The Loyal Opposition

Once, when I first began teaching, I was conferencing with a student who was making an argument that, I came to realize, was racist.  I don't remember the specifics of it, but I pointed it out to the student who was appalled.  We fixed the problem and moved on.

But then it occurred to me:  was that my job?  This was a regular Composition class in which I was teaching argument.  Was it my job, as an instructor, to stop the student from making a racist argument?  Or was it my job, as an instructor, to help the student make the best racist argument she could?

What about your job as a tutor?  How do you respond to an essay that offends you?