Before you go calling bigotry, learn to write correctly, then read what I said again and you will see a related experience tempered with what is generally held as common knowledge. It's unfortunate that some travelling groups have a certain reputation, but there you go. They have it none the less and for good reason. I don't generally go out of my way to cause other people trouble, even for those who I might hold less a than positive opinion of - that goes for everyone and while we all indulge in stereotyping, these stereotypes are based on a certain amount of truth; in this case, one which is backed up (amongst other events) by the large number of drain and man-hole covers removed from a long stretch of the A447, creating a danger to drivers and a substantial cost to the local highways authority to replace the missing covers.
Calling thieving, violent scum, thieving and violent is not bigoted. It's a simple statement of fact. Were there no incidents of stealing and criminal damage and such as I have already described, there would be no need for me to hold any negative preconception (prejudice, if you like) regarding any communities, either diverse or related to 'travellers' as they are regarded in modern parlance.
I'm leicester based myself, but out in the sticks where most of the negative events transpired is hinkley & bosworth/coalville/tamworth area.
Sadly you have to differentiate the good from the bad as it were, leaving generalising prejudice aside. But what can you do? There's a long and respected tradition of itinerant and semi-nomadic peoples throughout europe (some of these rent fields for their ponies from the locals with little or no trouble, to add a little balance to all this), but then there's also the aforementioned scum. I've met both. But I don't mean to lecture you on this, I'm just thinking aloud
Some of this reminds me of the two lurcher dogs hung from bridge **graphic image link** I remember at the time there was a lot of local speculation that it was ****** who were responsible, also that it was just some local yobs, or even farmers who may have been responsible. I can't say who is, but it reminded me of the sort of local disgust for the incident that parallels some of the talk here.
Often the opposite end of the daily fail thinking is just as blinkered... it's why I picked at his retort in the way I did above because he only read what he wanted to read in what I said, at least I acknowledged my generalisation raised by this incident with the ponies could be wrong, amongst other things - that's the irony of stereotyping for youwe all do it, justified or not.
if you read all my posts, you will see that i left school at 12, so i know i am not that well educated, but hey i try.
i will admit that there are good and bad in everybody or group of people.
there are bad lots of travellers who give a bad name to everyone else.
but you seem to think they are all the same.
Also is there any proof that it was gypsys that took these manhole covers?
as with the price of metals these days, any one could be tempted to steal them, or is that you sterotyping again,
'Hey the manholes have been stolen, then it must be the local gypsys'
Talking about sterotyping, i once had my car stolen, and i actually found out who stole it. it was a young asian chap, and when i finally spoke to him about it, he just said it was nothing personal, it was just for fun.
I did not then go around saying that all asians are thieving scum, as obviously that would be wrong, but if it was a gypsy, then that would obviously allowed.
You go to any rough estate, and the crime commited there by young English or otherwise men, is way way worse than a few isolated but widely reported crimes by gypsys.
Even just go to any town centre at midnight and you will see, fighting, anti social behaviour, urinating, defacting etc... all usual gypsy behaviour, but commited by 'normal' people.
But what is ever done over this? Nothing.
You are right, we all have built in sterotypes/intolerances, and clearly we now know yours.
i know i am not very eloquent, and therefore not as good at getting my point across as you, so in any verbal debate, you will always come across as better, but that is my cross to bear.
At the end of the day, calling for a race of people to be exterminated/wiped off the face of the earth, is tooo much.
We could argue for ever, the gypsy issue, but some of the comments in this thread were way to harsh.
As i said with Robbo, we will just have to agree to disagree,
so, have a good day, no hard feelings.
