Dr McKenzie is a societal psychiatrist, specialist in causes of mental illness, racism and social capital

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The Soham murders attracted a lot of media attention not just because it was the murder of two defenceless children but also because it exposed the whole uselessness of the system by which persons deemed to be a risk can slip through the net. Any murder is abhorrent, black on black, white on white. What is also abhorrent is when the PC brigade jump onto the bandwagon by trying to instil in us a sense of collective guilt whenever a coloured person is murdered. I feel a sense of sadness whenever anybody is murdered; my pity is not conditional on the colour of that person's skin. By the way, I am a white, middle class, professional person. Name and address withheld

The issue of institutional racism in the press was raised by the most senior police officer in the land to criticise media coverage of a police investigation. Let's consider that for a second. What business does the Met Chief have in pronouncing on the focus of the media? As far as I'm aware, he is paid by local taxes to take criminals off the streets, not play PR in the papers. He's doing a very bad job of that. Also, given that his force has compounded its killing of the wrong man by covering it up, surely he should be considering whether he's really the right man for the job? Jonathan Jones, London

Soham became the centre of a media storm for several reasons, none of them to do with institutional racism. Sir Ian Blair would do well to remember that one of these reasons was the utter incompetence of the police in identifying Huntley as a potential threat to children. Whatever your colour, race or creed, the fate of those children should make your skin crawl in revulsion. What happened in Soham spoke to every parent in this land. Sarah Jane Marquis, London

As soon as everyone stops this black-white nonsense and realises that the UK is predominately white, so there are more stories about white people, then I think a harmony might be found. I'm currently travelling in Brasil, where you don't hear about black or white stories, just about people, with hardly a mention of skin colour. Name and address withheld

I don’t believe there is institutional racism in the press, but there is a bias. It picks the crime that will sell newspapers. Holly and Jessica were angelic and beautiful children - that is why they were featured. The same with other cases that have been publicised by the tabloids in recent years. If the person who had been murdered/assaulted/abused was ugly or not photogenic, then the press would not bother. It is not what can we do for you, but what can your murder/crime do for our circulation? Glenn Renshaw, Newbury

The reasons for press reporting conveniently change between the moral obligation to print the truth and the obligation to the shareholder to print what sells papers. If they are racist, it is only when it is convenient to be so. Dominic Foster, Bristol

This is like the pot calling the kettle black for Ian Blair to accuse the press of institutional racism. He only needs to look at his own police force to see a significant minority having views akin to the BNP. People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. Clean up your own back yard first, Ian Blair. Mike Godfrey, Denia, Spain

Am I alone in seeing the existence of the Black Police Officers' Association as racist? Personally I have no objection to the BPOA, but its mere existence does make Blair's words and his position ridiculous. Blair should take Sir Bernard Ingham's advice and keep his political opinions to himself. Our angst in this issue is undermining the culture and social fabric of the nation. I do not want to see BNP marches on our streets, but neither do I want to see blatantly anti-semitic demonstrations that we seem to tolerate these days. This nation is not perfect, but it is a lot better than many who shower criticism and abuse on it, and we should be rightly proud of 90 per cent of its culture. The words racist (and Islamophobe) are used these days to shut down what should be a serious debate on our culture, equality of opportunity and justice, often when the "racist" is winning the argument. Name and address withheld

As a black woman I am sick of the term “institutional racism”. It truly causes more problems than it solves. Why should a newspaper, with a particular constituency, tailor its coverage to other readers? The Voice certainly does not. Surely the essence of multiculturalism is the ability of different communities to express themselves, and they have opportunities to do so. This, to me, seems like another instance of our minority-as-victim culture, in which minorities and their “feelings” must be at the centre of every debate. The real issue for ethnic minorities in this country is realising and accepting that 92 per cent of Britain is white and has a right to be so. Name and address withheld