"Butch and Susan are acting as if others have no right to challenge their performance of extremely provocative material with deep and long associations with a racist past. It is material they KNOW offends many, yet the seem to be suggesting their performance of the material either doesn't offend anyone (which I grant may be true), or that it SHOULDN'T offend anyone. "

Boy you go away for a day and the whole thread goes crazy (in a good way)

Please allow me to make my position on the above statement clear.

I do not, in any way, or in any form, feel that others do not have the right to challange what I do, or how I do it. You do have the right and I have the further right to defend my actions. That is all. I do not wish to offend, but I warn people that the words I use may offend in some cases. I feel that the lessons learned are more important that the possible offense. If and when I am ever confronted, my reaction will be simple. I will apologize and let the offended have at me. I will defend myself only lightly and I will apologize again. I am not in this to hurt anyone, I am in it to educate if I can. There are lessons about shared heritage that SOME songs can teach. Some songs have no redeeming quality at all, and those I leave to be printed but never sung. I try and make my choices carefully.

The song "Jim Crack Corn" was a minstrel tune. It was also a favorite among slaves in Georgia during the war. Should their association with the tune be lost simply beacuse the tune was written and sung by minstrels?