The best put down of this phrase I ever saw was on a sketch show (I forget which one).

Person 1: I'm not racist but I do believe people of different ethnic groups have different abilities.
Person 2: I'm not sexist but I do think women should stay at home while the man goes out to work.
Person 3: I'm not a chiropodist but I do remove corns from people's feet for a living...

There is a state legislator here in Kentucky named Elanor Jordan, who happens to be black, and she tells a funny/not-funny story about another state legislator that is now Louisville's Congresswoman, Anne M. Northup. Shortly after being elected to the legislature, Rep. Jordan noticed that many legislators including the entire Louisville delegation had introduced themselves at one point or another except Northup. Time passed, and Rep. Jordan got settled in.

Then one day, at a social event, out of the clear blue sky Rep. Northup approaches Rep. Jordan and says:

"I adopted two black children."

No, she didn't say, "Hello, my name is Anne Northup. Oh by the way, ...." That is how she introduced herself. Some Louisvillians don't like Northup for a number of reasons, often for being out of step with most of her constituency, but this is one story I always mention to people when I get the chance.

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