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<0001HW
Carved in mystic runes upon the very living rock, the last words of Rob 
Perkins of rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated make plain:

> Amy Guskin wrote:
> 
>> Er, on what planet is the n-word not considered offensive?
> 
> Earth. Roughly 70 years ago.
> 
> Rob, who doesn't think it's an excuse

I'm not saying it's an excuse or that the usage should be ignored. But 
Joe D's respose was a bit harsh as a first response, and really I should 
have replied to his post. But neither of you considered the possibility 
that Phil didn't mean to offend, and that a simple "That's not acceptable 
usage, Phil" might have sufficed.

I know, because I have encountered such people, that it is possible for a 
person who would never dream of calling someone a n*****, to still use a 
term such as n*****-rig, simply because they haven't made the connection. 
They're not intending to offend, and it just doesn't occur to them until 
someone points it out. Preferrably politely.

-- 
Methuselah
"To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and 
day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which 
any human being can fight; and never stop fighting."
  -- e. e. cummings
                                                                     
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