UK widespread and socially-acceptable racism towards GRT community

[Eftsoon]

GRT = Gypsy, Romani and Traveller

These communities are routinely villified here in the UK. They are hated, and it's quite accpetable and mundane to do so. The Youtube video linked shows how one labour MP delivered leaflets which discussed flytipping, antisocial behaviour and 'Traveller incursions' as issues to be dealt with. Can you imagine replacing 'Traveller' with 'African' or 'Indian'.

It's desperatrely sad. If you are in the UK, please consider how the church might reach out to the GRT community in solidarity.

 

[Handmaid for Jesus]

GRT = Gypsy, Romani and Traveller

These communities are routinely villified here in the UK. They are hated, and it's quite accpetable and mundane to do so. The Youtube video linked shows how one labour MP delivered leaflets which discussed flytipping, antisocial behaviour and 'Traveller incursions' as issues to be dealt with. Can you imagine replacing 'Traveller' with 'African' or 'Indian'.

It's desperatrely sad. If you are in the UK, please consider how the church might reach out to the GRT community in solidarity.

That is sad.

 

[Silverback]

GRT = Gypsy, Romani and Traveller

These communities are routinely villified here in the UK. They are hated, and it's quite accpetable and mundane to do so. The Youtube video linked shows how one labour MP delivered leaflets which discussed flytipping, antisocial behaviour and 'Traveller incursions' as issues to be dealt with. Can you imagine replacing 'Traveller' with 'African' or 'Indian'.

It's desperatrely sad. If you are in the UK, please consider how the church might reach out to the GRT community in solidarity.

I can't speak for GRT in Britain, but having lived in Greece the issue seems to me that they have no desire to conform to the the local society. If they would modify their position, perhaps their travels would not be considered an "Incursion" needing to be delt with.

 

[Eftsoon]

I can't speak for GRT in Britain, but having lived in Greece the issue seems to me that they have no desire to conform to the the local society. If they would modify their position, perhaps their travels would not be considered an "Incursion" needing to be delt with.

So cultural conflict legitimises racism?

 

[Silverback]

So cultural conflict legitimises racism?

No...it is what it is though, European Governments have spent centuries trying to help Gypsies improve their situation, as have churches, synagogues, and Mosques. These efforts have all largely failed, although some locations have had small successes

Most people realize there has to be a little give and take for things to improve, if you thumb your nose at people long enough, they will get sick of you.

 

[Eftsoon]

No...it is what it is though, European Governments have spent centuries trying to help Gypsies improve their situation, as have churches, synagogues, and Mosques. These efforts have all largely failed, although some locations have had small successes

Most people realize there has to be a little give and take for things to improve, if you thumb your nose at people long enough, they will get sick of you.

Can you name any social policies designed to help the GRT community?

 

[trophy33]

GRT = Gypsy, Romani and Traveller

These communities are routinely villified here in the UK. They are hated, and it's quite accpetable and mundane to do so. The Youtube video linked shows how one labour MP delivered leaflets which discussed flytipping, antisocial behaviour and 'Traveller incursions' as issues to be dealt with. Can you imagine replacing 'Traveller' with 'African' or 'Indian'.

It's desperatrely sad. If you are in the UK, please consider how the church might reach out to the GRT community in solidarity.

I do not get your point. You do not agree they have issues, but you want the church to reach them out and help them with their issues?

 

[trophy33]

Can you name any social policies designed to help the GRT community?

Every EU country has literally dozens of policies designed to help roma people. And much money flows to various non-profit organizations helping them. With little or no result.

 

[Tom 1]

GRT = Gypsy, Romani and Traveller

These communities are routinely villified here in the UK. They are hated, and it's quite accpetable and mundane to do so. The Youtube video linked shows how one labour MP delivered leaflets which discussed flytipping, antisocial behaviour and 'Traveller incursions' as issues to be dealt with. Can you imagine replacing 'Traveller' with 'African' or 'Indian'.

It's desperatrely sad. If you are in the UK, please consider how the church might reach out to the GRT community in solidarity.

Casual racism towards the Roma is pretty common across Europe. It's a real Gordian knot, distrust towards outsiders is so deeply rooted it's hard to say how trust and mutual understanding could ever be established. Centuries of enslavement in eastern and central Europe were followed by various other attempts to effectively eliminate Roma culture, whether through separating families or the collaboration of various European governments with the Nazis, and all of that is embedded into that mistrust, a big part of what maintains that us and them divide. People who had nothing to do with slavery or the holocaust only see the present day manifestation of that, a whole group of society effectively living outside of and wanting little to do with that society, which means far lower engagement in education and other social benefits on the whole, and the Roma here in Romania for example are treated with a mix of dumbfounded affection, bafflement, contempt and sometimes outright hatred as parents who had no education pass on the same indifference to it to their kids, some of whom are sent out to beg. Roma who find their way out of that are rare. But what can be done about it? That is a difficult question. There have been and still are many social programs, but these are ineffective at addressing the historical roots of the problem.

 

[Eftsoon]

Casual racism towards the Roma is pretty common across Europe. It's a real Gordian knot, distrust towards outsiders is so deeply rooted it's hard to say how trust and mutual understanding could ever be established. Centuries of enslavement in eastern and central Europe were followed by various other attempts to effectively eliminate Roma culture, whether through separating families or the collaboration of various European governments with the Nazis, and all of that is embedded into that mistrust, a big part of what maintains that us and them divide. People who had nothing to do with slavery or the holocaust only see the present day manifestation of that, a whole group of society effectively living outside of and wanting little to do with that society, which means far lower engagement in education and other social benefits on the whole, and the Roma here in Romania for example are treated with a mix of dumbfounded affection, bafflement, contempt and sometimes outright hatred as parents who had no education pass on the same indifference to it to their kids, some of whom are sent out to beg. Roma who find their way out of that are rare. But what can be done about it? That is a difficult question. There have been and still are many social programs, but these are ineffective at addressing the historical roots of the problem.

Thank you. This is far more balanced, but no one thus far has given me anything concrete with regards to social programmes. I'm inclined to think that there are no such programmes, or they are few and far between.

 

[Tom 1]

Thank you. This is far more balanced, but no one thus far has given me anything concrete with regards to social programmes. I'm inclined to think that there are no such programmes, or they are few and far between.

They vary. During communist times, the militia (police) would forcibly take Roma kids to school (where some of them would jump out of the window!) and generally the govt was keen to get everyone educated and working. Roma families benefited from programs aimed at increasing the population, as they tend to have big families. These days it varies from things like funds for housing improvements and incentives to get their kids vaccinated and send them to school etc. On the face of it it's easy just to think 'why don't they just do what everyone else does?', but if you look at the historical picture that's kind of like asking why an abused child doesn't just sit down to dinner with his abusive parents out of choice.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

GRT are outliers. Discrimination against such is quite natural to humans. To deny discrimination is to deny human nature. This has a wide application if only people could open their eyes to it.

 

[Jipsah]

So cultural conflict legitimises racism?

The Roma are a race?

 

[NinjaPirate777]

Are GRT the kinds of people who you would want as neighbors? If so, arrange to make that happen for some of them. Be the change. It has to start with you. I work with drug addicts and alcoholics every day. People who most of society has given up on. Yet here I am.

 

[Tolworth John]

Thank you. This is far more balanced, but no one thus far has given me anything concrete with regards to social programmes. I'm inclined to think that there are no such programmes, or they are few and far between.

Depends what you mean by social programes.
The traveler communities are entitled to benefit from all social program running in the uk.
They local councils have a legal requirement to provide them with sites etc.