I think Alan makes a very good point here that we should all be more
sensitive about...and not just as it applies to the term "Safety
Nazi." As a Divisional Solo II Safety Steward, I've heard that term
applied to me many times. Personally, I didn't care. I knew it was
said in jest.
Yet, as a broadcast journalist (read that "radio news guy") for more
than 25 years, and living in a community that's roughly 50 percent
black, I can understand exactly what he's saying. There are certain
terms and phrases that many of us take for granted. Yet they have a
very negative connotation to others. If we could all be just a little
bit more sensitive about the impact these terms have on others, and
eliminate them from our vocabulary, we might all get along a little
bit better.
And, before you ask, I'm not Jewish; even though my name might reflect
it. My grandfather was the last Jew in the family. My father was
Catholic until he married my Protestant mother and got booted out of
the church. So I grew up "Air Force Protestant!" But I also grew up
in an atmosphere where we might have a black family living on one
side, a hispanic family on the other, and an oriental family across
the street. All of us kids lived and played together. Our fathers
worked together. And we never gave a second thought to our neighbors'
ethnic or racial background. Yet we also, subconsciously, learned
alot about each others' culture through our daily interaction.
Perhaps, if more people could and/or would experience this type of
interaction from an early age, there would be far less turmoil in our
society today.
John (Old Fartz & TLS #37) Lieberman
Alan Pozner wrote:
>
> Gee whiz.
>
> I already replied privately to Paul but I guess what I thought would be
> obvious is not. Please do not be offended if I state the obvious:
>
> Were I a Jewish safety steward I would be very offended by being called a
> Nazi. I don't know how to make it any plainer. The Nazis killed 6 million
> Jews during WWII. Most Jews are horrified by anything to do with Nazis. So
> calling a Jew a Nazi would be deeply offensive. Since you don't know that
> all the safety folks aren't Jewish maybe you should avoid calling them
> Nazis.
>
> -Alan
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