It is in our nature to discriminate.
Black, white; tall, short; thin, fat; homosexual, heterosexual; good-looking, ugly; able-bodied, physically-handicapped; intelligent, simple; educated, uneducated; white-collar worker, blue-collar worker; Northern, Southern; this nationality, that nationality; this football team supporter, that football team supporter; this school, that school; driver of this car, driver of that car. The list is endless and endlessly depressing, and every item is a manifestation of the same thing - a perceived difference between one person and another. And we all pick up on some or more of these differences for one reason or another.
I am a white Caucasian male, live in an area with hardly any so-called 'ethnic minorities' and have never experienced racism (in its generally accepted sense). But I am physically handicapped and deformed and have been treated 'differently' most of my near sixty years of life. And I believe that it is solely because it is in our inherent and acquired nature to discriminate against anybody who is obviously 'different' to us - be it skin colour, deformity, culture, or whatever.
Scientists and their supporters can argue til they are blue in the face that there is no such thing as Races of Man, and it won't make an iota of difference to the majority of us. The fact is that if you look (perhaps even sound) different to the majority of folk around you, somebody somewhen will discriminate against you.
This is not a gripe, folks (well, alright, it is just a little bit - even we stoic Englishmen have our limits ). It's just a broad and simple observation on the question of 'Race' by a person who knows what its like to be discriminated against - for no better reason than that he is 'different'...

Regards,

Alex