> "Not to excuse it" comes out because your brain feels the need to say that, in the same way. No. Its not the same thing. People who say "I'm not racist but .

> "Not to excuse it" comes out because your brain feels the need to say that, in the same way. No. Its not the same thing. People who say "I'm not racist but ..." are attempting a pre-emptive distraction from their own breaking of a social norm. I wasn't doing that. And you have no idea know what my "brain feels the need to say". I don't even know why you'd think you do. I could have written "I think he was the product of the different times he lived through. That doesn't excuse his behaviour, but I think it explains it." But I was short of time: that's all. And I'm going to leave it at that.