being ginger...

There's been a bit of controversy lately about ginger bashing.
Firstly, Conservative backbencher Patrick Mercer tried to dig himself out of a hole by comparing racist comments to comments pointed at gingers - actually, what he was trying to say was reasonably sensible, but the media - as always - spun it the wrong way. Then there's the family in Newcastle who had to move house for all the abuse they were getting - I question whether it was because they were ginger, or just complete gits? Surely they weren't the only red heads in the area? Finally BBC News has seen fit to write a magazine article on the rights and wrongs of gingerism.
Now, I've suffered my fair share of 'carrot top', 'duracel' and 'swan vesta' comments but had never thought to equate it to racism until recently. My question is, is there any real difference? Ultimately, both are an 'accident' of birth. In fact, more so in the case of the gingers as it's a gene mutation that gives rise to our rusty locks.
To differentiate against someone due to the colour of their skin is illegal. To make jokes at the colour of one's hair (and pasty skin and freckles...) is perfectly acceptable.
I find it rather strange in the age of celebutantes where children declare they 'want to be famous' when asked what they want to be when they grow up, that someone who genuinely stands out for being in that rare 5% of the population to be blessed with their fiery curls is mocked in the street.

Maybe it's just that the rest of you Hilton/Britney/Jordan Wannabes are just jealous that we are already unique and don't need to have a sex tape released just to be noticed!