Well now I've been educated. But I probably learned something other than the intended lesson.

[alarimer]

56. On Twitter, several were outraged at Ricky Gervais using it.

Imagine that. A crass, British comedian using that word. Well, it spurred the outrage police. Mostly Americans, I noticed.

I don't like the word; I don't use it, but I am not shocked when I hear it. I watched "The Thick of it". They didn't use the c-word, but they used one very closely related to that. ALL THE TIME. It was hilarious.

And free speech doesn't mean you are free from consequences of using certain speech.

We have the right to be offensive if we so choose, but we don't have the right to dictate how other people feel about whatever we say (as in "You shouldn't be offended&quot . Yet, no one has the right to go through life never being offended. That's impossible. So it's a fine line. Audience and context are important. I would be offended if such a word was directed at me, but used in a joke? Not so much.