It is not my intention to be offensive but this PC thing has reached
farcical proportions.  If a person has a black skin what is so evil
about describing him as black if circumstances make such a distinction
necessary?  Why is the word 'black' in this context deemed to be
insulting, demeaning, racist, etc. etc.?

To my ear African-American is a silly, clumsy euphemism.  African?
Why?  Is that the place where all black Americans originated?  Why
on earth can't they be just honest-to-goodness Americans?  To comply
with the daftness of it all must I describe my black friends as
African-English-with-a-dash-of-Norwegian?

My wife comes from India but is a British subject, her mother was
Indian and her father Scottish -- how do I handle that?  One of the
trombone players in my big band is black, but none of his forebears has
been anywhere near Africa, they came from Tahiti about 60 years ago.

I have never understood, and never shall, why skin colour is such an
important issue to some people.  They lie in ambush ready to pounce on
the b-word wherever and whenever it is innocently uttered, denouncing
their hapless victims as unmitigated racist rogues.

One day, God willing, common sense will prevail and sweep all this
high-minded garbage away.  Then maybe the "PC Thought Police" will
begin to pick on people who wear brown shoes ...

John Farrell
Irish-English (and a hint of Scandinavian)
stridepiano@email.msn.com

 [ They better not pick on my two-tone saddle shoes!  ;)  -- Robbie