I've only been reading and posting at Mudcat Cafe for a few weeks, but I now feel so sick at heart that I think it will be a long time before I return again, if I ever return.

First of all, my thanks to Mike Regenstrief for raising this issue. He said things that I've wanted to say whenever I've encountered people using terms like "folk Nazi."

I would also like to thank several contributors to this thread for their insightful comments: Praise, kat/katlaughing, Thomas the Rhymer, Hedy West, Jeri, Spaw, IvanB, Guest-Jew, Giac, balladeer, BDtheQB, Ebbie, bflat, CamiSu.

The Guest who suggested that the Jews get over their complexes about the Nazis was just an obvious anti-Semite hiding behind his anonymous cloak or bedsheet.

Certain other posters just seem to not want to understand why terms like "folk Nazi" are so offensive. The sub-theme of this thread about finding an alternative term with which to demonize those who disagree with you is disheartening to me.

One of the posts that is driving me away from the Mudcat Cafe was the one from Lena. She refers to the Holocaust, the most evil event in modern history, as merely the "hebrew tragedy" and asks for tolerance for those who would cheapen its memory.

I'm sorry Lena, but there's a subtext to your message that is not very different from that of the overtly anti-Semitic Guest.

And Callie, Mel Brooks is now on record as regretting his "Springtime for Hitler," song and theme in "The Producers."

"Hogan's Heroes" depicted the Nazis as bumbling fools. They were not. They were highly efficient in their genocide and came much too close to success in their quest for world domination.

I think that many Mudcatters have learned much from this thread. However, some of the other posters have not. Im sorry, but they have made it very hard for me to continue here, at least at present.

If anyone should wish to communicate with me privately, my email is fatlou@hotmail.com.

Sincerely,

Lou Melamed aka Groucho