<<Irony does not require the use of racial slurs or stereotypes. >>
So effectively there's no way to satirize or parody a bigot who consistently uses racial slurs in his speech. Gee, thanks, Teach, I'll make a note of that.
<<The point could have been made just as effectively calling them by their proper names, i.e., Iraqis, Arabs, Pakistanis, Indians - whichever group of people who wear such headwear you wish to refer to.>>
Wow, lessons in English composition. Writers' tips. Membership in this group is paying off in ways I never expected.
<<So, no, I don't quite buy the 'irony' angle, either. >>
Well, that's too bad. I'll try not to lose any sleep over it. You're probably the only reader in the group who DOESN'T get the irony, but really at the end of the day, I'm not about to make that MY problem.
<<After all, if I had used any of the so-called racist code words for a black man, you, with your anti-American and, specifically, anti-Southern bias, would have been all over it, regardless of what explanation I gave.>>
Actually, depending on the context, with or without my "anti-American" bias, I'd either be all over it or not, depending on how it read, and I wouldn't have to wait for the explanation. If an explanation came, and demonstrated that I was wrong, I'd apologize and move on. But hey, that's just me.