and I sent it to relatives that are Catholic! THEY all thought it was hilarious...

To "Discrimination is an ugly thing", you've got to wonder WHAT discrimination in the joke is getting him mad (I do not know him, and realize that he may be making a joke by the posting)? Does he feel the joke discriminates (unfairly) against Catholics, people with one eye, people with one arm, people with any disability or handicap (not sure if either of those terms are now politically incorrect - sorry if I offended anyone), or even people suffering from purpura?

Irregardless, I think making light of the LONG time period where the newscasts were dominated by Catholic Church business is more than appropriate! "We Have A Pope!" was the byline on CNN - as if CNN had been co-opted by the Catholic Church! Kerry, your joke was hilarious to me, and I loved how the punch line tied into one of the silliest songs of all time: the "One Eyed, One Eared, Flying Purple People Eater". I could see someone feeling discriminated against if he/she/it was a Martian, and yet again - somebody is finding a way to make fun of them (by bringing up that discriminatory song)!

And while I'm on the topic, I don't particularly like when somebody abuses the term "discrimination"! When you limit the word solely to the negative racial connotation, you are ignoring the fact that everybody discriminates daily, on many different decisions - go out, or take a nap; cookies or ice cream; blondes or brunettes; Hard Rock or Palms chips? By only acknowledging that "discrimination" is a bad thing, such a descriptor is discriminating against people that knowingly discriminate daily and have no problem with it (not racially, religiously, sexually, or by gender)... Therefore, to say "Discrimination is an ugly thing", is incorrect, as it is ignoring the positive connotations of the term.

1. The act of discriminating.
1a.Able to recognize or draw fine distinctions; perceptive.
1-2.Showing careful judgment or fine taste: a discriminating collector of rare books; a dish for the discriminating palate.
1-3.Separating into distinct parts or components; analytical.
1-4.Serving to distinguish; distinctive: a discriminating characteristic.
1-5.Marked by or showing bias; discriminatory.
2. The ability or power to see or make fine distinctions; discernment.
3. Treatment or consideration based on class or category rather than individual merit; partiality or prejudice: racial discrimination; discrimination against foreigners.