these things always play out like this. someone makes an stray comment and everyone pretends it didn't happen. then it happens again, and they let it pass. and then it happens again, and they give it another pass. if it keeps up, eventually the past transgressions pile up high enough so there is an incident that, while it may not be inconsistent with prior behavior, puts the whole pattern in context and triggers a reaction. that's why it's called a "tipping point."
the only weird thing is that there just is no telling when the point will suddenly tip.
