Hi Alan,

[SNIP]

>Yelling "you rat" at someone, is of course offensive, but probably understandable in the circumstances you stated. However, blacks have, for far too long, been made to feel like something less than human, and when you yell, 'you black rat', you've crossed the line. In English anyway, the statement spices up the insult of 'rat' by seeming to make it even more insulting by insinuating that 'black rat' is even worse than just 'rat' - however it was originally meant. What that statement's result is that as low as being a rat is, being a 'black' rat is even lower. Yes it becomes a racist statement.

Maybe this has to do with your cultural history. We don't have that racist history over here in recent history, AFAIK. Anyways, I still disagree: There should be no difference between "Black rat", "Yellow rat", "Red rat" and "White rat", or else you're are discriminating as well.

I think we have to agree to disagree on this one.

Walter,