THE moral of the story from councillor Patricia Moore’s disconcerting comments, ironically made at a public meeting, is whatever is said in the dark, will fortunately, come out in the light.

But what her remarks are also representative of is a dark and uncomfortable truth that a subsection of people believe it is reasonable to hold racist attitudes and beliefs, provided they are kept private.

So outward displays of racism should rightly be condemned, but when the prejudice exists in your head or is purely kitchen table talk, the same logic does not apply?

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This is what’s inherently wrong with that way of thinking.

Since birth our belief systems have been groomed by our surroundings, influences, the information and individuals we encounter and is being stored in a subconscious area of our brains ready for when we encounter unfamiliar situations.

Now bear in mind the first half of this phrase, widely attributed to Gandhi: ‘Your beliefs become your thoughts. Your thoughts become your words. Your words become your actions.

'Your actions become your habits. Your habits become your values.’

These processes are automatic and when left unchecked, lead to subconscious racial biases which in several countries are the difference between life and death.

Thoughts have power.

It is unacceptable for anyone, especially someone in an elected position of political power, to label racism or discrimination of any kind as a joke.

And it calls into question the values a person holds, if this level of complacency is OK.