Thanks for that Al - can't see a great deal to argue with there (a few points based on different experiences maybe, but nothing serious)
I was an apprentice for a ship repair firm on the Liverpool docks where I saw Catholics and Protestant (not races I know, but the same applies) work together happily - until the shipping coming into the river for repair slackened off. Then it was like a wall had been erected between the two groups; If you were Catholic you didn't get taken on at Cammell Lairds, Protestants didn't work at Brown's. In the present economic climate race is one of the things that will be used to stop us from looking for where the blame for the present situation really lies - while we're at each others throats we're not bothering too much that the bankers are screwing us to maintain their obscene bonuses.   
I'm more interested in opposing the ideas of racism than squabbling with the people who put them forward, though I am aware that this doesn't always come over in my postings, but this is very much a two way street. I realise that the cause of Keith and I constantly nausing up so many thread lies at both our doors and I'm sure the key to our not stopping it is by our recognising that fact and consciously trying not to let it happen again by both of us taking our share of the blame - can't speak for the other team though.
Must try harder.
Jim Carroll