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?

'A touch of the tar brush' and 'tarred with the same brush' are two completely different sayings and meanings, one is racist, one isn't.

I'm afraid you've got your knickers in a twist over nothing volleyballmum

I didn't know pikey had any racist connotations. I thought it was like chav, so not nice, but meant a person who is likely to steal stuff and is generally a bit dodgy.

Ffs, i did not know the origin. I searched the net for possible racist terms, trying to, you know, educate myself, rather than spout off.

Get off your high horse for Gods sake.

Else i will be tarring all volleyball mums with the same brush😉

As per usual, this is where the thread turns and posters start to say how they have no problem at all with Gypsies, it's the terrible Irish Travellers who cause all the problems and give all Gypsies and Travellers a bad name.

I'm saddened the thread is going that way but not one but surprised!

I've always thought tarring with the same brush is treating everyone in a minority in a particular way because of the actions of a few individuals

Makes a lot of sense

Well, this is going well isn't it...

Veryproud, If it is such a well known racist term, I am surprised at the number of authors of articles about race and gender inequalities who use the phrase - when I typed it into google these seemed to be the majority of articles where it appeared.

One of my (many) cousins kept using the word 'gyppo' in Facebook statuses. Having Romany heritage, I messaged her privately and explained that it was offensive and asked her to stop saying it. She said it again in another status and her sister was exceedingly rude when I commented (as politely as possible), so I deleted her. That was a few years ago now. No big loss.

Yep, sorry, derailing the thread.

As per my first post on this thread, i have had only negative contact/experience of travellers - my heart sinks when they arrive in the village - but i am sure there must be some good news stories about such a wide community of people?

In other news, words/phrases that (allegedly) originate from the same word/phrase/concept as an offensive thing are now just as offensive as said offensive thing!

I'm with you op. I hate this too and spend a lot of time reminding people it is not something my organisation will allow.

but i am sure there must be some good news stories about such a wide community of people?
By that do you mean stories actually published by news sources? Why would they ever do that? Who would be interested?

No, i really meant on here Ratatta.

I have had only negative experiences, but would guess that others on MN can report some positive experience that might go some way to stopping me tarring everyone with the same brush.

The word pikey is used round here in reference to chavs. I've never heard anyone refer to travellers as a pikey, though I can see people do. We have a town where there are a lot of gypsies nearby, and tbh when there are problems I have heard and seen on fb that they are referred to as "fucking gypsies".

It is a hot topic around here, though to be honest, my neighbour is a massive MASSIVE cunt but he lives in a house and is really wealthy but because he doesn't live in a caravan, etc he's not a social nuisance

Fuck.

I'll get me coat.

If past experience is anything to go by, this thread will be deleted sooner or later. It's a shame that a serious discussion of the prejudice faced by Traveller and Romany communities can't be had without it descending into a thread overrun with prejudice. Ironic and predictable.

When people suggest that their prejudice is justifiable because they have had bad experiences with some members of a particular community, I feel like banging my head against the wall. Imagine if a person's only interactions with the British happened to be with football hooligans. Would anyone here think that it would therefore be appropriate for that person to think that every British person is a violent drunken antisocial arse? No, of course not. And it is just as appalling to make sweeping generalisations about any group, based on bad experiences with some individuals.

I could relate several good news stories Rattata but I doubt anyone would be interested.

Travelling communities round here stay on common/Council ground and every bit of thieving gets blamed on them, but they keep themselves to themselves as far as I can see and the last bit of land they stayed on was pretty pristine after they left as far as I could tell (and I walk there an awful lot). I don't walk that way when they are there as it would be like walking through a caravan site tbh, where people are, y'know, living, plus their dogs are running free and my dog is a bit of an arse about loose nosey dogs.

The majority of posters on here, where they have had negative experiences have stated that they do not use derogatory terms, and understand that not all people who are part of a travelling community are the same.

But Dot, the ONLY experince i have had (over ten years, three or four times a year) has been horrendous. I am not saying that 'they are all the same', i am saying i have had no other experiences to draw on. I would love to hear positives,

And yes, i could well believ that if the only contact a foreigner had with the British were football hooligans, then they would believe all Brits were hooligans. It is not right, but if that is all you experience, then, without further input, how can i feel,differently.

We have had acres of shit left behind when they leave, despite council providing bins, fencing destroyed, fires lit, destroying large areas of land, dogs roaming free, terrifying passers by whilst owners stand laughing. There is a genuine feeling of menace at times. I am sorry if that offends, but it is my experience. I WANT to hear the positives, i WANT to understand better, i am trying, honestly😊

www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/uk/article4244871.ece

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jan/15/acceptable-racism-gypsies-travellers-prejudice

apologies for last link...