I think we’ve probably exhausted this particular conversation now, however I think it’s really important to make the point that if someone calls someone else the N word then that is racism in its most basic form. It doesn’t matter if someone else thinks that person doesn’t seem racist or if that person was pissed or if that person seems nice or whatever other ‘mitigating circumstances’ it might have occurred under. By saying the word, a person is insulted because of their skin colour or ethnicity and THAT IS RACIST.
I agree that the word is offensive and a racist term, but:
There is still a difference between a racist act / behaviour and "being a racist". It is not the same.
And to reveal some personal information: I am actually not from the UK, did not grow up in the UK and English is not my first language.
I have experienced some racist behaviour in the past and do have a sense for people, so it is not as I am naive and unaware of the problem.
But frankly: this one incident was over ten years ago, JB apologised publicly despite not having been named publicly (he came out with it himself), he was drunk, grieving his sister, his friend had been charged with assault and he behaved in an overly aggressive way using a racist term.
Since then he supported BLM, LBGT groups and animal rights.
Why does this incident need to define him? Is there no compassion for people making mistakes? It seems to me that those people that so persistently scream "racist" are less tolerant than those having behaved badly themselves and frankly: I find this more disturbing.
Most of them couldn't even name the person he insulted, nor why.
This is also more concerning for people belonging to minorities as there is less understanding for (cultural) differences.