Originally posted by Marc Wisnosky:
You know, I had quite an interesting conversation with a young man from California a few months ago. He was telling me that he didn't know his ethnic background--in fact, few of his "white" friends did. His last name was Irish, fyi. He told me that when he moved to Hoboken, one of the first things people would ask when they met him is "what's your background."
Being from God's Country, aka the Land of Milk and Honey, aka Pennsylvania, I never realized how much we actually DO this around here.
Ethnic slurs are mostly jokes among my generation, but I know that if I go one or two back, they're not funny at all. I had a Linguistics professor chastise me for using "polack" one day in class; I said I was a "polack", so I was entitled to using it.
However, I'll agree that slurs and epithets of any kind are not charitable.
You know, Marc, how right you are! Here in the land of "milk and honey", or "the capital of Steeler Nation"
we not only discuss it more but seem to be bothered by it less than anyone.
I know what separates us, but I know what unites us - here, anyway. What that is - begins on July 28.
. I should have guessed Dr. Eric was the cause of this. One too many mint drinks they sip down there. 
