# I would like to apologize to the Jewish people...the rest of you are on a case-by-case basis

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-to-apologize-to-the-jewish-people-the-rest-of-you-are-on-a-case-by-case-basis/691675>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [June 26, 2014, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-to-apologize-to-the-jewish-people-the-rest-of-you-are-on-a-case-by-case-basis/691675 "2014-06-26T07:18:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 15\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-to-apologize-to-the-jewish-people-the-rest-of-you-are-on-a-case-by-case-basis/691675/41 "2014-07-11T01:20:37Z")

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Thanks, Leo.

OK, look, I’m sorry I was being an ass a few weeks ago. I kind of exiled myself from the boards until 1) I could emotionally deal with the mess I made, and 2) the shit storm died down.

Today I went to see if there was any spillover onto the Giraffe Boards, and there was a little, in the middle of a long thread about how we’re all stupid to keep using the SDMB or something. (e\_e) I guess that convinced me that I have to do something about my reputation instead of just washing my hands of the board. Now I’m trying to come back and _actually_ apologize for being kind of a troll jerk.

Anyway, yeah, I don’t think people got that I was making a joke about the sorts of people who “apologize to the Jewish community.” THE THREAD TITLE IS A JOKE, GUYS. (Apparently a _bad_ joke.)

Real apology: I’m actually sorry about _this_ thread, it’s freaking embarrassing.

Real truth: Not in actuality sincerely anti-Jewish/anti-Semite. How could I even be? I mean, what? I grew up on (randomly selected out of a very long list of Jewish influences) lots of Isaac Asimov stories, and Marc DeMatteis comics; it’d be like cutting out part of my brain.

The original crack in the Gary Oldman/Mel Gibson thread is based on a misconception I had back in '03/'04 that somehow the USA’s invasion of Iraq was serving some kind of political interest in Israel instead of the USA’s interests. Apparently that was some kind of voodoo shark in my head, and it led to a hot mess. OK, guess I was the only one who thought that. Never mind, ignorance (or in this case delusion) fought.

Somehow that turned into people calling me out for me saying that certain Zionist biases are prevalent in US media (which should be obvious) Maybe you get different media where you are? Or are we pretending that Zionist is a bad word now? Whatever.

And then my supposed belief that Jews are all a hive mind or something? What? I dunno. I’m not as stupid as you seem to think?

Whatever, I have been an ass lately in general. Sorry.

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**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-to-apologize-to-the-jewish-people-the-rest-of-you-are-on-a-case-by-case-basis/691675/42 "2014-07-11T01:29:19Z")

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Oh, good lord. Why did I bother.

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**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-to-apologize-to-the-jewish-people-the-rest-of-you-are-on-a-case-by-case-basis/691675/43 "2014-07-11T13:14:17Z")

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> [@foolsguinea](#):
>
> OK, look, I’m sorry I was being an ass a few weeks ago.

You need to take the word being out of that sentence. Because you’re still not getting it.

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**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-to-apologize-to-the-jewish-people-the-rest-of-you-are-on-a-case-by-case-basis/691675/44 "2014-07-11T14:03:33Z")

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But he _loves Asimov_, you guys!

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**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-to-apologize-to-the-jewish-people-the-rest-of-you-are-on-a-case-by-case-basis/691675/45 "2014-07-11T16:26:24Z")

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I had to go to Wiki to see if Asimov was Jewish because I didn’t know that. I think I learned too much though. His parents owned candy stores. Now it’s all starting to make sense.

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**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-to-apologize-to-the-jewish-people-the-rest-of-you-are-on-a-case-by-case-basis/691675/46 "2014-07-11T16:53:29Z")

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I didn’t know either. Nor have I cared, until now. Damn you all!

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**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-to-apologize-to-the-jewish-people-the-rest-of-you-are-on-a-case-by-case-basis/691675/47 "2014-07-11T17:54:29Z")

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> [@foolsguinea](#):
>
> Real truth: Not in actuality sincerely anti-Jewish/anti-Semite. How could I even be? I mean, what? I grew up on (randomly selected out of a very long list of Jewish influences) lots of Isaac Asimov stories, and Marc DeMatteis comics; it’d be like cutting out part of my brain.

This is honestly the most bizarre “I’m can’t be prejudiced/racist/sexist because…” I’ve ever seen.

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**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-to-apologize-to-the-jewish-people-the-rest-of-you-are-on-a-case-by-case-basis/691675/48 "2014-07-11T21:18:10Z")

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Is there an appendage next to non-apology in the wiki? If not, we could link to here.

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**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2014, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-to-apologize-to-the-jewish-people-the-rest-of-you-are-on-a-case-by-case-basis/691675/49 "2014-07-15T08:24:06Z")

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OK, I tried.

I am not an anti-Semite. I am trying to be honest here, and every time I try to explain things I somehow say the wrong thing and only make it worse. Except, of course, it doesn’t matter what I say, does it? You just have your preconceptions and auto-responses.

And what terrifies me is that until recently I was the same way.

**I am now an anti-Doper.**

Now that I have been on the receiving end of this bullshit I am sorry I ever joined in on any of your little Orwellian hate games.

This has been a learning experience to be sure.

“Good-bye,” would be too nice for you shitstains, so I’ll go with, “May your deaths be excruciatingly painful.”

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**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2014, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-to-apologize-to-the-jewish-people-the-rest-of-you-are-on-a-case-by-case-basis/691675/50 "2014-07-15T08:30:03Z")

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Eh, that’s too far. GQ is all right.

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**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2014, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-to-apologize-to-the-jewish-people-the-rest-of-you-are-on-a-case-by-case-basis/691675/51 "2014-07-15T08:54:34Z")

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No. Sorry, I shouldn’t tar the whole board like that.

You know what? Here’s the thing. I should never have tried to clarify the whole reason I see Judaism and Jews the way I do.

I mean, it’s not like I seriously considered converting. Twice.

It’s not like I–sweet screaming monkeys.

_I am weirded out that I know people who use “Jew” as a verb._

It’s inconceivable to me that there are really Christians out there who believe that every Jew was somehow personally responsible for murdering God. Or that every Jew is responsible for the evils of the world, the banksters, the warmongers, the plight of the Palestinians, or [del]the successful career of KISS.[/del]

I don’t believe that. I don’t believe Mel Gibson believes that. I don’t think the most anti-Israel international communist believes that.

And yet, I have to be careful, because maybe some lunatics actually believe that. Just as some Jews presumably hate all Germans, no matter how nonsensical that is historically. (Who was the guy who wrote the book trying to blame the whole German race for Hitler’s crimes, never mind the actual historical record?)

There are perverse systems of authority. There are people who identify with particular in-groups, who do bad things. I think Mel (drunk Mel) Gibson was repeating a myth he picked up to the effect that some influential Jews are particularly bad men. (It’s incoherent. He was chemically altered. I don’t fucking care.)

Well, put that way, it sounds like it has a germ of truth. Of course, it’s not because they’re Jewish. The banksters at Jewish-sounding Goldman Sachs aren’t even all Jewish. Lots of them are crooked WASPs.

Good grief.

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**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2014, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-to-apologize-to-the-jewish-people-the-rest-of-you-are-on-a-case-by-case-basis/691675/52 "2014-07-15T09:24:08Z")

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And avoiding that kind of blow-up is one major reason I have been avoiding the Dope.

Another is that after a while I realized that I really didn’t like some of you. Awful, awful people.

And I don’t like the awful person I’ve been on here. I spent a few days thinking about things. I don’t know entirely what’s been wrong with me lately. And I don’t mean just the last few threads on here that have turned into, “foolsguinea is a jerk about race.” There’s something that’s been eating me for a few years. And it’s come out in nasty ways.

I am sorry for being whatever sort of semi-conscious troll I apparently tended to be. I don’t think I was even aware I was trolling. Not entirely. There’s a lot of passive-aggressive meanness on this board, and I internalized it.

I’m sorry. I was awful. I have been awful for a while. And I don’t want to be here. You’re awful too.

Not all of you.

Lots of you. Me.

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**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2014, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-to-apologize-to-the-jewish-people-the-rest-of-you-are-on-a-case-by-case-basis/691675/53 "2014-07-15T10:32:32Z")

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Heh. I just realized that some of the people I was blowing up at were doing what I usually do, and snarking about the beginning of the thread, not the last posted part, because why read that far?

Well played. I had that coming.

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**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2014, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-to-apologize-to-the-jewish-people-the-rest-of-you-are-on-a-case-by-case-basis/691675/54 "2014-07-15T11:21:44Z")

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I’m sincerely asking this, so please don’t take it as just a snarky swipe: Are you okay? Have you had any changes in your mental or emotional health recently?

Because your behavior this last month or so has been extremely bizarre. It’s especially disconcerting since you’ve been here 14 years and have 10,000+ posts; if this kind of posting was a frequent occurrence for you, I’d expect to see posts from other Dopers indicating their lack of surprise and describing or linking to earlier posts of yours with similar behavior.

I mean, you post several times in a row to apologize in different ways, and take nasty swipes at Dopers as a whole _in those same posts_? Look over your last posts and tell me you don’t think it’s bizarre to claim to apologize and - as part of an explanation, say:

> [@](#):
>
> Another is that after a while I realized that I really didn’t like some of you. Awful, awful people.

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**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2014, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-to-apologize-to-the-jewish-people-the-rest-of-you-are-on-a-case-by-case-basis/691675/55 "2014-07-15T15:58:31Z")

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I’m not sure what’s going on with you, **foolsguinea** , but I hope things improve. You may want to consider talking to a counselor about sorting out some of your emotions.

Since we’re just a message board, though, we’re not the right place for that, so I’m going to close this.

Wishing you well,

**twickster** , MPSIMS moderator

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-to-apologize-to-the-jewish-people-the-rest-of-you-are-on-a-case-by-case-basis/691675.md?page=2)
