Separation barrier for Slovakian Romas

[FlamesAddiction]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8548417.stm

Apparently not the first time a fence has been built to separate Romas from the rest, but this time the government actually paid for it. Do you think the people are justified in wanting this?

I was actually ripped off by a "gypsy" when I was in Bosnia, but I try not to let it make me judge them as a whole people.

Edit: Just to clarify for anyone who doesn't click the link, it is not a country-wide thing... just in one town.

[VladtheImpaler]

You cannot begin to imagine how much the people in Eastern (and Central) Europe hate the gypsies. I was quite shocked when visiting Prague and Budapest last summer not to have seen a single one...

[Envitro]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8548417.stm

Apparently not the first time a fence has been built to separate Romas from the rest, but this time the government actually paid for it. Do you think the people are justified in wanting this?

I was actually ripped off by a "gypsy" when I was in Bosnia, but I try not to let it make me judge them as a whole people.

Edit: Just to clarify for anyone who doesn't click the link, it is not a country-wide thing... just in one town.

I lived in Bosnia until I was 11, then moved to Canada.

Gypsies are despised there because for the most part they live in their nomadic ghettos (if that makes sense), they are typically involved in some kind of law-breaking enterprise, and they are well-known to steal children and teens and sell them to gangs/organized crime and prostitution rings. The worst of the worst.

However, with all that said I'm sure there are lots of Roma's that do well and are law-abiding citizens, but they're still in the minority...

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by VladtheImpaler

You cannot begin to imagine how much the people in Eastern (and Central) Europe hate the gypsies. I was quite shocked when visiting Prague and Budapest last summer not to have seen a single one...

Growing up, if I was bad, my parents used to say that they would "sell me to the Gypsies"... but it didn't carry the same weight growing up in Canada.

When I was in Bosnia, there were sometimes gypsies that would stand outside of tourist attractions and ask for entrance fees to things that are free. I paid $20 to get into a mosque that I later found out was free and then another $10 to get into a public park before a local warned me about what was going on.

Ironically, many in the area seem to really like gypsy music though.

[mykalberta]

My cousin mentioned the same thing, them charging money for free tourist spots. she also mentioned that if you tried to just ignore them they became very pushy.

If I had to deal with migratory shanty towns I would want a wall built to protect my property as well.

[amorak]

When I was in Paris a little bit ago, they sent all their young girls to you with their bellies pushed out yelling "BABY, BABY!" and demanding money.

A certain other CP member would then chase right back after them yelling "BABY BABY".

He was on to something - Give them a taste of their own medicine and they get very confused and run away. For the people who were charged money by Gypsy's for entrance to free spaces, I suggest standing beside them asking them for money for kiosk rental.

[Table 5]

Whenever I'm in Slovakia visiting relatives, and pass by these ghettos (and they really are tragically filthy), I do feel sorry for them.....and then you see them pulling off crap like mentioned above, and the feeling goes away. A lot of it they bring on themselves, but it's gotta suck if youre a gypsy and don't want to live that lifestyle and want to be accepted into regular society. Unless someone is a musician (every wedding has to have a gypsy band), people look at them like pure filth....because often they are.

[Flame Of Liberty]

Well I see BBC is on top of things again, this "new" wall was built in october last year, and no the government didn't pay for it, the town itself did.

As for gypsies themselves, I think they have bigger problems than walls. But thats a HUGE can of worms...

PS If you remember the whole "visa for czechs" thing last year, those refugees who caused the whole uproar were almost all gypsies.

PPS If you want to see real gypsy ghettos, you should go to rural Romania. Now THATS some hardcore stuff.

[Hack&Lube]

This is a problem in europe along with many other ethnic groups. I was mugged in europe, but by moroccans.

The open borders of the EU means that you will find people from all stratas of society and ethnicities in every country.

There was a good display about the Roma in the museum of human rights in Belgium. There are a lot of problems. The Roma don't want to assimilate into the societies of the countries they move into. They are intent on their nomadic, sparse lifestyle. It does not gel well with the EU countries and natives which often find Roma begging on their streets, etc. and these people are ostracized as well.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Flame Of Liberty

Well I see BBC is on top of things again, this "new" wall was built in october last year, and no the government didn't pay for it, the town itself did.


.

That was my fault. I read that they used "public money", and interpreted it as being paid for by the government. It was a lazy mistake.

[octothorp]

Since we're just telling random gypsy stories, I got mobbed by a gang of about 12 kids when in St. Petersberg. I was able to fend them off (I now know for a fact that I can beat up about a dozen undernourished 10-year-old kids) and the only thing they managed to steal was a case containing my glasses. When they saw that they were prescription glasses that would be pretty much worthless to them, they just dropped them and took off.
A Russian later explained it to me in this way: the Roma system of morality consists basically of the belief that everyone should do what's in their own best interests... an extreme ethical egoism. Robbing you is in their best interests, but you defending yourself is in your best interests and equally acceptable to them. In my situation there was no reason for them to run off with my glasses or toss them into the river because there's no self-interest justification in doing so. It would have been done out of spite, which is a concept they don't really have.
This Russian fellow (who may have been making it all up) went on to say that gyspies are typically amused by the sense of altruism other culturals have, but their own sense of ethics allows or even encourages them to take advantage of it.

[CaptainCrunch]

Ilona Costa Bianchi: Ah, yes, of course. The Gypsies, they gave you your soul. The Gypsies are filthy people.
[spits]
Ilona Costa Bianchi: And we shall speak of them no more.

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

This is a problem in europe along with many other ethnic groups. I was mugged in europe, but by moroccans.

The open borders of the EU means that you will find people from all stratas of society and ethnicities in every country.

There was a good display about the Roma in the museum of human rights in Belgium. There are a lot of problems. The Roma don't want to assimilate into the societies of the countries they move into. They are intent on their nomadic, sparse lifestyle. It does not gel well with the EU countries and natives which often find Roma begging on their streets, etc. and these people are ostracized as well.

I was told this is why Switzerland has been slow to join the EU.

[Nage Waza]

Israel builds some walls to defend against suicide bombers and missiles, and the world weeps. The neighborhood next to mine recently built chain link fences to keep us from gauking at their houses, and the world is silent.

[nik-]

oh jesus, here we go again with the Israel rants.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by Nage Waza

Israel builds some walls to defend against suicide bombers and missiles, and the world weeps. The neighborhood next to mine recently built chain link fences to keep us from gauking at their houses, and the world is silent.

i'm thinking they didn't put too much forethought into that decision

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Anyone else remember when a band of visiting gypsies robbed liquor stores in Calgary?

In January, their scams were caught on store surveillance tape in Calgary. The tape showed the clan swarming a mom-and-pop liquor store en masse - some of them distracting clerks with swirling skirts, flapping shawls and loud conversation, while others spirited a safe out the front door undetected.
No weapons were ever used.
The spree came to an end Jan. 12 after their minivan was pulled over by police following a botched scam.
They later admitted to stealing almost $14,000 from two liquor stores.

http://www.canada.com/topics/news/na...2c37e3a&k=4458



I could only imagine the WTF look on the clerk's face as this band of gypsies shows up singing and dancing, all while someone hoists the safe out the door (they must work out....)

[shermanator]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

.

Quoting for another look at the awesome rack.

[Byrns]

Gorgeous George: It's a camp site, a pikey campsite...
Tommy: Ten points.
Gorgeous George: What we doing here?
Tommy: We're buying a caravan.
Gorgeous George: Off a pack of in' pikeys? What's wrong with you? This will get messy.
Tommy: Well not if you're here.
Gorgeous George: Oh, you ! I in' hate pikeys!

Turkish: [narrating] It turned out that the sweet-talking, tattoo-sporting pikey was a gypsy bare-knuckle boxing champion. Which makes him harder than a coffin nail. Right now, that's the last thing on Tommy's mind. If Gorgeous doesn't wake up in the next few minutes, Tommy knows he'll be buried with him. Why would the gypsies go through the trouble of explaining why a man died in their campsite when they can bury the pair of them and just move camp? It's not like they got social security numbers, is it? Tommy - the tit - is praying. And if he isn't, he ing should be.

[_Q_]

Originally Posted by Nage Waza

Israel builds some walls to defend against suicide bombers and missiles, and the world weeps. The neighborhood next to mine recently built chain link fences to keep us from gauking at their houses, and the world is silent.

tsk tsk... poor Israel, when will the world just accept them?