I think sometimes Shambles isn't too clear. One would hope he just didn't express himself well and doesn't realize what he said. Just in case you DID mean it, Roger: let's say a person's offended that they have to share a bus or school with a black person. In what circumstance would this NOT indicate they're a racist?

What I said was clear and it remains perfectly clear. It was this.

And at the same time anyone who was brave or foolish enough to post here to say that they found it offensive and hurtful to have to share a bus or a school with a black person would be labled a racist.

Jeri - Perhaps you could first say whether you are in agreement with what I actually did say here before you go on accuse me of saying something I did not?

For what I certainly did NOT say - is that the label of racist in this instance would be at all undeserved. As far as these labels are helpful and they probably are not very - I probably consider that anyone of any racial grouping who first approaches any and every issue from their racial standpoint - could probably be labelled a racist. The queston is there anywhere can we can go positively from that simple judgement?   

If we have leaned anything from history - it should be that when any racial grouping makes demands upon the thinking and behaviour of another racial grouping - it will be problematic.

But my main issue with Azizi's position remains one of music. To me this universal language presents us with our one chance to work together through all of our differences and demonstrate that common interests can and should come before our racial backgrounds and history. To also first approach music from looking back at your own racial perspective is to miss or limit the opportunity that this universal language presents for us all to move on together. Probably something that all of our ancestors would welcome....

To a lesser degree it is also a difference of the use of the written word. Does it really matter if we always know what racial grouping posters come from? Can we not just agree or disagree with what is said? You could always assume that every poster is whatever colour you wish them to be rather than assuming that they are not of your racial grouping. It is possibly not helpful to also assume that without being from a particualar racial grouping and without that direct experience they are too stupid to appreciate the things what may cause offence to another racial grouping.

Perhaps if your racial grouping matters so much to you - it is probably reasonable for you to think that it also matters as much to others. Perhaps this aspect just does not matter to many posters here?