Facebook: Krakow. Crack Whore. Funny? Prejudiced? Or does the Polak just need to relax?

Krakow, Poland. A city I love as if it were a living thing. Source .

Believe it or not, 

this is one of the less disturbing images that turn up when you do a Google image search of "crack whore." I don't advise that you repeat this search. The images are grotesque and offensive.

A facebook friend is a cantor or hazzan. He is visiting Poland. I've been enjoying his trip vicariously. He posted photos of tombstones in Warsaw's Jewish cemetery and I "shared" them to my facebook page. I was educated and delighted.

Last night, he posted a one-word update: "Krakow."

The very first comment was a joke. Emeril, a TV chef, says "Krakow" when he cooks. The next comment was enthusiastic. The poster posted a one sentence comment about how she appreciates Krakow.

The next comment was a joke. Back to the Emeril comment. The next comment was a joke. 

The next comment was a joke. "Krakow" is the sound Batman makes when he punches someone. (In English, comic book authors often use the word "kapow" to indicate the sound the impact of a punch makes.

The next comment was a joke. A reference to crack whores.

And that's it. Those were all the comments. One person saying something enthusiastic. The rest, jokes.

I posted the following:

"Krakow is a cultural center in Poland. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It was the capital of Poland for hundreds of years. There are sites in Krakow directly connected to Kosciuszko, Pilsudski, Mickiewicz, Wyspianski, Wojtyla. Wawel castle is in Krakow. It is especially beloved of Polish Americans because when Polish Americans visit Poland they often visit Krakow. The KF hosts summer schools there.


Krakow is also a site of horrendous suffering. The Nazis worked very hard to destroy Krakow, while still enjoying what they left of it. There is a museum in Krakow that talks about this occupation. I'll include a link.


After the Nazis, the Stalinists did their part, locating Nowa Huta near Krakow. The steel mill fumes damaged the city's ancient stones.


Evoking "crack whores" or batman's "kapow" -- and nothing else -- with Krakow suggests an underlying disrespect and denigration.


We all enjoy freedom of speech, and if this is what people choose to do, that's legal and acceptable. It is also legal and acceptable for me to point it out."


Two of the facebook folks who posted "jokes" about Krakow responded. They both said that I should "relax."