The mayor of Bloomfield, New Jersey, the Honorable Brian McCarthy has decided to oppose allowing the Sopranos to film there last season in his town. According to him, the television show helps to promote negative stereotypes of Italian-Americans. Dude, you seriously need to get over yourself. Or at least your wife does if she’s the one pushing this since she’s an Italian-American. Before I go any farther and I am accused of being a racist bigot and crucified, let me assure you that I stand on firm politically correct ground: I grew-up and spent the first 21 years of my life in New Jersey, my parents and most of the rest of my family still lives in New Jersey, and yes, I’m part Italian (3rd generation to be exact).

It would be nice if there were just a few friggin’ people left in this country who didn’t take themselves so seriously, who could be a little less self-righteous, and who would stop looking for an excuse to be victim. I’m pretty sure there’s isn’t too much space left on the morale high ground. Can’t anyone in this country take a joke anymore? Have we completely lost the ability to laugh at ourselves. The days of being called a guinea or a wop are over Mr. McCarthy. In my entire life I have never encountered a single person who could care less if you were Italian. This sort of behavior does nothing except help to more firmly establish the divisions between people rather than breaking them down.

Lets not even get into the stomping of first amendment rights. Some how in school I missed the clause in First Amendment which said you have the freedom of speech but only if what you say doesn’t offend anybody. Agreed there maybe consequences for what you say. But, I’m pretty sure that preventing somebody from saying something because what they say might be offensive isn’t OK.

Am I proud of my Italian heritage? You bet I am! Do I love the Sopranos? You bet I do. Half the reason I enjoyed the show was because I was from NJ and Italian. It hit closer to home because the showed places I’ve been by a hundred times growing up. The parties they have, the funerals they go to, food they eat, and the little bits of Italian sprinkled throughout their speech, etc., etc., etc., are very authentic. They remind me of relatives and similar family functions I went to as a kid. Now none of my relatives beat, kill, or rob people and neither do the vast majority of Italian-Americans. I know this as I’m sure most of America does. But that’s because I’m mature enough and intelligent enough to understand the difference between a fictional television show and real life. Too bad the mayor of Bloomsfield isn’t.

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