Imo this is a discussion worth having, but I seriously doubt there will ever be any real agreement on the subject. There's a lot of anger and raw feelings on all sides.
Part of the problem is that the words 'racist' and 'racism' have been thrown about so freely that their impact has been reduced to the point of now being nearly meaningless.
It is apparent all through this thread, for instance. And, in nearly every discussion of race that I've seen on this forum, as soon as opinions are not exactly alike, many posters begin calling those who dare to disagree with them 'racists.' It's boring, predictable, and contributes to further cheapening the words and ideas related to 'racism.'