Brian, thanks for responding. You and a lot of people feel as you are expressing here. That's why this problem is so challenging. To put it in the gender context, I know a lot of women who are intimidated by the loudness of some men's voices. So whether it's rxce/ethnicity or gender, both parties have a choice. They must first decide if the relationship is worth working it out (vs. walking away or going to human resources). If they do decide it's worth it, then someone has to adapt. With my woman lens, I can tell you that I have stood there and listened to many a man talk with passion, reminding myself that it's just his way and he is not threatening me. As a Black person who speaks emotionally, I still do try to modulate my tone in some settings at the cost of feeling artificial, but doing so because I know the person would regard me as over the top. The main point I am making is that if we want to live in a multicultural world (and I'm mindful that some people do not), then we cannot assume that feeling threatened is being threatened. We can respect cultural styles of communication. Again, thanks for a thoughtful response.