let's try to do nuance

[Michael Eisenstadt]

Jon and Pepi too,

Racial sense is a very complicated issue. For example, I have had 
4 or 5 black friends in two cities  (I am not counting Ed G as I never 
detected any friendship overtures from him to me poisonally) but there 
was always a wee tad something short of total ease in these friendships. 

Jews as such, identifiably jewish is got to be a stretch for a non jewish
person not to have some sense of racial difference. Or call it a 
recognizable otherhood.

Some never get over an imbued childhood sense of this.

Pepi threw us a bone. Its not only the jews who are the troublemakers
disturbing our peace, but their genetic cousins the Arabs are doing the
same. The fact that they are not genetic cousins doesnt need to enter
it. Unlike Bush, I am trying to do nuance. Poisonally I don't have a
sense of being a genetic cousin to anyone. Nor does Pepi. Nor do
individual Israelis. So what does this all boil down to? Somehow the 
Plowman sisters drank in some antijew racism in the course of growing 
up, not unknown even in this country (we all do in one way or another
about others) and it shyly peeps out when she speaks as she did 
about Israelis being reborn Nazis. Fits in neatly with general buddhist 
beliefs which like Protagoras' ruler are infinitely maleable.

Even if I know its there a little bit as regards folks "like" me, it 
doesnt make me like Pepi any the less. I enjoy her and her wit when 
I see her at the T & D Martinez' or at a party.

Best, 

Mike