Lox, since you quoted me, although you didn't address me by name, I believe that your 09 Oct 09 - 08:39 AM post was directed to me.

I'll say this as clearly as I can-I believe that satire can be offensive. And I believe that Tommy Tiernan's "satire" is very offensive.

I agree that "just because you don't think a joke isn't funny it doesn't follow that it's offensive.". The words and/or intonations, the mannerisms, the manner of dress/costumes, and/or other performance activities can make something offensive. For example I consider blackface performances to be offensive regardless of what the person is saying or doing-including dancing.

Notice that I'm speaking for myself and no one else. I have the right to say that I find something offensive without people assuming that I'm dictating to other people what they must consider offensive.

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It seems to me that people from the UK use a different definition for "race" than people from the USA. Since I don't consider Jewish people to be a separate race, I don't consider Tommy Tiernan's words to be racist. I consider them to be anti-Semitic.

Notice that I didn't say that Tommy Tiernan hates Jewish people or that he is a racist. I don't know whether either of these statements are true.

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And Lox, speaking of dictating, with regard to your sentence "I do expect you to acknowledge 100% that there is categorically nothing for me to apologize for or any need for me to clarify my actual view any further.", if that comment is directed to me, I must say this:

I don't expect anyone to do anything that he or she doesn't choose to do. And if you or anyone else expects me to do something then that's on you (as we say in my 'hood).

Lox, I agree with you on a number of issues. The fact that I strongly disagree with you on this issue does not mean that you are a bad person or that I am. And it certainly doesn't mean that I think that you are a racist or are an anti-Semite. To be unequivocable about that point-Lox, I absolutely don't think that you are a racist and I don't think you are an anti-Semite.

However, I definitely disagree with you about Tiernan's act, and I definitely believe that your apology was a non-apology.

And having said that, I'm exiting from this thread.