Comments on: Yes, but is Oxford good for the Jews? http://yoyoel.com/2009/11/yes-but-is-oxford-good-for-the-jews/ Complaining about life, love, and technology since 2003. Sat, 24 Jul 2010 02:49:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Colin Cooper http://yoyoel.com/2009/11/yes-but-is-oxford-good-for-the-jews/comment-page-1/#comment-1982 Colin Cooper Wed, 09 Dec 2009 01:36:32 +0000 http://yoyoel.com/?p=576#comment-1982 I often wonder if I manage to live in some sort of protective bubble which shields me from this sort of thing. In my school and university, there was graffiti on all sorts of topics including race, religion and sexuality. However, I don't know anyone who took it seriously. Most of it featured comments which made me think that the authors were either extremely ill-informed and/or had low brain activity or had mastered the art of sarcasm. I could never quite figure it out but I would like to think that it was the latter. Scotland is a very different place from England and I don't think we have the same racial tensions that England has. For my take, most Brits who would draw a swastika on a wall don't actually know what it is and what is represents - the fact that it isn't off-set by 45 degrees speaks volumes to me. Then again, I always pick at the detail. The current trend to blame all of the UK's problems on immigration is unfortunately giving people the idea that this sort of thing is acceptable and people who have a vague idea of what an outrageous symbol looks like feel free to draw them in public places. As said, England has some outstanding issues but, on the whole, I don't think anything is specifically aimed at the Jewish community but more at anything which is different from your standard white, Church of England family which has a history of employment in mining or heavy industry. Until my grandparents' generation, my family was Jewish and fled Nazi Germany. My grandparents never really took to religion and it fell to one side, never to be picked up again. I know my family history and the horrors faced both by those who got out and those who didn't but I still can't take really take the 'toilet art' as any more than inane scribblings. Again, this could just be my protective bubble talking. On the topic of being gay at Oxford (or Cambridge for that matter), most of those who attended in years gone by were former boarding school boys or other such privately educated males. I challenge anyone to find me a single member of these two groups who have not had some sort of same sexual content during their formative years. Hypocrisy in action. I often wonder if I manage to live in some sort of protective bubble which shields me from this sort of thing. In my school and university, there was graffiti on all sorts of topics including race, religion and sexuality. However, I don’t know anyone who took it seriously. Most of it featured comments which made me think that the authors were either extremely ill-informed and/or had low brain activity or had mastered the art of sarcasm. I could never quite figure it out but I would like to think that it was the latter. Scotland is a very different place from England and I don’t think we have the same racial tensions that England has. For my take, most Brits who would draw a swastika on a wall don’t actually know what it is and what is represents – the fact that it isn’t off-set by 45 degrees speaks volumes to me. Then again, I always pick at the detail.

The current trend to blame all of the UK’s problems on immigration is unfortunately giving people the idea that this sort of thing is acceptable and people who have a vague idea of what an outrageous symbol looks like feel free to draw them in public places. As said, England has some outstanding issues but, on the whole, I don’t think anything is specifically aimed at the Jewish community but more at anything which is different from your standard white, Church of England family which has a history of employment in mining or heavy industry.

Until my grandparents’ generation, my family was Jewish and fled Nazi Germany. My grandparents never really took to religion and it fell to one side, never to be picked up again. I know my family history and the horrors faced both by those who got out and those who didn’t but I still can’t take really take the ‘toilet art’ as any more than inane scribblings. Again, this could just be my protective bubble talking.

On the topic of being gay at Oxford (or Cambridge for that matter), most of those who attended in years gone by were former boarding school boys or other such privately educated males. I challenge anyone to find me a single member of these two groups who have not had some sort of same sexual content during their formative years. Hypocrisy in action.

]]> By: Maayan http://yoyoel.com/2009/11/yes-but-is-oxford-good-for-the-jews/comment-page-1/#comment-1805 Maayan Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:14:51 +0000 http://yoyoel.com/?p=576#comment-1805 Such a predictable first comment. It's what is inevitably said any time someone discusses anti-semetism. Yes, it's lovely that in the UK, people feel more free to criticize Israel. Now, please explain how swastikas graffitied in the bathroom constitute legitimate "indignation at Israel's "military solution" foreign policy." Otherwise, you seem to be somewhat off-topic. Such a predictable first comment. It’s what is inevitably said any time someone discusses anti-semetism.

Yes, it’s lovely that in the UK, people feel more free to criticize Israel. Now, please explain how swastikas graffitied in the bathroom constitute legitimate “indignation at Israel’s “military solution” foreign policy.” Otherwise, you seem to be somewhat off-topic.

]]> By: Rob Dreyfus http://yoyoel.com/2009/11/yes-but-is-oxford-good-for-the-jews/comment-page-1/#comment-1785 Rob Dreyfus Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:52:27 +0000 http://yoyoel.com/?p=576#comment-1785 Of course anti-semitism -racism -in any form is despicable. I think that indignation at Israel's "military solution" foreign policy is much more easily expressed in Europe that the US, where even the NYTimes is rather muted about the suffering of the ordinary Palesinians, expansion of settlements. etc. I think this is because of the US's role as Israel's staunchest supporter and the very vocal Zionist voice here. (Haaretz regularly condemns Israel's foreign policy.) Of course anti-semitism -racism -in any form is despicable. I think that indignation at Israel’s “military solution” foreign policy is much more easily expressed in Europe that the US, where even the NYTimes is rather muted about the suffering of the ordinary Palesinians, expansion of settlements. etc. I think this is because of the US’s role as Israel’s staunchest supporter and the very vocal Zionist voice here. (Haaretz regularly condemns Israel’s foreign policy.)

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