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[quote]> I honestly think it takes two to get offended (the
> offender, and the offended)

President WZR: Nope. It only takes one person to be offended.[/quote]

Nope. Two. Unless you have multiple personalities of course. You cannot get offended without someone offending you. (you really do need to lighten up if you're offending yourself!)

[quote]As the FAQ here says - the Bernard Manning defence does not hold water.[/quote]

On a public forum? No, I agree. Bernard Manning (i'm guessing) didn't stand in the town square on a Saturday afternoon shouting racist abuse. He hired private clubs where people paid to hear jokes. They came to him. Being insensitive on a public forum is totally different as they audience hasn't come here for that specific purpose.

[quote]Any racist muppet can say "it was only a joke".[/quote]

So true Wazza....sadly. Gladly in today's society, not many people are racist. Stopping humour because of a select few that will abuse it seems unfair, and wrong................it also means they win..........right?

[quote]Irish jokes perpetuate the once-widely held view that "thick Micks" were inferior to British folk.[/quote]

Wouldn't really be a joke otherwise. Try getting served in a busy bar in Dublin once they know you're from England. Impossible. That's real racism and not a joke.

I believe we have three sets of people in this case. The totally tolerant, and the total intolerant. Both extremes spoil it for everybody else in the middle. (of course, being totally tolerant isn't really practical, as you'd have to tolerate the intolerant. Thought it best to point this out before you did !wink! <------------joke)

To be truly liberal, you could be all three at once.....

[quote]A lot of folk "in the middle" are just closet racists, who are smart enough to keep their mouths shut unless they think everyone around them agrees - e.g. at Bernard Manning stag dos,etc.[/quote]

Covered. So I'm a closet murderer because I've watched Rambo? I yearn with all my heart to gut people with 12" bowie knives and stitch up gaping wounds on myself with fishing line?

The offended get the benefit of the doubt, but no one else? Guilty until proven innocent?

As you know from previous debates, I'm against the legalisation of most -so called 'drugs', yet I managed to enjoy the film 'Trainspotting'. Something's wrong here.

RIP, Bernard.

Tell St. Peter the one about himself, Dolly Parton and Princess Di on Heaven's doorstep trying to impress him to get into the gates of Heaven by offering sexual favours.

The punchline has something to do with a Royal Flush always beats a Pair........

[quote]No, you're a closet racist if you stay quiet about it in the company of non-racists but are racist in the company of other racists.[/quote]

I agree with this. I didn't agree with your previous assumption that most people 'in the middle' were/are closet racists. (it is your everyday 'person in the middle' that laughs at the odd Bernard Manning joke, is it not?). You seemed to insinuate that anyone who laughed at a joke that poked fun at any race/nationality/sex was a closet racist/sexist.

The whole Rambo/Trainspotting retort was to show that this mindset regarding assumptions on a persons real beliefs is flawed.

A person who enjoys watching/making Rambo films isn't a closet psycho.

A person who laughs at a racist/sexist joke is not a closet racist/sexist.

You seemed to imply this was the case.

I think I'm stable minded enough to laugh -and enjoy- a joke which pokes fun at stupid people, without having a secret loathing of them.

I mean, you've called people 'a 'divvy' on more than one occasion. If the recipient of that verbal attack was indeed a 'divvy' would you be ashamed of yourself? I'd like to believe it was a harmless jibe, all in the name of banter, but if there are any real 'divvies' reading, they may be offended. I 'divvy' can't really help being so after all............you 'plonker'.

Warren don't get me wrong I do not support all his jokes and politics, just impressed the way he treated all his staff and crew on set.

And I have plenty of Asian and black mates that when we are together we are so unpolitacally correct it's untrue.
We would all probably get arrested for the jokes and texts we send each other, because our friendship is far above P.C. however we would never dream of taking our humour outside our close knit friendship. Which many of my friends have been with me since school.
I must be honest and admit I do find some race jokes funny. but for the context the joke is delivered with. I would consider myself one of the last people to be racist but sometimes a joke is just funny. However there are many ways of delivering comedy without being ignorant.
Prime example would be Bob Monkhouse love him or hate him could deliver a really rude joke with just clever use of the English language.

I take offence. I'll think of a reason why and let you know. Just know that I do, and since this joke is based around 3 dead people, you must have a secret hate of dead people.

You should be ashamed.

Bob Monkhouse was an ignorant bastard. Everyone knows Monks live at a priory.