"are gratuitously offensive to many people "
I find the defence of behaviour I have just outlined "gratuitously offensive" and an affront to humanity.
If you have differences with my opinions, please state them instead of demanding that I wrap them up in cotton wool for the benefit of appeasers and hypocrites.
Do you really not know how volatile the situation has become and how likely it is to end in international conflict?
Please don't try to instruct me on the use of weasel words, I have enough examples to draw upon on this forum should I feel the need.
Jim Carroll