re: #25 Charles Johnson

When I was growing up, phrases like “don’t Jew me down” were very common. Everybody used it. I didn’t even realize it was a slur until one day when I said it without even thinking, and somebody read me the riot act about it.

Me too. Back around 2010 or so when I started my biz I had a small project. Went to an older guy’s house, he complained he couldn’t hear the speech from his TV. I noticed a mezuzah at his front door. I didn’t know it was other than I thought it was a Jewish thing as I had a client with some before. We were talking after business and he let me know he had a contractor come by for a consult. He mentioned the guy said something about ‘being Jew’d down’ and it turned him off. I didn’t sense anger, but it bothered him. I never really understood that kind of pain until that moment.

My wife used the term ‘gyped’ a few months later and I told her that was a slur against Gypsies. She was shocked, she never knew. We said that shit because we were taught it as kids. But we learn.