[ApplegateRanch]

To: ApplegateRanch
As I said, not all Semites are Jews; not all Jews are Semites.
You wrote:

Antisemitism is a meaningless term, though still a great button-pusher. 117 posted on 03/06/2004 10:28:33 PM PST by ApplegateRanch

Are you will willing to withdraw that comment?

Which one? The first statement is true.

The second one, if you think I meant that I use it to push buttons, then it is totally not true.

Meant as I meant it, that it is all too often used recklessly to stir emotion, rather than promote rational discussion of a very real problem, it is true.

If we can keep the term "antisemitism" to the real, gut wrenching hatred it originally referred to, and not try to apply it to every percieved insult, THEN it will truely have meaning again.

As it is, it is being overused and watered down, and is fast losing the horror of what it really was; as that happens, the meaning also becomes lost on those hearing it.

What needs to be done is concentrate less on fast labeling, and more on the content and actions involved, and ending them; or punnishing those who continue doing them.

Thanks for putting it to me in a rational manner, so it can be discussed, rather than fought over.

[af_vet_1981]

Which one? The first statement is true.

The first statement is false. Antisemitism is not a meaningless term. It has a dictionary definition, which I linked from Antisemitsm. You are not being intellectually honest in this discussion.

an·ti-Sem·i·tism (nt-sm-tzm, nt-) n.
1. Hostility toward or prejudice against Jews or Judaism.
2. Discrimination against Jews.

You may not like the definition. You may want to erase it from memory and history but even on this night of Purim, it and the Jews are still here. You will have to live with that.

[Dataman]

If we can keep the term "antisemitism" to the real, gut wrenching hatred it originally referred to, and not try to apply it to every percieved insult, THEN it will truely have meaning again.

You are correct. Unfortunately for civilization, it will be a term used by men without consciences to destroy anyone of whom they disapprove, much like "racist," "sexist," and "homophobe."