Unlike you Jim, who thinks that England is a deeply racist country. I bloody well know it is.

My wife is very upfront about it, she says things like - I don't care for racist talk in my house. But mainly to my friends that she didn't like anyway.

One night at her arthritis group, they did a stand up comedy night. Everybody had to tell a joke. One lady, who did wonderful work on the committee, told a racist joke. And your heart sinks.

I'm afraid its there in the warp and weft of where we are now. The Daily Mail (that I buy for my sister when she comes to stay) really deeply offends with at least one, and usually more headlines whenever she stays with me. I don't understand how anyone of normal sensitivities can stand to have it in the house.

Racism is more typical of where are, than we are, who feel the way we do. and that's why people like Keith talk the way they do. they don't realise - its every responsible citizens duty to minimise the effect rather than draw attention. In the present climate - its asin of ommission. Not a black sin - as your posts hint.

I can remember also - trying to explain to a GCSE student from a family with Asian roots. His essay on abortion had to discuss both sides of the question - otherwise it was just a rant, not a balanced essay. Resembling something copied from a piece of SPUC propaganda. The student couldn't see it. As far as he could see it - there could be no alternative viewpoint.

Most muslim kids get religious knowledge lessons at the mosque, and they seem to me to get as heavy an anti-liberal shot of propaganda, as my Catholic cousins used to get.

And when the freedoms that have had to fought for are just discarded - our whole culture seen as some sort of morally corrupt and bankrupt entity. You should be disquieted.

not all Keith's fault. Theres a lot of people like him. And the signalsthey're getting, well - it ain't all good news.

Incidentally the BNP, or someone in their ranks, put me on a few websites as well - a queer lot!