"Capt. JG" wrote
Just don't try and tell me that it's ok to say whatever you like just
because we have a thing called free speech. ....

Obviously no one can tell you anything since you choose to remain forever
misinformed.

As a child I once come home sniveling that some other kids had called me bad
names. My wise grandmother quoted a childrens' verse "Sticks and stones may
break my bones but names shall never hurt me." The verse is absolutely
correct - no word(s) can hurt anybody unless the victim allows them to. I took
that to heart and was never hurt by names again or jokes again, ethnic or
personal. I'm sorry if the weak are hurt or offended by various innocous
phrases - not because of having voiced them but because of that persons'
weakness and the insecurity that causes him/her the pain. But that weakness is
self imposed.

Ask yourself why a phrase like "Jew down" offends you? Are you Jewish but
ashamed of it? Or perhaps you are so paranoid that you believe everybody hates
Jews? Might I suggest that you wouldn't be offended if you were *proudly*
Jewish and believed, as I do, that only nutcases hate any ethnic group.

Or are you so antisemetic yourself that you ascribe negative thoughts to the
word "Jew"? If so, do you think everybody is as antisemetic as yourself and are
ashamed of yourself and them? Perhaps counseling might help.

In any event, it is YOUR own hangups that are causing you discomfort.

Meanwhile, the world is full of ethnic jokes and phrases, most based on a grain
of truth. Why can't Italians drown? Cuz we're afraid of water and when we're
afraid we talk and when we talk we wave our arms like we were swimming. Why do
Polish have round shouldersand flat foreheads? Because they shrug when asked
that question then slap their forehead when they hear the answer. Why do NYrs
..... no that IS too dirty.

Too bad you can't enjoy them.