To Jew down or not to Jew down, that is the question facing Trenton council members

[Behind the Aegis]

So Trenton Council president Kathy McBride said “Jew her down” in a closed door executive session, something we heard about and then confirmed thanks to The Trentonian’s crack investigative unit (Hi Isaac!). The Trentonian even has a recording of the statement in question.

McBride has - at least of this writing - refused to confirm, deny, or apologize for the remark, claiming whatever happens in executive session is information that cannot, by law, be disseminated. At least that’s what she told the New Jersey Globe, the online news organization helmed by David Wildstein, yes, the Bridgegate dude. (Honestly, that factoid is immaterial to the story, but the more you know, ya know? Anyway …)

---snip---

“It’s a ‘statement of speech,’ George Muschal told the Globe. “You know, it’s like a car dealer, they wanted $5,000, you Jew ‘em down to $4,000. It’s nothing vicious. The expression has been said millions of times.”

Oy vey.

Meanwhile, in an open letter posted on Facebook (of course), Councilwoman Robin Vaughn said, in part, “I believe her comment ‘Jew down’ was more in reference to negotiating not ‘I hate Jews.’ Inappropriate in today’s PC culture absolutely, but to Jew someone down is a verb and is not-anti-anything or indicative of hating Jewish people.”

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[unblock]

1. blatantly anti-semitic.

strange for the article to be downplaying it. i suppose there may be worse insults, but this is *obviously* anti-semitic.

it's not like some other bigoted expressions where the offensive origin is not immediately apparent. in this case, you know it's plays on a stereotype and against which group even if you've never heard of that expression or that stereotype before.

all the information you need is in the expression itself, you don't need to know any history or any origin story.

[Collimator]

2. The expression " I got gipped" is used to mean that one was cheated.

Its origin is from some really old idea about gypsies. If a modern person used it, I wouldn't accuse them of being racist, because the expression is really old and very few people are aware of where it came from. For that matter, very few people carry around very active feelings (of any kind) about gypsies.

Not so the use of "jew" as a verb. It's damn right obvious where it comes from and nobody can claim cultural ignorance. It oozes anti-semitism from its depths, no matter how thick the cooled layer of rock is above it.

I wouldn't use "gipped" because I know what I would be saying. Nobody should use "jew" if they can make any claim to a post-bronze age education. For the record, I also wouldn't use "niggardly", even though it is a perfectly normal word that existed before the ugly events of the African slave trade, because people hearing it would draw the wrong conclusion. So why stir up trouble unnecessarily?

Some people get worked up about the supposed tyranny of "political correctness". Why not just make an effort to be polite, respectful and caring? Also, consider expanding your vocabulary. . . Except in knowing a word like, "niggardly". Just 'cause you know it, doesn't mean you have to use it--unless you are 13 years old and like to think of yourself as some badass iconoclast.

[MurrayDelph]

8. I want to propose changing the pronunciation

from Jihpped to Gihpped, as in the Ronald Reagan character The Gipper, because if anyone should be associated with high-level confidence men (other than Trump), it would be Reagan.

[Skittles]

3. not acceptable

when a friend used that expression I said, "Jew me down? WTF - is it 1950?" I KNOW he's not a blatant bigot, but he seemed to have trouble explaining the situation without that expression.....unreal. They need to be called out on this crap, they need to know it is NOT ACCEPTABLE

[MicaelS]

4. My parents used that expression all the time.

This was back in the 60s. Never knew what it meant until much later in life.

[murielm99]

6. My parents would have slapped me if

I had said that. They explained the word "gypped" as well. We we not allowed to use that, either.

My parents were far from perfect, but they did try to limit bigotry.

[gay texan]

5. Havent heard that in a long time. N/t

[MarianJack]

7. Once several years ago, my wife and I were having a yard sale.

A woman said she was going to "jew me down" on some of my son's old stuffed items. My step mother, and hence my brother and sister were Jewish as was my Holocaust survivor great Uncle Felix. My father and four of my uncles fought the Nazis and one of my uncle's died at Normandy.

I told the woman that I wouldn't sell her anything specifically because she used that term. In short, even some fifteen years later after, FUCK HER!

I felt really good a little while later when a woman told me that her 11 year old niece was very ill and I bagged up all of the stuffed animals and gave them to her for free for the little girl.

People think that they can get away with this kind of shit because other people don't want to cause any unpleasantness. I don't care if there is unpleasantness for racist assholes.

My two cents, and quite possibly overpriced at that!

RESIST!

[MurrayDelph]

9. I vaguely remember David Steinberg

using the line "she wanted a thousand bucks, but I managed to presbyterian her down."

[Mosby]

10. Association of British Scrabble Players Updates Definition of 'Jew' as 'Offensive'

The Association of British Scrabble Players updated its guide to label the listed definitions of “jew” and “jews” as “offensive” after receiving complaints from British Jews.

Dave Rich, head of policy at the Jewish organization Community Security Trust, tweeted a screenshot of the association’s online dictionary, which defines “jews” as “to swindle” and “jew” as “to haggle, get the better of.”

https://www.algemeiner.com/2019/09/17/association-of-british-scrabble-players-updates-definition-of-jew-as-offensive/

That was so nice of them to do that.

[Paladin]

11. "In today's PC culture" MY ASS.

My parents taught me that "jew down" was offensive and plainly anti-Semitic, more than 50 years ago.

[Behind the Aegis]

12. Yes, the Phrase "Jew 'em Down" IS Antisemitic

I grew up with grandparents and parents whose memories I bless every day.  My grandparents, Eastern European Jewish immigrants, spoke fluent Yiddish, as did my father.  I miss the rich use of that language.  But there was one Yiddish word I came to detest.

It was the word “schvartze”. Literally, the word meant “black.”  But it was used in a way that had a most derisive and bigoted connotation.

My mother was a model of racial tolerance, and she absolutely refused to use the word “schvartze.”  When I heard people of my parents’ or grandparents’ generation use the word “schvartze,” I would object immediately. The greatest American hero of my lifetime was, is, and always will be Jackie Roosevelt Robinson.  His endurance and struggle against virulent racism on and off the baseball field was the leading inspiration for my involvement in the Civil Rights movement in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s.

As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once told former Brooklyn Dodger great pitcher Don Newcombe, it was the struggle and triumph of Jackie Roosevelt Robinson over the most virulent racism of white racist players and fans in the 1940’s and 1950’s that paved the way for King’s later triumphs in the civil rights arena in the 1960’s.  And I will always bless the memory of the late Dr. King as well for his firm and unwavering support for the survival and security of the State of Israel.

I had this in mind in September, 1969 when I took part in a civil rights march in downtown Pittsburgh protesting the local builders trade unions’ discrimination against admission of prospective African-American construction workers.

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[Stuart G]

13. As you said, "Oy vey" k and r

Last edited Fri Sep 20, 2019, 11:28 AM - Edit history (3)

Yes, there are people who say stuff like this...and the key is the following idea: These people are much too stupid to know that they are stupid.

...It is hard to believe, but there is a person who is President of the United States who is exactly the same as above...

Further, Yes it is offense to us Jewish people. But if this person had any part of a brain, even if it was a small part of a brain...She would have issued an immediate apology. Something like, "I was wrong to use that term in that way, I am sorry if I offended anyone and totally apologize for making that insensitive remark"
It would then be .........."all over.".....

or something like that...But this stupid idiot, doubled down, and defended the statement as did some others. Well..... STUPID IS WHAT STUPID IS

To be clear to all who read this...It is exactly the same for Jewish people like using the N word to describe Afro-American..... And this lady is an Afro-American if you look at the picture at the link below

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ more info:

In reading more info, I found out this lady is the leader of the Trenton City Council...and according to sources has already apologized for saying this. In a moment a link to an apology...
Here is a link to the story with a picture of the person with the apology issued on Tuesday..September 17. The statement was made on September 5..almost 2 weeks ago (12 days..took her 12 days to apologize)

https://www.trentonian.com/news/trenton-council-president-mcbride-apologizes-for-anti-semitic-statement/article_817180ba-d99e-11e9-973d-475cc8393c0e.html

[Stuart G]

14. Here is another story on this person's late apology, (along with 2 others who apologized)

Please keep this in mind,...It took 12 days for this person to issue an apology !!!!!

.Now, if someone who was head of a city council,......... and took 12 days to apologize for using the N word...how would that look? (we all know how that would look..).12 days to apologize?????....................proof that this person is really stupid and insensitive.......

.If it were a white person using the N word, the apology would be needed right away,,,and still the person using it..would need to resign....The Afro-American Community would force a resignation even if the apology was the next day.................
Here is the link to the apology:

https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/NJ-Politician-Apologizes-for-Using-Anti-Semitic-Trope-560739741.html

[yellowcanine]

15. "Jew down" , Indian giver" & "gypped" are all offensive.

And sorry to say but we used them all as kids without a peep of protest from my mom.