should I be offended?

[HaveIgoneMad]

I have posted before about my partners dad and I did receive a lot of support there but yesterday I got into a conversation with him, which admittedly I should have avoided and just ignored the message so in a way it is very much my own fault, but a comment was made and I am very offended by it and I'm not sure if I'm over reacting or not.
I mentioned that I had been very ill and was told "I know red hair means crap blood". Now I've heard multiple ridiculous myths and nasty comments surrounding redheads growing up but I have never heard that. I feel like that was a nasty, unnecessary jab at me but not only me but his two grandchildren as well who have my hair! I showed my partner the text and was told to ignore it (standard response from him to be fair). I could well be over reacting, I was bullied horrendously growing up about my hair and it's a bit of a sore subject.

He comment was rude and insensitive.

Know what you mean when you say you shouldn't have got into the conversation but don't apologise for him. You shouldn't have to watch what you say when it's an every day conversation.

Does he know you were bullied?

I haven't read your previous thread so I don't know the background of your relationship but to me, a total outsider, it seems to me like your FIL is just spouting some insensitive old wives' tale rather than being purposefully hurtful or personal? I have no idea obviously as I know nothing about his track record but, based purely on this, I think I'd be inclined to think, dick, but just ignore it to be honest.

Agree with the PP that this just sounds more like someone spouting a stupid old wives' tale that they believe about health, rather than being spiteful. It's nonsense, but it's not offensive. But as I haven't seen your other threads about your dad I don't have any context to go on.

Have a go back.
If he has false teeth call him a gummy bear,if bald he` jealous.
GET THE PICTURE ?.

Or failing what @KUGA says, call him a vile old cunt and then get nasty.
I find massive over kill tends to dissuade rude bastards and persistent telephone marketers.

I'd reply back to his text something along the lines of "I'm long used to receiving abuse about my red hair as I received a lot of harassment growing up. As you've felt it necessary to make a comment, I'm giving you a friendly warning that as a mother I have a zero tolerance approach to anyone making derogatory comments about red hair to, or in front of my children, so probably best to knock them on the head now. Thanks."

If you have to ask whether you should be offended or not, then surely you aren't actually bloody offended?

i wouldn't give it the head space tbh, it's hardly offensive and he is just being a bit of a dick. i'd ignore the text and get on with my day.

Red heads are often iron-deficient anaemic.

WOW Grumpyunleashed you got the picture spot on well done you, lol.

🙄 if you feel offended then be offended. If not, then dont.

Its ok

I don’t know if it’s true that redheads are more prone to anemia but if it is the polite and kind thing to do would be to say that rather than substituting the words ‘crap blood’ for anemia.

I am normally very passive but that was so outrageously rude that I would be tempted to go back to the text thread and say something. I wouldn’t be personally abusive but I would say something like ‘that was a very hurtful thing to say. My blood isn’t crap and neither is the blood of your two GC. I’ll think twice before discussing our health with you again’. He may well be pissed off but I would be so mad I wouldn’t care. Hell, I’m mad already and he didn’t say it to me!!

should I be offended I don’t know, should you?

You and you DH are both right ..

You have the right to feel offended and YANBU to feel offended.

You also should probably just forget it and move on (what else can you really do?)

Thank you for the replies, the reason I asked if I should be offended was because I was wondering if I was being over sensitive about it. I was offended but I wasn't really sure if I had a right to be.