Why do people still think it's ok to use racist terms re gypsies?

[GingerbreadGingerbread]

I am from a Romany gypsy family but a couple of generations ago. You would never have a clue if you met my parents and came to my family home as it was only on one parent's side and my mum and dad are wealthy and I am privately educated and have an academic career. However I am ashamed to say that I am nervous to tell anyone of my heritage. I am proud of my family and my gypsy grandparents who I was closer to than anyone in the world and spent the most time with whilst they were still alive. They were honest, principle led and amazing people. However I lost count of the number of occasions educated seemingly nice normal people come out with: "they are just disgusting gyppos aren't they?" Just now a colleague burst into my office saying someone had stolen his fork and they must be a "thieving pikey gyppo". Why is this seen as acceptable? It's disgusting and just makes me dislike the arrogant ignorant idiots! Are any MN willing to come forward and admit to using this language and explain why they find it acceptable?

Beyond are you referring to me? If you are then I am sorry but I am not entirely sure how my post managed to offend you quite so much.

Unless you really hate spelling mistakes......

Noooo, definitely, it's another post. Mine just happened to come after yours :)

"Gypo" and "pikey" are terms I hear all the time and i hate it, my husband works in a factory and unfortunately it's common place there, I tell him it's as bad a saying "paki" or the like but he doesn't see it (sigh).
Just small minded people who have no regard for others feelings.

It's unacceptable to use racist terms in any scenario, I don't use racist terms at all.

I wouldn't use them in relation to gypsies / travellers.

However, unfortunately op, a small number of travellers (Irish in my experience) do give travellers (of all origins!) a bad name, because of some of their behaviour. This of course, does not justify anyone hurling racial abuse at them or others, but I can understand people's (non travellers) frustrations because some of the behaviour I have witnessed is unacceptable.

Having said that the behaviour of a lot of non travellers is unacceptable too.

It's unfair to tar all travellers with the Same brush obviously, but I can (unfortunately!) see why it does happen.

For instance, in the village I used to live in a train from a garden centre got stolen by travellers. It was there for 20 years running children about the garden centre before it was stolen.

If there was not so much bad behaviour I think there would be less hatred and racial abuse to be honest, though like I say there is absolutely no excuse for racial abuse. It's okay to be angry and frustrated at bad or anti social behaviour, but it makes you just as bad as the person you're angry at the minute you start hurling the word 'pikeys' about :(

I too am of Romany descent, my bm being pure Romany.
Having met many from the family, even though i don't like the terms used, they are very fitting in most cases.
Do they deserve racial abuse no, but I'm sorry ime most don't help themselves
The real Romanies don't travel anymore and have been landowners since the laws changed. Mine are worth a small fortune but would sell their granny for tuppence, leave a family member dying at the side of the street so they didn't get done for drunk driving. I have a long list and they are typical of the other families I meet and read about through my research.
It's lovely and romantic to say you are Romany, nothing to be ashamed of and there's nothing you can do about the family you were born into. Am I proud, most certainly not.

There's is a whole world between proper Romany gypsies and the Irish travellers who are going round my area destroying all the playing fields at the moment.

I've never head an bad word said about the former. I don't know many who will stick up for the latter though. Their reputation is deserved imho.

What's wrong with saying that volleyballmum?

This may be of some use to highlight some misconceptions.
I use this site regularly.
romanygenes.com/

veryproud

Please read the link, there are no specific origins of Gypsies, romanies or other travellers.

Around here when ever the gypsies turn up the local asbo contenders take advantage of racism and up their criminal behaviour and blame it on the gypsies

Veryproud, I'm really sorry, but I thought it was something to do with tarring boats!

On googling, I couldn't see a definitive origin, but noticed it is used in a lot of articles about racism (in the way it was here, rather than as an example of a racist term).

It was me who used that term. I have NEVER heard it used in a racially abusive way, it is common term where i live.

I sincerely apologise if i have offended anyone.

However, if it makes you feel sick just typing it, perhaps you have bigger problems than me.

I've never heard it used in racist manner either tbh

It's commonly said around here

It doesn't seem as though a lot of people realise it is a racist term. What your nan said is obviously racist though!

The origin is the verb to tar, meaning to defile or dirty, known from the early years of the seventeenth century. The idiom appears in print first in 1818, in one of Sir Walter Scott’s novels, Rob Roy: “They are a’ tarr’d wi’ the same stick — rank Jacobites and Papists.” Our modern form appears in William Cobbett’s Rural Rides in 1823: “‘You are all tarred with the same brush’, said the sensible people of Maidstone.”
The idea behind it is that two individuals who have been liberally daubed or painted with the same tar brush look much the same and so appear to have the same characteristics. The links of the colour black with matters that were detestable, dishonourable or evil also added to the negative sense.

I didn't know the origin of tarring either. I'd wager if I asked the next 50 people I meet if they did, most wouldn't. I won't use their term again, but Ignorance of something like this is not shocking. I still manage to live a respectable(ish) life ;)