Relax: It’s just a rhetorical question

Race and ethnicity have been in the news a lot lately. Michael Richards goes off on a group of black patrons in a comedy club. Andy Dick follows by allegedly using what has become known popularly as the “N-word” during his act. Rosie O’Donnell does a dozen “ching-chongs” in imitation of Chinese speech.

And all of these follow Mel Gibson ’s reportedly drunken rampage against Jews during a traffic stop earlier this year.

Now comes word that the reason why uber-publisher/book editor Judith Regan was fired by Rupert Murdoch was because of anti-Semitic remarks she allegedly made during a phone conversation with a lawyer for her former employer, HarperCollins.

Both sides have their stories and are sticking to it. The lawyer claims that Regan said she was being victimized by a “Jewish cabal.” Regan admit that she used the word “cabal,” but she denies using the modifier “Jewish.” And, she says, she was merely trying to make the point that Jews, of all people, should understand what it’s like when “common enemies” are “ganging up” on them.

Now everyone is getting involved. The Anti-Defamation League , hardly a surprise there, has issued a statement. And every talking head capable of uttering a word, no matter what language, is likely to have a comment. After all, the “War on Christmas” seems to be cooling down.

I prefer to paraphrase Rodney King : Can’t we all just get along?