To: tolerance, understanding and democracy: please return to sender

[Seamus Fermanagh]

rant away Don , but don't you think this..... ......is an incredibly stupid statement ?

If he had meant it in the literalist "there have been zero incidents of such an occurrence in the United States throughout its history" sense, possibly.

However, since you are well aware that he was hyperbolizing to make his counter-point (i.e. that anti-semitism is far less of an issue in the USA than it has been -- at least historically -- in Europe and that Europe sneering at Americans was a bit of the old pot/kettle thing) your assessment is a bit harsh.

Don, I don't find it too surprising that Euros laugh at this stereotypical representation.

We have far too many of our own people who hear a southern accent and associate it with a Gomer Pyle-style intellect. Urbies are always confident of the in-bred stupidity of the rurals, that stereotype has a long history. Heavens, The Romans named an entire rural Italian province Bruttium.