A question about race ( I hate these but I'm so curious)

[Boasorte]

Ok, so I was reading something on Media Takeout about this white man, who was basically trying to make a point about the Black Community on another website. MTO then makes this " Top News" And calls him out saying he's "out of line" for saying his black wife "has a Masters degree, but sounds like a ghetto hoodrat when talking to her friends." He also said other things, I'll link
WTF???? White Dude Calls His MASTERS DEGREE HAVING Black Wife A GHETTO HOODRAT On Popular Message Board . . . And Posts A PIC OF HER For All To See!!! (That Poor Girl) - MediaTakeOut.com™ 2010

After reading the reader's comments, I was so shocked about how many of these people got offended by what this man said, when things like this are said on a day to day basis between other Black people, and most Hispanic people I know as well.
So after writing all of this, I just wanted to know, why do people get so offended over race, when something isn't said to be offensive?

All input is appreciated

 

[LMD84]

weirdly last week we were talking at work about this kind of issue! we came to the conclusion that people are so wanting to be seen as 'pc and above board' that any slight comment can be seen as racial - it's taken things to the extreme. just like this guys comment. i doubt he meant offence at all - it's his own wife for goodness sakes! yet all the people that comment are trying to prove how non- racist they are by making an issue out of it.

and to me the best bit is, is that sometimes people of certain races and backgrounds use terms that if somebody from another race or background used - it would be offencive. but when they use it amoungst themselves it's ok.

we had a customer at work who was an asian man. he wanted a refund on a product because he changed his mind (i don't do refunds unless something is faulty!) and he accused me of being racist! i was shocked at this and thought it was a low move on his behalf. i'm not racist and i certaintly don't feel the need to prove that by giving him the refund - i told him to jog on! but how wrong is that?!

 

[Shadowy Lady]

yeah, I think everybody has become too politically correct :/ it gets on my nerves actually. It actually motivates the ppl who are not even racist to feel awkward towards ppl of other races

 

[Simply Elegant]

You can be smart and still use cultural slang among others who use it. It's really just part of culture and the two aren't mutually exclusive. People are so PC it's sort of crazy.

 

[banana1234]

hmmmm...
after reading all the comments, i think it is just pointless. i can see it is offensive to be mean about his wife on the internet, i would be upset if my boyfriend posted a pic of me on the net and joked about me, but its no different to me telling my boyfriend that he sounds like a chav when he talks to his friends. (chav is british slang - they wear tracksuits and caps and talk really bad)
the only difference for me is that his wife happens to be of another race, which i'm sure, was not what he was getting at

 

[blazeno.8]

I mean, how we approach race and issues associated with race can be very complex. Some people might view "xterm" as offensive and others view "xterm" as endearing but "yterm" is offensive. There is really a lot of unspecified overlap that deals specifically with what I believe to be an elephant in the room. So many people want to keep the institution of race but change how the institution functions while others aren't having it or were socialized in different institutions with different rules and taboos. I would say that some feel they are being helpful in pointing out what another person says or does. Others feel they are pointing out hypocrisy or playing devil's advocate. Possibly... even some are trying to cover up.