In article <ww87b.398749$uu5.73614@sccrnsc04>, cindyduet@attb.com 
says...
> vernon.north@oyama.ca wrote:
> 
> 
> > I respectfully disagree.  I don't think an entertaining racist is any 
> > more desirable than a disagreeable one.  If anything, the entertaining 
> > racists are worse.  Their hateful message seems more acceptable since it 
> > is dressed up with humour.  But a racist is a racist is a racist.  
> > 
> 
> Have you ever seen or heard how the British people make fun of the 
> Irish?  What can you do about it?
> 
Yes, I've heard the jokes. 

What to do about it?  I know some would say no racist comments are ever 
acceptable.  However, what is/is not acceptable depends on the setting, 
the intent, and the audience, IMHO. 

On a newsgroup like this, where we don't really know one another and 
there are people of all racial groups, I don't think racist comments 
should be considered acceptable.  When I was in high school my friends 
included a veritable "united nations" of races and nationalities.  We 
often referred to one another by racist names.  "Nip", "Chopper", 
"Licorice", "White Bread", "Wop", and Kraut" are some of the nicknames 
given to various group members.  These names were not meant to hurt, and 
were not considered hurtful by the people so named.  

But race-based names don't travel well.  To call a German person with 
whom I was not friends "Kraut" could easily be interpreted as intended 
to hurt or belittle.  That isn't acceptable IMHO.

I don't see people on this newsgroup using race-based nicknames as 
innocent, friendly "handles".  It looks to me as though they're meant to 
sting.  

What's worse, even when meant innocently, race-based nicknames may carry 
with them unintended and subtly harmful racial stereotypes, which makes 
me wonder sometimes whether it is EVER appropriate to use them.

Verno