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Why does Gacy keep calling the detective a Polack? I thought he was Polish.

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'Polak' is a derogatory term for a person of Polish descent. Like calling an Irish person a 'mick'. Or Canadian a 'Canuck'.

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I know but I thought Gacy himself was Polish, at least the real one was.

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You're right, according to Wikipeda he was of Polish and Danish heritage. Maybe he considered himself so American that he felt secure insulting someone with an obviously foreign surname.

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Probably projection to some degree. I'd be willing to bet Gacy was probably somewhat ashamed of his family background, and apparently he hated his father when growing up--understandable, in a sense, since I've read Gacy suffered abuse as a kid.

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