He isn't an anti-Semite. He's right.

[Behind the Aegis]

Micheal Ray Richardson said Jews are 'crafty' and adept at security. Correct on both counts.
By Zev Chafets, ZEV CHAFETS is the author of "A Match Made in Heaven: American Jews, Christian Zionists and One Man's Exploration of the Weird and Wonderful Judeo-Evangelical Alliance."
April 3, 2007


UNTIL LAST week, Micheal Ray Richardson (that's how he spells it) was slightly famous for having once told a sportswriter that his team, the New York Knicks, was "a sinking ship." When the writer asked how far the ship might sink, Richardson replied, "The sky's the limit."

That remark, however, wasn't what got Richardson into trouble; repeated drug use did. He wound up banned from the NBA, a vagabond basketball player in Europe. Lately he has been making a comeback as coach of the Albany Patroons in the Continental Basketball Assn.

But the comeback hit the skids on Wednesday. Once again, sportswriters were involved. Asked about his contract negotiations, Richardson said he didn't expect problems because "I've got big-time lawyers. Big-time Jew lawyers."

Alarmed, the reporters warned Richardson that his words could be considered insulting because they fit the stereotype of Jews as crafty and shrewd.

more...

[villager]

1. Oy!

We need an "oy!" icon for stuff like this...

[asthmaticeog]

2. .

http://www.muller-godschalk.com/jewish.html

[redqueen]

7. Hah!

Thanks!

[Behind the Aegis]

4. LOL!

Sad, when Jews, reinforce anti-Semitism.

[rockymountaindem]

3. Odd

I don't know. He might want to try saying the same thing in a more gentle manner, but I don't think he meant to be offensive. If somebody said that to my face, I'd say "thanks for your appreciation, but don't go bandying about the word "Jew" quite like that, some people might not like it". I've faced worse misstatements around my old high school, but I know who's being hateful and who's not.

[Behind the Aegis]

6. I understand what your saying.

However, bigotry is bigotry, accidental or not. Yes, the intention is also important, but reinforcing bigoted stereotypes, accidental or not, is still problematic.

[rockymountaindem]

9. Yes. But it's important to make that distinction

Instead of coming down hard and calling him a bigot etc. I think somebody should gently point out to him that what he said could be interpreted as bigotry and maybe to put his appreciation for Jews in a better context or just let some things go unsaid. I wouldn't call for an apology, just a promise to think things out more clearly. I hold no animosity in this case.

[Behind the Aegis]

10. While the distinction is important, it is still bigotry.

I do understand what you are saying. I am not calling for any action (I always hated the apology route). However, as I said before, accidental or not, it should be exposed for what it is, bigotry. If he holds those beliefs, then he is a bigot by definition. To be honest, I am more "upset" by this article than I am by the initial action. The very fact that a Jew would reinforce these stereotypes as some sort of "truth" sickens me to no end. The worse anti-Semites, IMO, are those who are also Jewish.

[azurnoir]

5. My gosh

he sounds just like Peter Griffin "I've got big-time lawyers. Big-time Jew lawyers."
Happy Passover
K

[TheBaldyMan]

8. adept at security? you mean the crackerjack job Israel is doing on the West Bank & Gaza.

you are kidding right?

Erm ... no they are absolutely lousy at security, they are rather good at fucking things up worse and making peace less likely. They can't outmanuoevre a bunch of looneys that indulge in suicide bombing, that is a pretty poor performance.