The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #79324   Message #1445296
Posted By: Nerd
28-Mar-05 - 12:07 AM
Thread Name: BS: A discussion - What is antisemitism? .
Subject: RE: BS: A discussion - What is antisemitism? .
I don't buy it, LH. It's easy to say lots of things without stereotyping, and if you don't do it people won't accuse you of it. CarolC alluded to "the way Native Americans view justice" and "the way Native Americans do business" as if

1) there was a homogeneous "Native American community"

and

2) all people within that community had the same ethics, morals, and business practices; and these practices were just and fair.

This is a stereotype, albeit a positive one. Many people now believe that Native Americans have special spiritual gifts and are always just, fair, close to nature and all that complex of stuff. It is a well-known sterotype, often commented on in popular culture. I am not making it up. They did a great send-up of it, for example, in South Park in an episode where people were following the kooky medical advice of two people they thought were Native American. When they found out the people were actually Mexican, they were horrified. (Never mind that Mexicans look like they do because they are descended from native Americans).

If CarolC had said, "in all the business I have had with Native Americans, they have been fair," this would not have been stereotyping. But to say "if you think Native Americans might be unjust, then you just don't know Native Americans" is pretty obviously a stereotype.