THE word of this past week in Newport has to be this: "offended".

The reaction to Cllr David Atwell's comments in the debate about the potential merger between Newport and Monmouthshire councils is the most-commented story on our website, and I am not surprised, though the fact our commenters somehow get in a reference to Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn does impress.

I am not surprised at the number of comments because there is so, so much leeway for people to be offended, and there are so, so many people who have become offended for so, so many reasons.

This is what he said: “I will just state this for councillors. Small is extremely beautiful. It’s just like a woman. Better to handle and provides an excellent service, just like our officers, staff and elected members of this city council. I suggest that we oppose [the merger] and stick to our guns and remain as we are and continue to fine tune our services.”

Cllr Atwell later told the Argus the points about small being beautiful “like a woman”, and being easier to handle were two separate statements.

I suppose I have always thought of Cllr Atwell as being a grandfatherly sort, someone not exactly at the cutting edge of what is or isn't acceptable in these modern times, someone who wouldn't necessarily worry about it too much if someone was slightly offended by something he said.

So I was a little surprised when Cllr Atwell told one of our reporters that he was offended because some other people have been offended by his comment likening small councils to women. Perhaps he was joking - again.

Let's hope he isn't offended by this column, or maybe I will have to get offended by that too, and we will be in a never-ending circle of taking offence from which it is unlikely this city will ever recover.

Humour - it's a minefield as any stand-up comedian will tell you.

We now live in a society where it is not only commonplace to take offence and be vocal about it, but to put forward the argument that we should all be apologising for comments on the basis that someone else finds them offensive.

Sorry is no longer the hardest word. It is a demand.

I shall perhaps surprise some of you, and perhaps offend you, when I say that I don't think Cllr Atwell should apologise.

Because Cllr Atwell was not inciting someone to hate someone else because of their race or gender.

He made a bad joke.

It made me roll my eyes. I suspect it made many women and men roll their eyes heaven-wards.

Do I think his comment out of touch with modern society? You bet I do.

Do I think it more than a little unwise when 51 per cent of the electorate is female? Hell, yes.

Do I find his humour entertaining? Not on your life.

Do I think he should apologise for it? No.

Because Cllr Atwell will always pay the ultimate price for his comments at the ballot box.

If you don't like any councillor's comments or politics, there is a simple remedy - don't vote for them.

Tell them you disagree and why - I'm all for a little dialectic to get the blood flowing. Marshall and put forward your arguments, try to change their mind if you believe it needs to be changed.

Agree to differ if that dialectic process fails in coming up with a fresh, new perspective, if there is no meeting of minds.

But stop expecting people to apologise all the time.

When did we become such a bunch of desperately needy crowd-pleasers?

IT has been good to see your photographs of Michael Sheen on his way around Gwent filming for his documentary about the legacy of the Chartists.

He's been spotted filming in Blaenau Gwent and in Blackwood as well as in Newport City Centre.

While Newport has a proud Chartist tradition, it is sometimes easy to forget the important role that people from places such as Tredegar, Ebbw Vale and Blackwood played in the march which ended in slaughter in front of Newport's Westgate Hotel almost 175 years ago.

Chartism was a movement which united campaigners for social equality from all areas and from all backgrounds.

It spoke to those who instinctively felt that rotten practice and inequality needed to be swept away.

Now, more than ever, it seems that Chartist spirit is desperately needed to counter those who protect vested interests and promote inequality.

Let's hope that Newport, such an important site in the 1839 Rising, has a commemoration befitting that spirit.