It borders on the moronic to suggest the "almost fascist" Commission for Racial Equality would try to stifle debate on race when its raison d'tre is to get rid of racism - how do you attempt to do this if you don't bring it to people's attention?

How do you do this if you don't talk about it? I suspect what D A Coles (Opinion, April 30) really objects to is the fact that a body whose sole purpose is to defeat racism should exist at all.

Regarding Alan Nunn's comments (Opinion, April 30) on the Macpherson report and the fact that we should act like a democratic country - in a democratic country, the police force must be held to account for its actions.

In a democratic country, an independent inquiry into alleged serious misconduct on the part of the police is a perfectly natural and desirable manifestation of that democracy.

If some people's bigotry and racist tendencies prevent them from liking the conclusions of said report, tough.

-John da Silva, Toronto Terrace, Lewes