Okay, switch the story to NYC. I only switched it to London because I'm officially out of the closet as a Brit. Change the story to anywhere in North America and see how it sits and how it feels. That'd make it a valid switcheroo.

The whole Transatlantic thing is pertinent because the UK was part of the economic triangle. West Country city ports like Bristol and Liverpool were heavily involved in the slave trade. We also had (and still have) systemic racism. The UK isn't a racial utopia - it has, however, embraced a softer form of social democracy. That's particularly true between 1997 and 2010 and that period saw a gradual softening of the populace and their views from where things were in the 1980s and 1990s.

As I've said elsewhere, the point of this article isn't about policing what can and can't be said. People can write what they like - but if what you're aiming for is a gradual reduction in racism, this isn't the way to go. That's my opinion and people can and should hold each other to account for what they say and how they say it. As I did with the original author and as you've done with me. Progress is messy, it isn't megaphones.