Azizi, I have tremendous respect for your eloquence and your obvious concern and respect for others, and I recognise the sincerity of your views.

You say that you have no problem with white pride, and I believe that to be your honest POV.

However, there is a problem with white pride for me, and it is this. I feel very uncomfortable with publicly stating that I am proud to be a white British citizen, because I have in the past been accused of being racist when I have done so. It seems that white pride is considered anti black by many black people, while black pride is an inalienable right.

If I were to post a similar thread suggesting words and ideas which, used by black folk, would be likely to cause offence or distress to whites, the response would, IMO, be very different than what has been posted to this thread.

I have noticed that sensitivity to perceived insult varies according to the group. It would be impossible to make a film in which the N word was used by a white character to a black character, because it would raise a storm of protest, and quite possibly (and rightly) be banned from showing at cinemas. However, there are a number of films and TV programs made as late as the 1980s (and still being repeated on satellite & cable TV) in which the words honkey, whitey, or cueball are used by black characters to whites, and these do not as far as I can see raise any protest at all.

Now it may be that we just aren't that upset, or it may be that we feel that we would be seen as racist if we objected. I don't know which, but it is a fact, and speaks to my earlier comment that we would all be better employed in thinking ahead rather than dwelling on the unpleasant actions of people long dead and for the most part unlamented.

Don T.