If there’s no substance to their objections beyond “I am offended at this general pattern of behavior”, then it sounds like they are in the wrong, no? When a commoner crosses a noble’s path without proper kowtowing, the noble may feel very offended indeed, and even have the commoner whipped; but in our enlightened times we know better than to agree with the noble, because the commoner hasn’t hurt the noble in any way. That’s the moral standard I’m applying here.
Also consider the analogy with gays. What is it that tells you people shouldn’t get offended by others’ homosexuality? Would you be sympathetic to someone claiming gays should change their behavior in public because he’s genuinely hurt by it, or would you consider that person “axiomatically in the wrong”? If the latter, didn’t you just apply an instance of the general standard that actually non-hurtful behavior is okay even though some people may complain—and even be sincere in their complaints?
If there’s no substance to their objections beyond “I am offended at this general pattern of behavior”, then it sounds like they are in the wrong, no? When a commoner crosses a noble’s path without proper kowtowing, the noble may feel very offended indeed, and even have the commoner whipped; but in our enlightened times we know better than to agree with the noble, because the commoner hasn’t hurt the noble in any way. That’s the moral standard I’m applying here.
Also consider the analogy with gays. What is it that tells you people shouldn’t get offended by others’ homosexuality? Would you be sympathetic to someone claiming gays should change their behavior in public because he’s genuinely hurt by it, or would you consider that person “axiomatically in the wrong”? If the latter, didn’t you just apply an instance of the general standard that actually non-hurtful behavior is okay even though some people may complain—and even be sincere in their complaints?