Reader Mail, 12/23

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December 23, 2002

(Page 9 of 13)

You write, One thing you can say for anti-discrimination groups: By their very existence, they negate the idea of America as a homogeneous, or even harmonious, society.

1. Tell me Tim, did your family: brothers, sisters, father, mother, cousins, uncles, aunts, grandparents never argue? And argue hotly? Still, I'd say my family is very harmonious and loving. And America too, all 200 plus million of it.

2. Notice you don't mention the Scandinavian, German, Dutch (and by the way the Pennsylvania Dutch were German, the Dutch just Dutch), Belgian, Luxembourgeois, French, Swiss, Czech and Hungarian anti-defamation fights. Their origin countries are at relative peace. PEACE. They're not involved in WARS.

All the nations of which you spoke: Indian, Irish, Pakistani?, Israeli and Arab are countries engaged in overt war. WAR! As for the Polish and the Italians? The Polish massacred the Jews (last massacre of 46 AFTER World War II on July 4, 1946 in Kielce. And some Italians (should I specify Sicilians?) did thrive for a while killing each other and other Americans (war). The Sopranos and Godfather and Goodfellas are not all fiction. And who made or directed much of them. Italians.

Clint Van Dusen
Pittsbourgeois English-Dutch-French American
E PLURIBUS UNUM

Why Macedonian jokes never caught on

Unlike members of ultra-sensitive ethnic groups, as a Macedonian Canadian, I am promoting the concept of a "Macedonian Joke" section for Reason Online. Here are two examples:

1. Macedonian Priest and the Jewish Tailor

A long time ago in Macedonia, a Jewish tailor moved into a village and opened a shop but was disappointed when he received no customers. He talked to the local Orthodox Priest who told him that it was a very religious village and he would get no customers because he was a Jew.

Sensing a once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity, the Priest said that if he converted to Christianity, then his business would flourish since the villagers had to travel far to go to a tailor. The tailor learned what was involved and agreed.

The tailor became very wealthy because, not only did he get all the business from the village, but curious people from all around came to see him and do business.

The Priest became very famous for converting a Jew to Christianity and was promoted to a Bishop.

One Friday when, the newly promoted Bishop visited the village, he passed the tailor's house and noticed the smell of lamb being cooked, which at that time was still prohibited. He knocked on the door and explained that it was not allowed eat meat on Friday and that Christians should eat fish. The tailor assured the priest that he knew the rule and that he was cooking fish. The frustrated Bishop said that he could smell the lamb. The tailor took the Bishop to the stove and opened the roasting and said "See, its a fish". The Bishop was furious and screamed, "I can see with my own eyes that it is a lamb".

The tailor then responded that it used to be a lamb, however, he prayed and made a cross three times over the lamb and it became a fish.

2. War in Ancient Macedonia