Sir, - Aine Ni Chonaill's opinions (June 7th) may be farcical, but her ignorance of terminology is dangerous.
Social scientists place the word "race" in inverted commas for two reasons. One, there is no such thing as an Irish race or even a "white" race: all of us share nearly all of the same genetic heritage and all of us have mixed backgrounds anyway. Two, insofar as there are some differences of skin pigmentation and other physical traits between people, these do not define their characters, capabilities or personalities. They should not therefore ever be the basis for the exclusion of a group by another; each of us should be judged as an individual.
Racism, by contrast, does exist. This is because is it an attitude in the minds of those who are racist. The fact that it is founded on a vicious and false doctrine makes it no less real to its victims. - Yours, etc.,
Piaras Mac Einri, Director, Irish Centre for Migration Studies, National University of Ireland, Cork.