I never found killing Nazis on sight during a war to be a problem. The Greyhawk orcs were taking over nations one and sometimes two at a time, enslaving and murdering entire populations indiscriminately, under dictatorial demi-Gods trying to conquer the world. It's never been an issue in our games that heroes fight back.
That is the difference. In the case of Humans, the analogous Nazis are a "faction" that is committed to doing an Evil ideology. In the case of the 1974 Orcs and onward, the entire "race" is Evil. This demonized "race" is "primitive" "tribes" with "witch doctors".
In 2024, I expect Orcs to have a "Gruumsh faction" that is likewise committed to doing an Evil ideology. These Gruumsh fanatics can be killed on sight. If the Gruumsh Orcs dont want to be killed on sight, they can stop being members of the Gruumsh faction.
I view Gruumsh as personification of "rage". I feel it is a mistake to connect the entire Orc species to Gruumsh. In a way, it is accurate to say Gruumsh is a creator of the rageous aspects of the Orc Adrenaline Rush. The Adrenaline can be joyful daredevil thrill seeking, facing any challenge, competitive sports, terrified escape and empowered confrontation, and also uncontrollable rage when a person "loses it". Gruumsh specifically associates with the aspect of rage. The Gruumsh faction embraces rage existentially. For the faction, they seek an altered state of the mind where this rage is the entirety of reality.
Like Humans, all Humanoids experience rage at times. Gruumsh can appeal to their losses of control as well. The Gruumsh faction includes Nonorc species as well as Orcs, and they intermingle. Compared to Humans, Orcs experience adrenaline surges more frequently and more profoundly. Orcs can channel these surges toward Good goals, to face challenges for Good purposes. But when succumbing to obsessive blinding rage, Orcs experience the Evil aspects of rage more profoundly, and then more affinity with Gruumsh.
It truly isn't impossible to ignore the racism when that's not the analogy they're based on in your game.
I am confident, Gygax and Arneson and the designers thru editions are nonracists. The racism shows up accidentally or in poor taste humor, and always in the context of looking for "entertaining" tropes for a D&D encounters.
When racist tropes do show up, it is good to call attention to them and to remove them. It is especially important to keep the D&D core rules free from racism.
You asked me what kinds of orcs I use and then I answered. You then you implied I was racist for using those kinds of orcs. Which sure seems like a needless personal attack. I'm not trying to police your game, so why are you trying to police mine?
I assume you arent racist. If someone suggests such, it would offend you.
I am calling attention to the tropes in play, where those tropes come from, and some of the less admirable implication of those tropes.
For example, say someone says something foolish like, "That woman is so beautiful every man wants her." Well, no, not every man. The one who said this might not mean to be homophobic, but that is actually a hugely homophobic thing to say. Stuff like this happens when not paying attention to the implications of what one is saying.
Same goes with racism. Sometimes D&D texts miss the mark, require a rethink, and so the game can move on better.
But we've been over this probably a dozen times this past few years. I don't see how another discussion would be productive.
I agree. As far as I know, everything that needs to be said has already been said. 2024 is in process of acting on the awareness.