In the immediate aftermath of 9/11 every MAJOR comic in New York City was doing NOTHING but 9/11 jokes and crushing.

Patrice O'Neal did a bit about how he kept buying cheap leather jackets because the Arab vendors were having an "I didn't do it" sale.

A Syrian comic named Hood would go onstage, announce that he would like to open his set by doing something in the name of ALLAH, and he'd open his jacket to reveal a DYNAMITE VEST strapped to his chest.

The joke KILLED, figuratively. And it showed me how comedy has the ability to take the power away from unimaginable torments for a few seconds at a time. It unites people who don't agree on an issue by pointing out universal truths we HAVE accepted on the issue.

Patrice's joke about Arabs feeling persecuted spoke honestly about the mood at the time. Hood's dynamite vest joke, however insane, played on a suspicion that nobody would ever admit to feeling today because they'd be called racist.