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Article: Joke police stalk those punch lines
- Article from:
- Chicago Sun-Times
- Article date:
- March 29, 1987
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright (null) Chicago Sun-Times. (Hide copyright information)
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At Harvard Law School, where I teach, a well-intentioned
student, writing in the school newspaper, has urged all members of
the university community "to make a personal decision neither to tell
nor listen to racist or sexist jokes." The city of Long Branch, N.J.,
doesn't just urge this as a personal decision; it has actually
prohibited municipal employees from telling "jokes or stories based
on ethnic or racial types or sex." I knew it would come to this.
The student's argument about the evils of such jokes deserves to
be heard. He believes that "racist and sexist jokes contribute to
prejudice and stereotypes and the over-all dehumanization of (those)
joked about." He acknowledges that ...