[JohnW]

Sorry to join the thread so late, but with regard to the Mexican joke. This is very relevant here at the moment. America has literally millions of illegal immigrants, many of them Mexican. So really, the joke, in my opinion, was quite funny, especially as no earthquake has actually happened. Had there been an earthquake and two million people had died it would not have been at all funny. I think if we are to make jokes about death and tragedy they should not pertain to any actual happening.

I remember another joke, many may think is racist about the black guy on the dockside at Liverpool trying to get home to Jamaica or wherever. He was 50p short for the fare so went out on to the street and asked some guy for 50P. The guy asked him what the 50p was for and was told it was because he wanted to go home to Jamaica. Here you go says the guy, here's a fiver, take nine of your friends with you as well.

As this doesn't relate to any particular incident and as it pokes as much fun at the Englishman for thinking it only costs 50p for the full fare to Jamaica, I don't consider this to be a bad joke. However, I am quite sure that some people would consider it a racist joke.

Here's another one:

Three guys in a jail cell in South Africa, two whites and and black guy. The two whites are talking and asking each other why they're in the slammer. The first guy says he's in for attempted rape. "How long did you get?" says the other guy. 5 years he says, but the judge said that if I had actually gone through with the rape he would have given me 10 years. " What are you in for?" he asks. "Attempted murder" says the guy, "and I got 10 years, but like you, the judge said that if I had actually gone through with the murder he would have given me 20 years." They turn to the black guy and ask him what he is in for. "Riding a bike without lights" "How long did you get?" they ask. "20 years" he says "but the judge did tell me that if it had been dark he would have given me 40 years!"

Here again, this joke refers to a sad situation in general terms but does not specify some particular happening. It also pokes fun at the stupidity of a system which abuses people because of the colour of their skin. I think this is a funny joke, but I am sure there will be people on this forum who consider it racist. Ah well, we'll see if the karma starts to disappear eh?

The point I am trying to make is, I don't think it matters in which country you live, everyone has different senses of humour and what is acceptable to one is not acceptable to another. I suspect as far PC stupidity goes, if anything, America is even worse that the UK.