I think that's a little simplistic Steve
When these songs were made the terms used were commonplace - the language of the day and not necessarily meant to give offence
Words like n***** were telling it as it was than - now it is a term regularly used as abuse - by people on the street, by the police, bt openly racist scumbags like Jim Davidson who one boasted publicly, "I'm not prejudices I hate all the fuckers"
Bernard Manning made Britain roll in the aisles with his contempt for The Irish
That has been stopped elsewhere because it has been deemed offensive - why not in folk clubs
I was a bit taken aback that I had not notice the Chinese People working in the sheep-sheds being compared to a deforming disease in a song I have been listening to over half my life
For me, the last week has underlined the fact that it's time we were moving on
It's not a bad litmus test for a singer to put themselves in the place of the people being sung about when deciding wht that should do with these songs - let's face it - there aren't that may of them, but that tends to make them stick out

I don't believe showing your disapproval of them is 'the thin end of the wedge' but I do belive that letting them through on the nod might wall be
I've answered Dave's scattergun question - this is not about offending people - it's about allowing people to go through life uninsulted or unpesecuted because oif their colour, or place of origin or religion
I am a white male born in Britain yet I have been referred to as a "bogtrotter" and more recently "a supporter of the IRA" because I choose to live in The West of Ireland
Ah sure - oi don't loik that one bit
Jim