See, HG? You are a deep MF'er. You summed it up very well.

I agree with all you said, and I disagree completely with dolphin.

Anyone is free to take offense to whatever they want, but you are also free to be ridiculed. Saying "the p-word" (lol) isn't the same as saying the "n-word." It's the most powerful word in American English, and it's due in large part to its use and the history of black-white relations in our country. MANY ethnicities have racial stereotypes, but only blacks were brought over as legal slaves, who were considered to be 3/5 of a person, fought for their freedom, and then still didn't have the rights of a white person until very recently (and some would say still don't). That word is a reminder of that awful history and of everything that comes with it. It is used solely to dehumanize and tell someone that they are worth less than you because of the color of their skin. If "the p-word" does similar things to you, then you might have some issues. Europeans had their struggles in America, but it's not even worth mentioning in the same context as blacks and the vitriolic words (still) used to describe them.

I agree with this post 100%. However, and this is the problem with identity politics, groups don't get hurt, people do. And I don't think it's necessarily any more hurtful to call someone "the n-word" than it is to call someone a fat pig or a dumb polack, etc. We have an entire thread here and several mults that make fun of a woman for her appearance. I'm almost certain that's just as hurtful as some dope calling a black person "the n-word".