Offense is in the eye of the beholder.

The epithet "Racist" is the most effective (and fasionable) means of censorship today. And no other form of censorship is so well tolerated. Furthermore the label is freely applied to a point that is usually has nothing to do with whether one is indeed racist or not! To me it's getting to be like hearing "RED".

My objective study of pre-Civil War music was quite a surprise to find how our musical history is so stereotyped as being stereotyped. I love to find the open mind like the one above who finds "Old Uncle Ned" to be a beautifull loving tune and does not acuse uglyness.

So, who is offended now by the word nigger? Not blacks. My kids bring home more nigger content by modern urban musicians than in the archives of Brown and Duke University combined. Oh! Excuse me. You have to be white, and perhaps male to be offensive(or not around to defend yourself).

And what will those one hundred years in the future find sinfully offensive about the things we all do and accept today?? Like maybe forsaking our kids so we can all make more money and be "fullfilled"? I can think of a few things......