Jews Your Words Carefully
Snide Remarks #643
"Jews Your Words Carefully"
by Eric D. Snider
Published on September 19, 2011
You know how sometimes you're not really paying attention when people are talking, and you wind up misunderstanding them? For example, there was the time I was at lunch with my mom, and I thought she told me I was born by cesarean, when what she actually said was that she was going to have a Caesar salad, and she wished she'd had an abortion. Totally different.
That type of miscommunication can lead to awkwardness, but it's usually easy to resolve simply by asking for clarification. Unless you're the type of person who refuses to admit being wrong, that is! Then it can lead to outrageous situations like almost getting a Jewish professor fired for being anti-Semitic.
This happened last week at York University in Toronto, in a class called Social Sciences 1140: "Self, Culture and Society." The professor, Cameron Johnston, who's taught at York for more than 30 years, was explaining to the students that the course would focus on facts rather than opinions. Not all opinions are equally valid, he said. Some opinions are foolish and dangerous. For example, he said, it would be unacceptable to hold the opinion that "all Jews should be sterilized."
Among the 450 students in Johnston's class was Sarah Grunfeld, a 22-year-old senior. For whatever reason, she didn't hear the context of Johnston's statement. The only part she caught was "all Jews should be sterilized." She thought Johnston, who is Jewish, was giving his own opinion. According to the Toronto Star, she stormed out of the room -- in a huff, one assumes, though the article doesn't specify -- and went straight to a campus Jewish advocacy group, which then sent press releases to the news media calling for Johnston to be fired.
Fortunately, once Johnston explained that Grunfeld had misunderstood him, everyone said, "Ahhh, OK, gotcha. That makes sense. Sorry about that!" Everyone except Grunfeld, I mean. Rather than acknowledge her mistake, Grunfeld took a page from Michele Bachmann's playbook and doubled down on it. She said:
"The words, 'Jews should be sterilized' still came out of his mouth, so regardless of the context I still think that’s pretty serious."
Well, guess what, stupid? The words "Jews should be sterilized" just came out of your mouth, too. If context doesn't matter, then you're as guilty as he is. And whoops! Now I've said it as well! It's OK for me to say it, though, because I actually believe it. I hate the Jews so much!
Just kidding. I do hate the Jews, but I don't think they should be sterilized. Then I wouldn't have anyone left to hate!
Just kidding. There would still be the blacks.
Please note that no one blames Sarah Grunfeld for not paying attention to her college professor. Have you been to college? It is boring. This class, in particular, sounds deadly: "Social Sciences 1140: 'Self, Culture and Society.'" It sounds like one of those bogus university courses that you take because it fills a general ed requirement and everyone says it's an easy A, where all you do is watch clips from movies and write a couple papers about how "The Wire" reflects society's changing views about the war on drugs, or whatever.
But the difference between Grunfeld and a normal person who isn't paying attention is that if a normal person thought she heard a professor say that all Jews should be sterilized, she would pause to consider whether she had misunderstood, not run immediately to the news media. Here is the thought process a normal person would have.
- Did he really say the words "all Jews should be sterilized"? Could I have misheard? Maybe he said, "All juice should be pasteurized" or "All shoes could be weaponized." Or maybe he was stressing the importance of saying "bless you" when someone sneezes: "Ah-choos should be recognized."
- OK, so I'm positive he said "all Jews should be sterilized." College professors have been known to say some crazy things -- I once heard one say that William Faulkner can be read for entertainment -- but this is uncommonly crazy. Was he quoting someone else? Was he giving an example of something you shouldn't say? Is he having a stroke?
- There are 450 other students in this lecture hall. Do any of them appear to be bothered by what was just said? Is anyone else preparing to storm out of the room? Is there a general outcry against our professor's flagrant anti-Semitism? No? I'm the only one? Hmm. I must have misunderstood somehow. I will investigate this after class.
Like I said, though, that's a normal person. Sarah Grunfeld got to that last part and concluded that not only was her professor calling for the enforced sterilization of all Jews, but that she was the ONLY student among 450 -- at a university with a large Jewish population, mind you -- who was offended by it. She alone would have to stand against the tyranny of the professor she wasn't listening to!
After the Internet learned of the story and made fun of Sarah Grunfeld for being an idiot, she got B'nai Brith Canada to release a statement reasserting her position. Quote:
"I stand by my initial concern brought to the University's attention immediately after the incident that when Professor Cameron Johnston made the abhorrent statement in his class that all Jews should be sterilized, he failed to qualify the statement clearly as an unacceptable opinion held by others. His delivery of this statement, made in a class of 450 impressionable students, was offensive to me and to others in the room."
It is interesting that none of these "others" who were offended said anything about it. You'd think Grunfeld would have asked some of them to back her up after her account was called into question, or that they'd have come forth on their own when they saw that their evil anti-Semitic Jewish teacher was getting away with being an evil anti-Semitic Jew. But no, they have remained silent, and nonexistent.
Sarah Grunfeld's statement also makes it clear who the real victim is here: Sarah Grunfeld. She's hurt by the fact that the university, after initially being on her side, has reneged on its promise to make Professor Johnston apologize. Sure, it's because they learned the truth and realized no apology was necessary. But why should that matter? If there's one thing Grunfeld is sure of, it's that learning the facts is no reason to change your mind about something.
"It has been a very painful experience for me to see how the university has closed ranks and reneged on its assurances to me," she said. "I understand that there may have been a miscommunication, but any miscommunication was on the part of the professor, not me."
Grunfeld is a martyr for her cause. The fact that no one will defend her is chilling. We all remember this sobering statement:
First they came for the dumb students who fall asleep in class and make hilariously false accusations against professors, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a dumb student who falls asleep in class and makes hilariously false accusations against professors. Then they came for the students who think that being in favor of marijuana legalization is the same thing as being politically active, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a student who thinks that being in favor of marijuana legalization is the same thing as being politically active. Then they came for the students who consider themselves experts on economics and public policy because they have read "Atlas Shrugged," and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a student who considers himself an expert on economics and public policy because he has read "Atlas Shrugged." Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak out for me, because everyone had been sterilized, by the Jews.
This item has 34 comments
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stumpymccripple says:
September 19, 2011 at 4:04 pmThe best take-down of this halfwit I've seen yet, Eric. Bravo.
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Susan says:
September 19, 2011 at 4:07 pmHow nice of the local B'nai Brith to devote this time to this very special snowflake. Because, really, that's the best use of their limited resources.
I mean, it's not like this is the university where, just two years ago, Jewish students were forced to take refuge in the Hillel office as anti-Israel protesters banged on the glass doors, chanting, “Die, Jew, get the hell off campus," right? Oh, it is?
Yeah.
Priorities, people. Priorities.
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Lane says:
September 19, 2011 at 4:10 pmMom stopped reading your articles years ago, Eric.
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Richie says:
September 19, 2011 at 4:28 pmBest Snide Remarks in a long time!
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JZ says:
September 19, 2011 at 4:38 pmSusan, the sayings: "Die, Jew, get the hell off campus" were never said. This was just another exxaggeration made by Zionists trying to stir up hysteria.
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mommy says:
September 19, 2011 at 5:08 pmI love that in the article she also calls into question his herritage...is she unaware that it can fairly easily be known if he is jewish?
I wonder how she'll do with getting a job once she graduates? she would be great working with peta.
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Tom says:
September 19, 2011 at 5:20 pmOff the subject, did anyone listen to the audio version of this column and notice that Eric recorded it ten years ago? No matter. I myself have misdated a check occasionally.
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Sean says:
September 19, 2011 at 7:08 pmThe best part is that this thread is about to devolve into a flame war about Israel.
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Momma Snider says:
September 19, 2011 at 7:32 pmI'm glad Eric pointed out that I would never order a Caesar salad.
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Ang says:
September 19, 2011 at 8:06 pmThe whole article is beautifully done, but that last paragraph is especially lovely. I agree with mommy that Sarah Grunfeld would make an ideal employee for PETA. And Eric's mom makes mr happy.
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corned_beef says:
September 19, 2011 at 8:20 pmHa! Momma Snider with the zinger!!!
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Latauro says:
September 19, 2011 at 10:31 pmI'm not sure which I love more: this article, or Momma Snider's comment. Awesome.
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MattW says:
September 19, 2011 at 10:46 pmI see The Wire has already entrenched itself in your brain. It's good, innit?
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Shona says:
September 19, 2011 at 11:00 pmYou nailed it there in the middle of the article. My husband and I were discussing this the other night and I told him that had I been in her shoes, realizing that my professor had just said, "All Jews should be sterilized", my *first* assumption would be that I had missed something, that my professor couldn't possibly have meant what he just said, and that I need clarification *right now*!
But this girl's first assumption is that her seasoned professor, in a university-setting, in front of hundreds of people, unabashedly declared an opinion so outrageous that it would negate all of his credibility as a semi-decent human being, never mind a respected professor. Am I totally naive, or would the average North American have a hard time encountering such an opinion in their day-to-day activities? Run-of-the-mill anti-Semitism, sure. But "All Jews should be sterilized"? Don't you have to _seek out_ opinions like that online or something in order to come across them?
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Th. says:
September 19, 2011 at 11:25 pm.
The comments here make me fear for humanity.
This page makes me feel a little better.
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Chall says:
September 20, 2011 at 12:27 amSeveral years ago, my friend was telling me an intense story of her travels back to Utah after Christmas. She and her husband were driving late at night and hit some “black guys.” She didn’t even pause there. She just kept talking, but I don’t know what else she said. I was in shock!!
You hit some black guys?? Did you even slow down, much less pull over??
Turns out she said black ICE.
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Braden says:
September 20, 2011 at 2:46 amChall, I hope you aren't still friends with those racist murderers.
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Rob D. says:
September 20, 2011 at 5:04 amI'm thinking Eric's mom should have a monthly Mommasnide Remarks. Not replacing Eric's weekly column but just as an extra. I think we can probably raise like 500 bucks for that!
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Lowdogg says:
September 20, 2011 at 7:26 amGold. The last paragraph is great. And I love Atlas Shrugged.
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Jacob says:
September 20, 2011 at 7:51 amWhy hasn't anyone started making fun of Ms Sarah for being a senior in a freshman course?
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Clumpy says:
September 20, 2011 at 9:12 amJust a great column all around, filled with little touches that make me laugh: ". . . write a couple papers about how "The Wire" reflects society's changing views about the war on drugs, or whatever." I love it when he really has a lot of time to give to one of these.
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Steve says:
September 20, 2011 at 10:55 am@Jacob: because it's not an uncommon practice to spread your general ed requirements out over the course of your undergrad career so that as a senior when you can have, say, three heavy-duty classes and two light ones instead of five heavy-duty classes.
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The Cotton Floozy says:
September 20, 2011 at 11:59 amWay to fight the stupid with hilarity, Eric! But really Momma Snider for the win!
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khia213 says:
September 20, 2011 at 12:24 pmIn an early morning astronomy class, my dozing African American roommate woke up to scream at the white professor, "Oh hell, no! You did not just say that!" I pulled her back into her seat and told the prof to ignore her. Unfortunately, what my roommate thought she heard was "Black hoes." Do I have to tell you that the topic was "black holes?"
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Richard Strelitz says:
September 20, 2011 at 12:26 pmGreat piece, but wit is not an antidote for stupidity, nor are facts a cure for malice. So can we cite this as another case of "the person who cried wolf(owitz)"?
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aaron says:
September 20, 2011 at 12:48 pmThis SR is gold. Solid gold.
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Karen says:
September 20, 2011 at 7:51 pm@Richard: No, wit isn't an antidote for stupidity, but you know what is? Sterilization! ;)
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Michael says:
September 20, 2011 at 8:50 pm"All Jews should be sterilized." Spoken by a 22 year old college campaigning to have her Jewish professor fired.
Context is a wonderful thing.
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aaron says:
September 21, 2011 at 2:31 pmOh, and I'm glad I listened to this particular Snide Remarks. Eric's reading of Ms. Grunfeld's voice is great.
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DrakeBob says:
September 21, 2011 at 4:51 pm"All Jews should be sterilized." Spoken by a 22 year old college campaigning to have her Jewish professor fired.
Oh my God, it's horrifying how that statement is 100% correct and completely inaccurate. If she hadn't tried to jeopardized an innocent man's career, this would be a great hypothetical teaching example for an English class (or a statistics class, or a journalism class, or a political science class, or any other class where it's common for people to take things out of context to prove some sort of point).
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Russ says:
September 27, 2011 at 12:58 amThe saddest part is this:
"when Professor Cameron Johnston made the abhorrent statement in his class that all Jews should be sterilized, he failed to qualify the statement clearly as an unacceptable opinion held by others. "When paired with this:
he said, it would be unacceptable to hold the opinion that "all Jews should be sterilized." -
Q says:
September 29, 2011 at 2:49 pmI'm just lazy and/or from California, but even if I thought he said it I would just think to myself "wow, that guy is nuts. what's for lunch?"
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stone says:
September 29, 2011 at 9:19 pm"The words, 'Jews should be sterilized' still came out of his mouth, so regardless of the context I still think that’s pretty serious."
Anyone else think of 'Life of Brian', the stoning scene where anyone who uttered 'Jehovah' got stones thrown at them?
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Chrissy says:
April 25, 2012 at 4:21 amStill one of the best columns of all time. All the blatant lies and racist jokes... Love it.
Copyright © Eric D. Snider.
This work may not be transmitted via the Internet, nor reproduced in any other way, without written consent from Eric D. Snider.
Notes:
Since my mom is going to post a comment reassuring you that the joke in the first paragraph has no basis in fact whatsoever, I'll save her the trouble by reassuring you of that myself.