When is it okay to be offended on someone else's behalf?

I've often heard that it's a bad idea to take a perceived moral high ground when defending members of a group who's being offended, if not outright persecuted for who they are or what they like. I can see some of the logic behind this, but since such things are usually empathy driven, are they always wrong?



I know this is kind of broad, but what's the difference between being supportive of a minority group overcoming their plight and just being a nuisance (however well-meaning)?

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