Pretty sensible stuff from Gabriele Marcotti in the Times also:
Gabriele Marcotti
1. Until we accept that being a racist and engaging in racist abuse are two different things, we won't get very far.�And, in that sense, it was disturbing that Liverpool's statement went out of its way to underscore the fact that Luis Suarez is not a racist, pointing out that he has a black grandparent, his involvement with a race-related charity and his captaincy of a multi-cultural team like Ajax. �
You call that sensible? Parentage also is a red herring in the "I'm not a racist" arguement.
Context and intent is the key (partially explained later on) - but that opening statement is redonkulous.