For Ben, What Being Jewish Means To [Elie Wiesel]

[Can't Wait]

Mr. McLeod:

"I see no point in making that an excuse for personal attacks."

Then, prior to that,

"Gee whiz, I sure hope its not about boring old poo-poo stuff like
the holocaust, 'cause that would make him a boring old fuddy duddy,
wouldn't it?"

What's interesting about the holocaust?  Round up a group of people,
kill em.  What's interesting about that?  I put it to you: what's
interesting about that?

I know what's interesting about the holocaust!  It's that I can open
up the New York Times Friday, September 29, 2000 and on page A14 see
a giant ad about idiotic moralizing godstuff from some little nerd
made famous by the holocaust (one escaped--how interesting):

Elie says:

"On that Day of Awe....nations and individuals, Jewish and
non-Jewish, are being judged by their common creator...

yadda yadda

To be Jewish today is to recognize that every person is created in
the image of God and that our purpose in living is to be a reminder
of God....

WOW.  yadda yaada

Judaism integrates particularist aspirations with universal values,
fervor with rigor, legend with law.  Being Jewish to me is to reject
all fanaticism everywhere."

I suppose 'all fanaticism everywhere' includes religious fanaticism.

Nobel Peace laureate to be,

cw






--- Ben McLeod <nohed36 at hotmail.com> wrote:
> From: "Can't Wait" <yayforgod at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Millison and Seeing the Holocaust EVERYWHERE
> 
> (snip)
> 
> >For me, I think Pynchon is far too interesting a person to ever
> place
> >something as uninteresting as the holocaust at the base of what he
> >knew was an historical literary screaming.
> 
>   Wow!  You know, I had some hipster freinds here in Wicker Park (I
> don't 
> anymore).  One evening we were drinking and chatting, getting
> revved up for 
> a real barnburner of a debate.  I was enjoying it, but made the
> mistake of 
> saying the word "nazi".  The room went quiet, and someone started
> talking 
> about web design.  An old pal pulled me aside.  "You know, it's
> kind of a 
> common knowldge rule, as soon as anyone brings up the nazis or the
> holocaust 
> or any of that crap, the conversation has just been killed.  No one
> wants to 
> hear it.  Just thought I'd let you know."
>   Gee, yayforgod, I think P's probably a pretty intersting person
> too.  And 
> it sure seem like he does a lot of 'thinking'.  Gee whiz, I sure
> hope its 
> not about boring old poo-poo stuff like the holocaust, 'cause that
> would 
> make him a boring old fuddy duddy, wouldn't it?  Just like all the
> other 
> folks who ramble on about 'boring' crud like long books full of
> words...  
> Y'know, I'm only killing time here til my Nintendo gets fixed...
> 
>   An aside-- I have enjoyed a lot of Millison's posts (not all),
> anf have 
> admiration for his scholarship.  I don't feel the holocaust is the
> central 
> theme, but I see no point it making that an excuse for personal
> attacks.
>   This stupid book has 760 pages, and we can have at _LEAST_ that
> many 
> opinions about it.  Pick a page.
> 
>   On with V!
> 
> Ben
>
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