True Stories - Gypsy Blood

[thenightsky]

Anyone watching this? Shocking.

[IrnBruTheNoo]

I must admit I was not impressed with the cock fighting or the skinning of animals, but that says more about me really. I'm not used to seeing such graphic images. Have gutted fish, but that's not quite the same as gutting deer!

[IrnBruTheNoo]

Yes, I see where Sasha is going with this. What she's meaning is that long ago it wasn't that unusual to be told 'if you don't watch your step, you'll get to see the back of my hand in a min' or another good one when growing up (DH tells me his DM used to say this loads) 'if you don't behave you're getting sent to Barnados, would you like that? Would you?'. So really, it's just done slightly differently by the traveller community by using alternatives like 'cunt' and 'drowning you alive'. Really daft things said in the heat of the moment. The way the programme was edited does make it look because you're only getting a snapshot of what happened at the time, not the before and after.

I personally have more respect for others and especially for my own DC so I would never use offensive terms, but to the traveller community it's a typical way of talking, they are fairly rough and ready (IMO).

[Nancy66]

I doubt if all over the country there are 7 year olds in boxing rings battering each other in the name of 'family pride' while their parents scream at them and refuse to let them quit.

[Chottie]

I found the whole programme deeply distressing. There was so much emphasis on violence and fighting.

[SashaSashays]

No I don't think calling your 3 year old a cunt is good parenting, but as I said I think the overall parenting is rough. The guy didn't say it in an aggressive way, it was said much in the same vein as saying you little bugger. Maybe he doesn't view the word as being that offensive, some people don't. Even if it is rough its not abusive. They clearly all love each other.

The boys certainly didn't beat the living daylights out of each other, if you go to boxing gyms round the country you can see young boys doing the same but it happens in a ring so its 'ok'. I know boxing is really unpopular on mn though so I'm not that surprised by the reactions.

My DM is a social worker who has always worked with kids, so I guess she should be considered someone who knows what good parenting is. When I was a child I was told to stop crying or be given something to really cry about, I was smacked and things like being skinned alive would be threatened. All this often in front of colleagues. Nothing was said, because in reality and in lots of families thats quite normal. Everyone knows its not real, you can tell from tone, behaviour and their other interactions. Maybe you didn't have 'tough' parents so its not something you're familiar with but nothing on that show was deserving of the term scum.

Also I think calling them scum is awful and says more about you than them.

[TreadOnTheCracks]

If anyone intervenes, SS or school, they just withdraw the child and/or move on. It is a very delicate situation for school.

[Nancy66]

Sasha - really?

You think calling your 3 year old a 'cunt' is good parenting?

you think telling your 9 year old off for crying and saying if he doesn't stop you'll cut his leg off and give him something to cry about is good parenting?

What about making two clearly distressed children batter the living daylights out of on another?

Kicking your kids?

letting children watch violent videos?

The 'it's our way' line they trot out is bollocks. They are scum

[SashaSashays]

Just got round to watching this. I cannot fathom what certain posters are referring to regarding abuse and SS. I don't know if its because I come from a boxing family but nothing in this programme shocked me at all. Out of interest what would we be expecting SS to deal with and do?

I wasn't particularly impressed by the cock fighting and the fact that they don't seem to think certain laws (seatbelts, carseats, driving whilst on the phone etc) don't apply to them. I also certainly wouldn't say that the fact fighting happens so regularly is positive, or the benefit of there being such an emphasis on the subject although I'm not sure how much of that was edited or influenced by the shows presence, but it does seem to be the way issues are resolved in their culture, and realistically lots of people do fight. If you go into various town centres of a night you can see it, at least in the gypsy fights (most of the time although clearly not always) there are referees and lots of talk about being clean and fair. It generally doesn't appear to be just brawling.

The kids and I suppose the overall parenting is a bit on the rough side but I think they both came across as quite loving even good fathers. Both encouraged the children to try at school, were openly affectionate, the children seemed happy and confident and both the fathers featured openly said infront of their children that they don't want them to fight and they should try to avoid it. The boys were learning to box which happens in hundreds of boxing gyms across the country. I imagine if its not something you're used to seeing it can take you by surprise but its not that unusual, just like the hunting, wouldn't be my choice but its a hobby for a lot of people in this country.

[11112222]

Shocking on so many levels. To be proud of it too.

[Perriwinkle]

norriscoleforpm people who are want to see an end to the horrific abuse that is female genital mutilation have very much sought to interfere in other peoples cultures - and a bloody good job too. It's only a shame they don't take the same view about male ritual and non essential genital mutilation.

People can call it ethnocentric if they want to but when children are being abused, mentally or physically society has a right, indeed an obligation, to intervene to stop it in my view. Who cares two shits if it's their "culture"?

The way those poor children are being socialised to glorify violence, cruelty and general thugery is a crime.

[Kendodd]

Story here

[Kendodd]

I remember a case in Plymouth (I think) as couple of years ago, a group of women where prosecuted for encouraging/forcing a couple of you children to fight and filming it. I think the group included the mother and grandmother. They weren't travelers though, although that makes no difference's to me, child abuse is child abuse and culture can not be allowed to excuse it.

I hope the fathers in this show and also prosecuted although sadly I doubt it.

[norriscoleforpm]

splendid spelling there in my post

[susiedaisy]

Shocking programme, don't know what was moe upsetting tbh it was all horrendous

[norriscoleforpm]

Well I watched this last night and was astounded! What a hideous way to treat little boys - 'if he loses a fight, I'll drown him'!!!! And the little lad in the back of the car too scared to cry!! I know it's 'nothing to do with anyone outside of the culture' but that really doesn't make it ok, or does it?? The fight at the end with the two boys actually made me cry. I asked dh, who has had a lot of experience with traveelers coming into pubs he's managd and he said that this is why so many ouns close when travellers are about - they really think the laws do not apply to them. I worked for a while with traveller children but never came across anything as vile as this.

[Perriwinkle]

It made me feel utterly sick from start to finish, and very sad too. I fet I needed to watch it though because I thnk everyone needs to be aware that this goes on. It's no way to just sweep it under the carpet. I was left thinking what would be worse - to be born a gypsy girl or a gypsy boy?

The bit where the two little boys were made to fight while those adults watched on was shocking.

It might be their culture but it's a culture which is lacking in so many ways, socially and morally.

Why do people get up in arms about other cultures where they practice female genital mutilation yet not get up in arms about the gypsy culture which seems to abuse children by subjecting them to all sorts of violence?

And how was that bloke driving around on the public highway when he claimed to be illiterate? Don't you have to take a theory test these days in order to get a driving licence, which requires the ability to be able to read?

Hunting with dogs and cock fighting - all illegal too.

Talk about them being a law unto themselves.

[starsandstripes]

It actually made me feel sick, the fist fighting the hunting, cock fighting, the way the little boys were spoken to by their fathers. the two boys fighting at the end even with gloves. Just all sickening.

Fair enough they know where food comes from but seeing an animal skinned at such a young age not for my sons thanks. Lack of care like letting the toddler sit on his lap
whilst he drove the van pulling the trailer on the open road.

[cantgetlaidingermany]

That is also madness...

[SaggyOldClothCatPuss]

but it's ok. Because that is their culture.

[cantgetlaidingermany]

Horrendous.....he called that little lad a cunt because he got his shoe wet.

He was a mental case(not politically correct language I know) honest to god that level of rage and violence is not boding well for those kids. And kicking the dog for defending the boys, why is SS not all over this?

[limitedperiodonly]

Thanks

[SaggyOldClothCatPuss]

Channel 4

[limitedperiodonly]

I meant to watch this. What channel was it on? I'll see if I can get it on catch-up.

[pigletmania]

I agree its and disgusting, especially watching very young children fighting. I just started a thread in AIBU too its horrid.

[spingey]

They do live such differnt lives to us, almost old fashioned in many ways. It was very interesting but very graphic. I could just about cope with the dogs killing the animals but the two lads fighting at the end was pretty hard to stomache. They were only about 7 and even though they had gloves on they were battering one another!!! Was awful and went on for ages.