Political correctness

[Zen]

At least someone agrees political correctness works both ways.Any comments folks ?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/200 5/09/07/ngipsy07.xml

[bernardo]

I think that the wording of the letter was deliberately and overtly argumentative and provocative and was making a political gimmick rather than a serious point.

[ll_billym]

I found that article very funny and although I agree that it was a gimmick, it got me thinking about the subject and that, I suppose, was the aim.

[Romeo]

While I agree that leaving rubbish lying around is completely unacceptable, it is no cause for hatred of Gypsies. The film about Gypsies that was shown to schools was, I am sure, not intended to excuse unacceptable behaviour, but merely to try to combat hate and prejudice. 

I did find the article funny though.

[dothawkes]

I like the MP' style and can see no flaw in his reasoning.  It would be interesting to see the actual film, to look at how the chosen Travellers are depicted, and whether there has been a 'whitewashing' of certain aspects of the Travellers lifestyle to show a more romantic view of the life.  You cannot show primary school children bare knuckle fighting, burning out abandoned cars and stealing babies from prams in back gardens.

[stevie21]

Just to be devil's advocate (that's me paraphrasing "argumentative") - if I wrote to a local charity and asked them to give me money instead of to disabled children because I felt that, as an able bodied person, I was discriminated against, I would hope that they'd tell me where to go.

Grants are seemingly given to needy people and those who are discriminated against. Gypsies are discriminated against and people instantly assume the worst of them. If this video helps redress unnecessarily negative perceptions then great. If travellers can be judged on their personalities and behaviour alone, even better.
If this MP had substituted "black kids" for gypsies then there's no way he'd take his life in his own hands by publishing that letter.
"Dear Tony Blair, please imprison all black kids. There are probably many blacks who lead law-abiding lives. But, by jove, there are others who don't!"

In saying that, I still honestly believe that gypo's are a smelly thieving dishonest bunch who should be used in place of fossil fuels. The amount of cider they drink - they must flammable and a reliable source of fuel!

[mfewell]

In previous years, there have been several encampments on the common nearby. On each occasion when the travellers left, there were huge piles of rubbish and even human excrement in the bushes. If you approached too close, dogs would threaten you. I had to change my cycle route to work. I'm only relating what I saw, I am not prejudiced. This year has so far been traveller-free and rubbish-free too. Not statistically significant of course, pure coincidence.

They are much maligned citizens.

[Grunty]

It is significant that Stevie21 refers to Gypsies and mfewell to travellers. Of the many whom I have met, Gypsies have at their worst been likeable rogues. Travellers, many of whom originate from Ireland, have at their best had nothing to commend them.  I was privileged some years ago to be invited by some Gypsies to visit them.  I was astounded by the cleanliness and the pride that they have in their homes.  For reasons of hygiene they do not keep cats, they have separate bowls for washing crockery, washing clothes and washing themselves etc. etc.  The biggest injustice to them is to group them together with the other travellers.

[stevie21]

Oh dear God, Grunt, don't take my rant as representative of anything other than mental illness!!!

[Ward-Minter]

I f***ing hate pikeys.