If we have to always be on the lookout for something that might be offensive to someone, somewhere even if it wasn't meant to be offensive - how do we live?

A family with cotton on a stem as a part of a floral arrangement or as a centerpiece was offensive to a black person because it reminded her of slavery.  My friend has a boat-themed room - is that offensive because slaves came over on a boat?

The response here is just over-the-top.  Not everything has to be a personal attack and offensive.  This behavior is contributing to the political/social/race divides in our country.