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What Barriesmart said was offensive, no question. However certain posters who seem to have appeared on the TES forum from this forum i.e Loucas/Lucas did not just say that Barriesmart was offensive, they then were rude to other people on the forum. There were several people on that forum who were hving a reasoned and sensible debate regarding Autism and ASBOs However someone has come onto this forum and dismissed the whole thread as disgusting and others have subsequently encouraged others to report people for things that they deem offensive. It's great that this forum is polite and supportive but it's unfortunate that some of your members seem to want to go and cause unpleasantness on other forums. I don't think if you actually look at the thread that anyone, except barriesmart, has suggested that use of the term "dinky" is anything other than offensive. Yet anyone who disagreed with the premise that autists should never been given ASBOs was decried as somehow inhuman and unfit to be a teacher.

I think if you didn't read the whole thread then you are not in a position to comment. That is just my opinion. Sorry but language can be offensive. Certain words are considered to be offensive and are even defined as such in the dictionary, you know which words they are. As was pointed out on the other thread, no argument or debate is ever enriched by throwing insults.

I would say that all of those who stated that Barriesmart was a man, or referred to Barriesmart as he, clearly hadn't read the thread and therefore they would seem to be jumping on a bandwagon. I don't find strong language offensive, I find profane language offensive. I don't find it more offensive than discrimination and I can't see what basis you have for saying this.

It strikes me that a lot of people have just jumped on the bandwagon here without actually knowing what is being discussed. It is clear that many posters didn't read the TES thread and therefore weren't in a position to comment. In addition complaining about something you haven't even read is appalling and amounts to something of a witch hunt. Unfortunately in your eagerness to condemn those who you find offensive many of you have managed to be offensive yourselves. I don't think that calling anyone a loon is particularly polite and might be considered pretty offensive in itself. Also offensive language on any forum is unwarranted and certain posters who appear to post both here and TES are pretty foul in their language.