THE passing of Nelson Mandela (Madiba) is a sad occasion, but his life should be looked at with the wide lens.

He stood throughout his life to fight against racism, and if anybody still takes the view that people of a different skin colour or of a different language are lower than the “average” white or of a western culture then they should be ashamed of themselves. All Mandela believed in was that there is no difference between a black person and a white person. Why should a white person, with lots of money and power, be able to control a black person?

It wasn’t right then and it’s not right now.

Sadly, I can walk about the city of York and into many a shop, supermarket and in public houses and still hear white bullies being vile about black people.

There have been several cases reported in The Press in recent years recording cases taken to court about racist abuse and that is a positive attitude.

It’s about time the police opened a freephone line to allow people to report racist conversations and for the police to act immediately. You can go to many a football ground and hear the racist chants and it is against the law.

As an ex-Labour councillor and ex-representative to the community relations council, I think it is about time a more active response were taken.

Howard Perry, St James Place, Dringhouses, York.