It's difficult waters because sometimes the context is unclear. The user and listeners may not be thinking the same thing, a mistake which goes both ways.

His point was well-argued, but it seemed a little shallow to me... the real issue is the meaning behind the words and how clear that meaning is from the context they are spoken in. It's true that when nigger sees the light of day in normal contexts, it gradually loses the source of its power, but until that day comes where it's just another word, people who are offended by its usage to signal hateful attitudes (as it arguably was in the original diary that started it) have valid complaints. I thought 4thepeople went too far by trivializing their reactions. That's really my only point.