... Kerry and trying to avoid the unnecessary infliction thereof. My point is that we should try to look at it in reverse. It can't hurt if you don't let it.

I grew up in a small town in New York with a mixture of ethnic groups (lot of German/Dutch, Irish, Jewish and Italian). Among us kids, there was a fair amount of ethnic hazing and I was often called a "dumb mick" or "shanty Irish" (never mind that if you go back to my great-grandparents, I am 1/8 Irish, 1/4 English, 1/4 Dutch and 3/8's German!).

I never let it bother me (my Dad used to say, "call me anything you want, just don't call me late for dinner"!). I was also short, so often a target for height jokes and names -- "shorty", "midget", "shrimp", etc. Didn't bother me, either.

In fact, you could even call me "stupid" without getting much of a rise out of me -- though even my best friend couldn't call my mother "stupid", which he did once. I jumped on him off the back stoop, knocked him down and pummeled his face until he went home with a bloody nose. The next day he had a pretty good black eye, which we used as an excuse to play pirate (he got to wear the eye patch). BTW, apropos of nothing except to comment on another aspect of decay in the nature of our society, the response of his parents was that he got what he deserved.

Occasionally, I'll complain about name calling here (just because I don't think it's a particularly civil or useful way to conduct a discussion), but I really don't take personal offense -- even when I'm called a "moron"!

I just think the world would be a better place if everyone had a similar attitude. Because, it would disempower (unempower?) those who try to exercise power/control over others through verbal abuse. There's nothing that will disarm a name-calling bully faster than just ignoring him.

Not just turning the other cheek -- but really MEANING it. I know that for some people that will not come easily, but still think we should all strive in that direction.

And this, I think, where there usually is not a high level of real personal animosity, would be a good place to work on it.

----- jim o\-S