Diane Abbott’s unfortunate twitter exchange on the caucasian penchant for the devious has been the subject of every radio phone in and TV news talking heads segment today, with many decrying the comments as racism.

Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. I’ve been quick to accuse people of that and worse in my time - often when they’ve committed no greater crime than lack of tact and slowness of thought. Occasionally, I’m ashamed to admit, I’ve been quicker to accuse because of political leaning or a past display of prejudice.

But what’s more important, from a moral standpoint - the content of Abbott’s tweet, or the way one responds to it?

The league of white, male, privileged, relatively rich people queuing up to feign hurt or distress at such comments on the telly is frankly, unseemly. It’s impolite. It’s ungentlemanly and crass. As a relatively rich, straight white man who lives in a good neighbourhood, I’d like to respectfully ask them to button it.

Some of my ancestors did some pretty horrible things to the rest of the world. Things that bring shame on my heritage. And now, arguably in part as a result of those horrible things, I enjoy a comfortable existence.

If I have to take a minuscule amount of time away from enjoying the fruits of those horrible things to be (perhaps unfairly) vilified for it, so be it. Call it a free punch and take it like a grown up.