IT is in our nature to react to almost every single incident and hope that it will somehow lead to a counter-reaction. Sometimes it is better not to react at all.

I say this because I am continually exasperated that online forums such as newspaper websites should have to switch off comments on a story because of opinions which are clearly racist.

The problem is the person who posts these things often does not think their post to be racist or derogatory towards another religion or minority. If no one tells you otherwise then you won’t actually realise it is.

Now, I understand not everyone is posting nonsense all the time. People have a point and they are free to post their opinions. We may not agree with them but they are there.

The issue I have is that there are folk who are fast to post anything on articles when a minority individual or group features.

The idea being that the more one posts the more one is able to blame that minority group for the great ills of the world. I admit that a person’s background and culture can affect a person’s decision but not the majority of the time. It has got a bit ridiculous now.

People I sense feel safer to post content that is overtly racist from a distance.

I am going to be honest, we should not really have to switch comments off on any article. It shouldn’t happen. If one was to judge society based just on comments put under articles on newspaper sites we would think we were surrounded by a whole load of prejudicial people intent on blaming everyone else for every single one of the world’s problems.

We are forced to delete posts which are offensive. Just because the poster doesn’t think they’re offensive doesn’t make it okay.

I do think this is an issue that many newspapers are having to deal with on a daily basis because we have folk who are clearly prejudiced against a minority and they want to vent that frustration from the safety of their homes and anonymity.

This stuff festers and it can snowball and make others think it is okay to act this way.

But it does not have to be like this. Here’s an idea. Anytime you have a problem with life or minorities email skhan@nqnw.co.uk or call 01254 298263. I will, like I did in the last minute of a Sunday league match in 1999 when we were 3-2 up and I brought down an opposition striker when he was through on goal ... take one for the team.