Trenton City Councilwoman Robin Vaughn is defending a colleague’s “Jew her down” comment, calling “Jew down” a verb and suggesting that the term isn’t “anti-anything.”
“We really need to get a more acute meaning and understanding of ‘anti-Semitic.’ I believe her comment ‘Jew down’ was more in reference to negotiating, not ‘I hate Jews,’” Vaughn said. “Inappropriate in today’s PC culture absolutely, but to Jew someone down is a verb and is not anti-anything or indicative of hating Jewish people.”
Vaughn said she didn’t recall Council President Kathy McBride saying during a closed-door discussion of the settlement of a lawsuit filed by resident Vivian Soto that Assistant City Attorney Peter Cohen “able to wait her out and Jew her down” to settle the case at a lower amount during an executive session of the City Council on September 5.
But Vaughn appears to contradict her own statement, saying that McBride was not talking about a specific person but rather discussing the “settlement of a low-dollar amount.”
Robert Yudin, a former executive director of the New Jersey-Israel Commission, said he found Vaughn’s response even more offensive than the one made by McBride.
“It’s as vile and vicious an anti-Semitic statement as someone could make,” Yudin said. “It’s clearly an anti-Semitic trope and it can’t be explained.”
Yudin, a former Bergen County Republican Chairman, said that he’s worried “it’s America in the 1930s again,” and blames President Donald Trump for what he views as a rise in anti-Semiticism in the country.
“When you have a president who says there are good people and bad people on both sides, it’s scary,” said Yudin, referencing Trump’s defense of white supremacists.
In the same Facebook post, Vaughn said that at a community forum where a union president used the racial slur “crackers,” McBride encouraged the individual to not use that term again.
Mayor Reed Gusciora and Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing) have condemned McBride’s comments.
Councilman Jerrell Blakeley has called for McBride’s resignation as council president and has asked the council to censure her, but no other councilmembers have stepped up.
Council Vice President Marge Caldwell-Wilson has not responded to several requests for comment, beginning on Friday evening.
View Comments (59)
No, it’s offensive. Says this Jewish America woman. It’s a put down, a micro aggression, and wrong.
You want to talk about getting a deal...talk about “getting a better price.”
Yes but it's not a micro aggression.
It's a blunt bigoted statement. That's just plain aggression.
She's a racist piece of shit.
Kapo
Robin Vaughn,
Have you talked to a single Jewish person about the use of this language and how insulting it is? Are you that ignorant that you think this derogatory comment is only wrong because of political correctness? You really don't see how such a comment is hateful stereotyping?
You and McBride should resign immediately. Then, go take a remedial English class and learn what a verb is.
It should be BLACK DOWN and then you have the correct word !!
It is a very racist statement which refers to Jewish people bargaining. It is shameful . This woman and the woman who defended her need to attend sensitivity training or be fired. As a Jewish woman I demand an apology.
As a white woman, I would never presume to tell people of color what is racist, and I certainly expect the same courtesy regarding what is anti-semitic. So in case I was not completely clear, this IS an anti-semitic trope. Acknowledge that and correct your stance. Or don’t, but be prepared to own that.
This is silly.
Anyone can tell a black person what is racist, if it is racist. Words have definitions.
Anyone can tell a Jewish person what is anti Semitic, if it is anti Semitic. Words have definitions.
This was absolutely anti Semitic on its face.
Signed, a Christian
You can be white and know what’s racist. People can be racist against white people too. It’s obvious this lady doesn’t have a filter.
Great response!
In my opinion, it’s extremely offensive. Someone this ignorant should not fill any seat in any government position. We have enough bigotry out there already.
These women need education, at the very least. If we changed the offensive n.word into a verb, it wouldn't be taken lightly or defended, nor should it be. What was said and then defended was definitely offensive to this American Jewish Woman.
I sent a note to Vaughn letting her know there is in fact a verb using the n word which means to work really hard like a slave in the confederate US and asked if it would be fine to use this term - it’s just a verb after all. NO, of COURSE it wouldn’t be alright. These women need to own their mistake, apologize, and use this as an opportunity for growth. Enough is enough!!
Good for you in responding directly to her. What a fool she is!
Unacceptable on so many levels.
In the summer if 1971 I had a summer job in Mississippi teaching horseback riding. I am a Jersey girl. A cowboy who did the heavy work with the horses referred to a wire fence as having been “N——- Rigged”. I was appalled at the word and the his casual use of that expression. When I suggested that it was offensive, he explained that there is nothing racist about it, it’s “JUST AN EXPRESSION” that means the fence [was built in a shoddy
fashion]. For the life of me I could not convince him otherwise. But I still think we must enlighten people as to the impact of their words. Jerry Seinfeld addressed this in his “Indian Giver” episode.
So is ok to then say they n***** rigged it when someone fixes something half ass. Its not racist its just an adjective.
Does she use “paddy wagon” or “gypped”? I doubt it, but Jewed down is okay. Hypocrisy.
Isn't a paddy wagon a police car? Where did the term come from?
Paddy is a term for people who are irish / of irish descent. It suggests that all irish people are criminals, hence why it's offensive.
Oooohhh. I never knew that! Awesome to learn something new so thanks,!
Actually at one point in our history the a large number of law enforcement in the us (around 1930's) were of irish descent. Paddy wagon reffered to the police cars driven by the then irish cops (If im not mistaken).
It refers to the Irish, as in Paddy being short for Patrick, a common Irish name. Now whether the "paddies" were the police, which they often were, or the ones in the van (often following a bar brawl, again a stereotype, of a drunken Irishman), is up for debate.
But as for Jewing down, it certainly is directly related to the incorrect antisemitic belief that all Jews are greedy.
Police vehicle used to haul people to the drunk tank. Implying that said drunks were Irish
I wonder how’d she feel is someone told her to “black down” referring to one of the many stereotypes attributed to Afro Americans and I wonder how’d society response to such a phrase. .
I can;t help wondering what Councilwoman Vaughn's reaction would be if the city's offeer of settlement had been characterized as "niggardly," a word which resonates with a vile racial epithet but in fact has nothing to do with it, other than its musical quality. I suspect she would want the word avoided at all cost. Jewish sensitivites, it seems, don't matter.Jack Golbert
Right, and I bet she'll agree that "to n*****-rig" something is also not hate speech, but an endearing term for puissant improvised repairs, too. Hypocrites.