"Granby" wrote in message
...
Folks, we have had "jokes" about the Irish, and "Rednecks" for years.
They may not a fair but they are there.

Yes, this has happened many times over. Right now, though, Muslims seem to
be the brunt of jokes that simply perpetuate the myth that all are
terrorists. That attitude sometimes carries over to cruel treatment --
buildings that have burned, families denied the right to fly because someone
on an airplane claimed that they "looked" dangerous, etc.
snip
This group has a thousand good points but when we don't like something it
can go on and on. Pam loves everyone here and would not deliberately
offend anyone. It was, as I have done many times, a spur of the moment
thing.

I absolutely agree with this. I think all of us have done something at some
time that has inadvertently offended someone. My objection is more with
those who continue to assert "there's nothing wrong with doing this" after
it has been pointed out. Throughout history, various groups have been the
brunt of jokes that are actually painful -- women, ethnic groups, gays, etc.
Those who are the "subjects" of these jokes often find them very painful,
and that means they are no longer funny. (And I will now try to make this
my last remark on the subject . . . I don't want to turn this into a long
discourse about my own views.)

MaryL