you of all people i wouldn't expect to change people's words. what i am saying is...there is "baggage" associated with "nigger," or "kike," or "chink," or "redskin," for that matter, and i haven't been shown that "A-rab" carries the type of baggage those words do. so to term what is merely an alternative pronunciation offensive does strike me as out of the ordinary.

and would i be surprised if someone associated "colored" with white racism? dude, i know you ain't been here that long :) but no, i don't really see any black americans getting up-in-arms about someone saying "colored," other than to pointedly note that is not what we call ourselves. and i can understand that aspect of indignance when someone says "A-rab." but offensive? no, i can't really empathize.

edit: one more thing. black AND white people say "A-rab," and we DON'T just use it when saying "disparaging" things about middle eastern folks. you glided over everything else i said.