The DC mayor is a POS....

[Levin]

Originally Posted by BigFatMeanie

I can't. Something is offensive if it one deems it to be such. The term "offensive" is by definition a subjective term.

If something isn't offensive to me then I really have a hard time understanding why someone else would find it offensive. Conversely, if something offends me, I really don't understand why it wouldn't offend others. I'm careful to avoid taking offense and I'm careful about doing/saying something that I personally would consider offensive but I conclude it is impossible to learn what every other individual on the earth would consider offensive. Heck, I think it is impossible to learn about and try to avoid subjects that only the individual I interact with consider offensive. Because it is impossible, I deem it irrational to consider or worry about what someone else might think is offensive.

You're imagination and empathy are lacking, then.

There's tons of stuff that I don't find offensive but I can see why it would be offensive to others.

The Danish muslim cartoons didn't offend me; I can see how they'd be offensive to devout Muslims.

The look of a woman's bare arms doesn't offend me; I can see how it would offend early devout Mormons who wore garments.

In some limited situations, the burning of the American flag in protest doesn't offend me; I can see how that would be offensive to others.

The list goes on and on. Exercise your imagination and empathy just a little, and you'll think of some too.