Email & Reply
The Email I Received:
From: Odd513 at aol dot com Date: Sun, 17 Mar 2002 18:06:21 EST Subject: your terrible New Jersey jokes! To: CmdrData at homebuilt dot org I think your jokes about New Jersey are awful. Or Data's jokes, whatever. First of all, you better be from New Jersey or that makes it in even worse taste. However, whether you're from New Jersey or not, the jokes are lewd, out of date and offensive, to Italian-Americans and New Jersey residents alike. They are also offensive to people who appreciate good jokes, "guaranteed to make me laugh"? Not quite. I respect your contribution to the U.S. Airforce, but are appalled at your offensive comments. New Jersey is a wonderful, diverse state, and Italians from Ancient Rome to the Renaissance to today, have made startling and enthralling contributions to Civilization, Western, in particular, Italian-Americans are included among these. Perhaps the real qualifications for living in New Jersey, should be,strength, intelligence and ingenuity. New Jersey does not smell foul, but you and you website certainly must, anyone who thinks such, stupid, simple-minded, and easy descriptions of New Jersey is bound to be out of touch with reality. New Jersey is steeped in rich historical contributions and its constant contrubitions and varied cultural diversity itself are a testimony to the very fiber of this country itself. Our first president George Washington knew New Jersey gifts early on, and said, "There is hardly a place I would rather be than this beautiful state by the sea that is New Jersey. The strengh of its citizens is equalled only in the strength of its tides. Long live this great state with its great contributions to our young country." I tend to agree. And with all the trouble of September 11, up to a third of the victims are estimated to be from New Jersey, this crisis has economically, but most importantly,emotionally, injured our state greatly. But like a wave or the tide, we rise up. You don't hear any jokes about N.Y.C. lately do you? Well, while that city who has suffered such a great tragedy is being spared from ridicule and treated witb kid gloves, do we not deserve the same respect? Why kick someone while they are down, imagine my surprise when looking for info on N.J. events to find your offensive site! I sincerely hope you did not mean to injure or offend. But you have, and your jokes do. You should remove these jokes from your website, especially now! why not instead look up one of the many books on New Jersey, Past and Present, and get some REAL information! I sincerely hope you will take my thoughts into consideration. Your's most truly and sincerely an Italian American and New Jersey citizen, resident, LOVER, as well as mayor.
My Reply:
(I tried to write a serious reply. But the ridiculousness of an American politician advocating a Facist view is too funny. The thought that someone would actually vote for this anti-freedom zealot sobered me up enough to attempt it.)
To: Odd513 at aol dot com
From: Michael Kraus
Subject: Re: your terrible New Jersey jokes!
Congratulations on finding exactly the website you were looking for. You are probably totally confused by that statement. Even though it is explained on my joke page index, let me elaborate for you personally. I've found that people who are easily offended like being offended. That's how they get their juices flowing. They are happiest getting on their soap box and telling off people who they think shouldn't be allowed to speak. So I suggest you bookmark this site. There are lots of things to get offended about. (BTW, you need to watch more late night talk shows and stand up comics, as well as read the editorial cartoons in the papers. There are lots of jokes about NYC to complain about now.)
As to New Jersey, I happen to live in New Jersey and love the state. I'm so close to all kinds of things. It's so central to a lot of historical places. Not to mention the beautiful parks. I love to go horseback riding along the Delaware river gap, or hiking in the many forests. There's a lot to love here.
However, the government here is so out of control I can't spend the rest of my life here. This is the most socialist state outside of Massachusetts and California I have been to, let alone lived in. It is so intrusive and abusive I'm disgusted that Americans would allow this to occur. The Founding Fathers would weep if they could see NJ government in action today. Of course, their genius was to set up a system where, if one state became too abusive, the residents could just leave and go to another one, vote with their feet so to speak. But I will miss New Jersey. I grew up in the east, but the freedom out west is too compelling.
Anyway, I will not be removing the jokes. Political Correctness is censorship and fascist. Having been to Italy over a hundred times, I can tell you, who have probably never been, that one in ten buildings still bears the scars of a couple of well known fascists. And in Sicily, one in a hundred is still abandoned and uninhabitable. I'm sure you're familiar with their philosophy, if not their work. You sound very much like them. Their names were Hitler and Mussolini.
If you were truly an offended American, you would simply ignore this site. But no, you had to try to stop it. You show your true colors. And they are not red, white and blue. But I will fight and defend your right to say it. Despite my loathing of your philosophy, I believe in your right to express it. I believe in it so much I put my life where my mouth is. I sure you're ready to put your taxpayer's money where yours is.
Michael
PS: This joke was given to me by a lifetime NJ resident. The reason I thought it was so funny is because it has a kernel of truth. NJ has more Superfund sites than any other. And I know people who are the stereotypical NJ residents from accent to attitude to appearance. They are a minority, true. But they are only found here. It's funny because these people actually exist, so only someone familiar with NJ would really appreciate it.
Only a maroon would read this joke and think that's it's anything other than a joke. Only someone who has more in common with the Taliban than America would try to silence something they are offended by. The difference is they used guns and swords to silence people, and you use words.
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Michael Kraus AIAA, EAA, AOPA
Webmaster of the Homebuilt Homepage http://www.homebuilt.org/
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