::::Excuse me, actually, no.  "Very few of us Brits" nothing.  A lot of people recently arrived find nothing wrong with the word, as do many of the staid older generation who are so proud and decent people that nothing would phase them, but those of us who have lived through the 60s/70s, or in my case, grown up with the effects on children in the 80s, the term IS offensive, not nice, pretty darn nasty, and shouldn't be used.  There is nothing pleasant in using a word which had always been a term of abuse, contained in which is so much power and derision, towards people today.  I would have thought that we could rise above racial taunts.  Nigger was a common word for black people in the United States and now has been recognised as offensive, when once it wasn't.  Pom was always offensive - who now decides that it's okay?  Next will I accept that 'dirty little faggot' is okay?  I think not.  And if an Australian ever called me a bloody whinging pommie bastard to my face, I'd deck the racist little s.o.b.