What? It’s not about an imaginary person. It’s about ME being upset because another Jew or another person is being put down.
Let’s say someone says something offensive about Sephardim, I don’t have to be Sephardi to be offended. I am upset because someone just put down my fellow Jews. It bothers ME that they were put down. Even if c”v the Sephardim died out and there were no living Sephardim to be offended, I would be upset that all the dead Sephardim are being put down even though they can’t be offended because they are dead. I can still be offended.
Wouldn’t it upset you if someone put down your brother or your friend?