Me thinks you are losing it and that statements like this one are well worth groaning:
Looks like most simply picked the first post to express the feeling they got over the entire thread about the OP. That's why the number of groans slowly increased over the day as the discussion developed.

Ok, I take into account that the OP is Canadian. Does that allow her to say that Switzerland lacks respect?

I think is this end all be all "this sh1t is offensive" that gets the groans. and the swiss system encouraging.. etc etc etc"

I'm offended does not equal It's offensive

There's a mexican saying." el que en pan piensa, hambre tiene" "he who in bread thinks, it's hungry". If you see that in a harmless display of kids, well you have to look at yourself and what makes you so irritated.

It is when it comes to ability to create vitamin D in weaker sunlight.

Yup. This thread was resolved on the first page. It's the intention behind the act that counts.

I grew up near Detroit, and that entire area is infamous for having extremely high racial tensions. I would put money on it that, if some white person walked down the street there with a "blackface," he or she would have the **** beaten out of them in no time (and perhaps rightly so, considering the amount of racism that African Americans have had to endure for so long and how hard they've had to fight for their freedom).

I suspect (or would at least hope) that the Swiss would be more sensitive to the "blackface" thing if there were more Africans here and especially if Switzerland had a history of racism against them, as the US does. (In fact, I myself am actually a bit amazed when I realize how often I do NOT see black people here).

Anyways, having grown up in such a racist environment, I have (thankfully) never managed to become de-sensitized to it. And, as a white person, I really do try to remain "racially sensitive" because I know that what may not offend one person may offend another.

I also would have felt like my integrity was a bit offended if I had seen those white girls walking down the street with "blackfaces." But at the same time, I'd need to step back and consider the context and intention.

Its only offensive because its easier for white kids to paint their complexion dark but for dark kids it would be quite difficult to do that, unless they go Michael Jackson.

And that's what makes it ignorant and pathetic.

I know that I certainly didn't drop all the expectations and anticipations I'd developed "back home" as soon as I applied for my first permit, I'm sure no one else did either.

So, to groan at her for her "knee jerk" reaction just proves that "you" still have preconceived notions about what people should expect and anticipate from others as well. You're the same... groan yourself.

Is that really how evolution works?

I think Micheal Jackson really may have had that "disease," though (where his complexion is lightening in blotchy spots). I went to a college of about 3,000 people in the US and there were at least 10 black people there who had that "disease." It almost looked as if their skin was peeling off and I certainly couldn't blame anyone for wanting to conceal it. I even learned in an Anthropology class that they may be losing melatonin in their skin, through evolution, because of migrating to colder climates and no longer needing the higher levels of melatonin to protect them from African sun. Sorry that this is off topic.

Let's flip the script. What if 2 black students came to school dressed in stereotypical traditional Swiss attire. To make the costume authentic, they apply white face paint and put on blond wigs.

Would this be offensive or just a bad costume?

(Sorry I deleted my post before realizing you had quoted it, and then I re-posted).

But, yes -- I do believe that evolution works primarily according to "environmental necessity", and I suspect that Darwin would agree.

depends.. if they sat around with stony faces, eating fondu and putting on skis then this would be fine

Frankly, I find the term "blackface" far more offensive than kids dressed as tribal africans with painted faces.

So many things fundamentally wrong with this statement...

Please look it up... you don't just magically change to suit your environment, it's a very long process involving many many many generations.

Edit: WTF!!!! how!!!

Neither. It would be a great costume and I'd have a good laugh. That's what costumes, humour, carneval, dressing up is for - having a laugh at things and not taking things too seriously to defuse and make light of tensions in a society. There are many festivals like that all over the world, and they all seem to serve a very similar purpose. (What was that ancient Roman festival called again where slaves would celebrate as equals with their masters and even ridicule them?)

That said, it's great to be sensitive and considerate in daily life, but when it gets enforced through laws and customs it can easily become a very oppressive force. And it's a typical cultural trait of the Swiss to oppose such tendencies, hence the very un-PC culture here. We could endlessly discuss the relative advantages of hidden vs. open racism and prejudices but that's not the point. The OP herself was just so much more ignorant and culturally insensitive with her rant than those kids ever could be, hence the many, imho fully deserved groans.

Chapelle did it in his show. I found it hilarious!