[JadeNB]

> Most often, people who use such disclaimers really aren't racist. Or if they are, it's by accidental ignorance, not purposeful maliciousness. In any case, it's more productive to respond with civil discourse rather than claiming offense and biting their head off.

I don't believe that I bit anyone's head off (but maybe you weren't claiming that I did).

As for a claim of accidental ignorance, I don't buy it in the context of the "I'm not racist, but …" disclaimer. If you are aware enough of how you sound to say that, then it seems too much to claim that any actual racism is accidental.

In fact, what I meant to say here was not that racist-sounding remarks are always racist and should never be heard, but rather that someone who wants to say something that sounds racist, but that he thinks isn't, had better explain why it isn't rather than just asserting that it isn't.