[Salopbaggie]

After some umming and ahing about this post I thought in the finish I should post. if only to try and explain what it is like to be on the receiving end.  I was born in 60, my dad coming from southern Italy so have just a hint of an "Olive" completion. As people rightly say abuse is abuse and should not be tolerated.

But just having a laugh is OK?  How do you know the person you are making fun of, and you must be making fun, if you are having a laugh, is laughing inside.  They may very well be hurting inside but they are not going to let you know that or it would just make matters worse, by the very nature of having a laugh you are saying you are not one of us, so the person just laughs along to try to be part of the crowd.  Then you will get the "You can call me want you want I don't care, so why should you."  The big difference is it does not matter what you call that person because they are surrounded by people of a similar ilk, so they are totally comfortable, you are on your own in the joke.

That said the PC brigade I agree have not helped a great deal, as many have said with some of their comments, however, others I do agree with like changing a fireman to a firefighter, if a female firefighter  is prepared to come into a burning building to save me, then the least I can do is not call her a man.

On a lighter note one of my favourite tee-shirts ever was one a black friend of mine had that went something like

When I was born, I was black, When I grew up, I was black,  When I'm sick, I'm black,  When I go out in the sun, I'm black,  When I'm cold, I'm black, When I die, I'll be black,

You

When you're born, you're pink,  When you grow up, you're white, When you're sick, you're green,  When you go out in the sun, your red,  When you're cold, your blue,
When you die, you'll be black and purple.........................  And you have the nerve to call me coloured!