Racism and Other Animals

Two siblings can have offspring that within three or four generations can be as different as black and white. That makes it hard to understand what is meant by race. Many visibly distinguishing genetic features exist but color seems marked for discrimination. Those who indulge in this discrimination, with apology to those who work in the salon and comic books industries, should be labeled colorists.
Were the spectators who performed monkey gestures and noises at Symonds being racist? Some tried to explain that being compared to a monkey has a different connotation in Indian culture going as far as to mention that Hanuman is revered. Would that mean that calling Hair a fat cow would be indicative of his holiness? Certainly Bush has been called a monkey many times (http://politicalhumor.about.com/library/images/blbushmonkey.htm) which makes one wonder why his clone Ponting has not been called one yet? If you are in any doubt about Ponting being a Bush clone please see (http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ci/content/image/217618.html), and if you have questions about whether he can be compared to a monkey please see (http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ci/content/image/315705.html). Why are we so averse to being described as our closest kin when we would proudly accept being called tigers, cheetahs, and panthers? Does it hit too close to home reminding us of our frailties and inanities? Is it self hate? Why not embrace it? After all monkeys are also intelligent, mischievous, playful and sometimes vengeful creatures. Even though I am opposed to mascots in cricket, if we are to go that way let me suggest, "The Pakistani Monkeys".
Then there were those who suggested that Symonds was actually a shade lighter than many Indians so it could not have been racism. This was also a strange argument. It is not uncommon in the subcontinent among many people that they do prefer a lighter skin than their own. There is a color complex. If you don't believe me just browse the papers to see how many ads appear proclaiming this cream or that will make one so fair that within hours of using it the user will have suitors lined up.
And then we saw the other side of the monkey business. Those who had lined up to take their shots at Malik for his innocent comment thanking muslims the world over (for somehow in their twisted minds it was an offense to Indians) now wrote dissertations on how the Symonds incident was taunting and not a case of racism and that things were being taken out of context by those who did not understand cultural differences. All these diminish the real problems.
When cases like Hair appear in front of tribunals they make light of a very serious problem.