would be prejudice. Sorry just I see this attached to Jews and I know of a group of people in Africa that claim heritage down the line from the the past of David is it as in his court? (No sure correct me on this, if you know the right answer.)
Now to the post. People hate people, because of who you are and you might hold something against someone also.
"Does anyone have any advice for stopping this? I could tell them to stop it, but they'd probably just say, "Oh, I didn't mean it, it's just a joke."
Don't assume they would do that. How well do you know them, also? Ask them, people are defined by actions not by, "ifs" or, "buts". I have been called Jewish, because I'm good at math and people thought I must be Jewish. once you get to know I was not that barrier breaks down.
Your over reacting. Talk to them before you want to fist them in the face.(I know you don't want to just saying from your thought of taking up self defense class.) Just because people say a joke about any religion does not mean they hate you and don't get flustered about it, just take it as it is and move on.
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Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 8:07 am
Maybe my advice wouldn't be too helpful, because I live in Israel and I've never really had to deal with anti-Semitism at school; however, I believe there are two options, and it very much depends on those people and why they are doing this.
Option number one would be to at least pretend you're not insulted and laugh about it yourself - this could cause them either to understand that you're not offended, so that if they are trying to offend you, it's probably not going to work and they'd stop doing this; or maybe it would change your approach a bit if you could laugh about it and not get too upset about stupid things people say - which is a good thing in general, but it just depends on what these people's intentions.
Option number two is probably to talk about it with those who are bothering you and making it clear that you don't really think it's funny. If they don't really MEAN to insult you and they're sensible people, it could work, but otherwise I wouldn't advise that.
Good luck. Sorry you have to face idiots. :/
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Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 9:40 pm
Baby White Rabbit-chan age doesn't matter! At a young age they should be taught that making such jokes are wrong, one time I had a manger tell me the worst joke ever "My grandfather died in the holocaust, he fell off a watch tower" tell what happens if she were to encounter this kind of remark? Ignore it? I think not Actually, the joke is a response to jewish jokes being said "That's not funny! My grandfather died at Auchwitz when he fell out of that gun tower!" Eh... I recommend ignore, or retalliate with other jokes.
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Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 2:19 pm
JUDAISM is not a race, its a religion. so nobody can be racist of you.
they can be anti-semitic.
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