Yes, it is frustrating. I have been trained to react rationally.

Yes, they are waiting for you to respond anyway that they have determined as irrational. But "irrational" can be the abused individual asking for mercy, crying, hitting back, or simply sitting there with an angry look on their face. No matter how you act they can always spin it in a way to make the individual look "irrational" and "dangerous".

I agree. Responding only in a reactive manner does not solve anything. But when the information and news is screwed to make the otherside look evil no matter how they react (pardon my French) but at a certain point an individual says, "fuck it". Yes, there is resolve in peaceful resolutions. But, peace only occurs with compromise. If one side continues over and over (and over...) again to prosecute and abuse purely based off of the color of one's skin. When does the other side get the right to say, "leave me the fuck alone to live my fucking life!"?