It doesn’t make you right. I don’t know where some got the idea that, just because you found something offensive, you have a right to do anything about it. If you see something offensive, you have the right to look away. If you hear something offensive you have the right to ignore it, leave, or tell that person that you don’t like what they said. If they don’t care, maybe you don’t want to be around them.
In the workplace the rules are different, but elsewhere you have the right to leave. If you find a store offensive, don’t shop there. If you think a movie or tv show will offend you don’t watch it. If a museum has an offensive exhibit, don’t visit it. If you find zoos offensive, don’t go there. If Mike Hosking offends you don’t listen. If a celebrity’s comments offend you, don’t see their movie or buy their music.
The NZ Bill of Rights spells out many rights we have as citizens, but the right to not be offended is not one of them. People who are easily offended need to be offended more frequently until they lean to get over it.
I found it disturbing that a recent survey found that 20% of students believe that violence is acceptable against speech or speakers they find offensive. That offends me, so therefore, by their own standards, I can use violence against them. I wonder if they thought that through?
When everyone has to walk around on eggshells all the time because they are afraid of offending someone, the world becomes a boring place. I doubt there has ever been a novel written, a movie filmed or a song sung that someone hasn’t found offensive. As far as I am concerned, those people can go fuck themselves, and if that offends you, you can join them.