Tolerance is not about 'not seeing' or 'not giving a fig' about colour or creed (which by the way is another form of denial of racism) but about recognising, respecting, and NOT DIMINISHING each person for what they are or who they are.

No - 'not giving a fig' about anyone's colour or creed and dealing with what they say on its merits another not a form of denial of racism. That is still all too apparent for anyone to attempt to deny in any form. It is a realistic approach and the only way for us all to deal fairly with everyone else.

As for such an approach DIMINISHING each person for what they are or who they are - it is exactly the opposite. It is not limiting our approach to one of continuing to judge each other based only upon on one's racial grouping. Which remains only a result of an accident of birth.

I have no problem with you feeling proud or needing to celebrate or defend your racial grouping but not everyone has the same need. However, I suspect that I may be accused of being a racist if I openly were to celebrate mine in the same way?

You are perhaps saying to Azizi - "look you don't belong to a specific group of people who, provably and observably, have been shockingly treated through racism - you are an individual just like me and I don't go around representing anyone but myself and I (and all my friends) don't go around getting offended at perceived slights, so get over yourself, you should be doing the same thing - being more like me?"

I am saying to Azizi exactly what I said to her. Perhaps it is you who is expecting everyone to be and think more like you and diminishing them by not allowing them to treat others as they think best?

If someone offends other individuals by what they post here - I do not have a handy 'ism' to accuse them of and have to deal with them about this offence on a personal level. I could start a thread called 'Responses to posters who may have offended me in some way' but you may accept that such a title would not attract as many posters as the title of this thread will? And my title would have been unlikely to have received a sympathetic response form you or any response?   

In that case would I have been justified in expressing something like the following?

When I see an offensive comment that is followed by multiple posters talking around that post, I interpret that to me that this doesn't matter to you as much as it matters to the person who belong to the targeted group.

Some of the most blatent racists comments that I have read or heard personally expressed have been from black people - just as some of the most blatent sexist comments I have read or heard are from women. Does that mean that these people must be racists and sexists?

Does it also follow that those who do not write or express such comments can't be not racists and sexists?

I suspect not. What this clear does say is that some people feel free to write or express such things and others do not feel so free to do so..........I am not sure if this current situation is addressing racism and sexism in any positive form or the use of such labels is just keeping a temporary lid on a pressure cooker that will eventually have to explode?