Good title, and absolutely true.

Being offended, like being a victim, is a weapon used to shut people up. Unfortunately, too many people fall for the trick. Worse, busy-body lawmakers increasingly pander to the permanently offended.

Being offended is a weakness or a coward's weapon. It is pathetic.

Exactly, losing control is a conscious decision. And just letting go.

Better to walk outside and twice around the block while we cool down and rationalise our intended and proper response! And a sign of maturity.

There are better outlets for negative emotions and include the punching bag, the chopping block and such.
Alan B.

The situation is that smart people are being silenced to avoid offending stupid people.

It is fine for a society to set rules for its members so that other members can enjoy living in a pleasant/desirable environment of their choosing.

This may include a prohibition on saying things that others do not want to hear - why not, and this has nothing to do with the others' ability to block their mental/emotional ears if they want.

But a precondition for setting such rules (and many others), is that the rules are only imposed on members who freely agreed to be members of that society.

In the case of states, that condition is not being met!

Offence is taken, not given

So, that's how racism is perpetuated ?

“yet whether anyone is indeed offended, insulted, humiliated or intimidated is up to the receiver of the message. … But while they can be powerful, emotions are within our control. No matter how bigoted, ill-informed or obnoxious, our reaction to someone else's words is always up to us.”
Absolutely. Whatever the provocation, how we respond is our own responsibility. If you practice Vipassana meditation, the non-sectarian technique taught by the Buddha, you find that we constantly react to sensations which arise and pass away within the body with great rapidity, and it is our reactions which cause pain etc. When we learn to observe these fleeting phenomena with detachment, with equanimity, we can live a peaceful, harmonious life, good for us and good for others. Conversely, we can harm ourselves by our negative reactions.