And I should say that I think we have the same problem: I am certain that there are things we do as individuals today - and I mean me, and Steve and pete and all the result of us - that in fifty years time will seem as disgusting to the people of that time as racism does to us; and they will ask themselves "how could they have done that?". And the reason we can is that we are of our time, and just don't see it. Of course, we try to think 'outside the box' and sometimes we will see things, but most of the time we simply aren't smart enough.

When those things that we do have the potential to hurt other human beings there is no excuse for them now and there was no excuse for them in the past. There is no excuse for racism, homophobia and misogyny either now or in the past and it ill-behoves us to be too free with the "of their time" getout.