And if you think my comments racist when all I did was explain the general attitude in Romania towards these people, and some of the reasons for it, then that's your problem.
No, I'm not thinking your comments are racist because you're explaining a general attitude in Romania. I'm calling your comments racist because you are perpetuating that majority racist opinion instead of resisting it and trying to change it and make things better--you have that choice.
I happen to have gypsy friends that I get along with just fine, and there's no discrimination involved.
You know, this is a trope people accused otf racism bring up all the time to try to deflect from an examination of their racist attitudes--the "some of my best friends are x, y, z," line. Have you spoken to your friends the accusations you are making here about the Roma--and how did that go over?
But do expect me to hide the fact that a good part of our criminal elements are Roma, and that most of them seem resilient to change? That some still live off child support? Why should I do that? It's true that things are changing, slowly, but you're not the one living here are you now.
It's true I'm not living there, but the rhetoric you are using against the Roma--"they are criminals and they are living off child support"--is exactly the kind of statements white racists in the US make about our racial minorities--blacks and latinos in particular. To make these statements is racist. Because, you know, other Romanians need child support as well--so why make needing child support an accusation against a minority ethnic group? Other Romanians steal--why make that an accusation against the Roma in Romania? I am not living there but I have been following reports of the discrimination the Roma face in Europe at large. There are groups on LJ even, for and by the Roma and others who wish to support, where you can learn more about their side of these issues if you wish. I doubt your Roma friends feel welcome talking to you about these things.
And you have no idea what things are about with the Hungarian extremists in Romania. I'm not talking about all Hungarians here.
Understood. No, I don't know the issue at all--is there a part of Romania that a group of Hungarians are trying to claim? It's just the context in which you stated this--combined with calling Bulgarians and Roma criminals--sounded like you were making a statement about the entire ethnicity/nationality and I only have your words here and you were using them broadly and unqualified about ethnic/national groups.
So the next time you decide to call people racist, think about your own country's attitude toward Latin American immigrants. And THEN start calling people things, alright?
Oh, absolutely--I do call out the racism against Latinos and the hypocrisy of Americans who rail against Latino immigrants--it's my duty to work against racism in my country--there's sure unending work to be done here--including the internal work I need to keep doing in myself. That doesn't change that you are expressing racist attitudes that I think you need to be fighting against as well.
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No, I'm not thinking your comments are racist because you're explaining a general attitude in Romania. I'm calling your comments racist because you are perpetuating that majority racist opinion instead of resisting it and trying to change it and make things better--you have that choice.
I happen to have gypsy friends that I get along with just fine, and there's no discrimination involved.
You know, this is a trope people accused otf racism bring up all the time to try to deflect from an examination of their racist attitudes--the "some of my best friends are x, y, z," line. Have you spoken to your friends the accusations you are making here about the Roma--and how did that go over?
But do expect me to hide the fact that a good part of our criminal elements are Roma, and that most of them seem resilient to change? That some still live off child support? Why should I do that? It's true that things are changing, slowly, but you're not the one living here are you now.
It's true I'm not living there, but the rhetoric you are using against the Roma--"they are criminals and they are living off child support"--is exactly the kind of statements white racists in the US make about our racial minorities--blacks and latinos in particular. To make these statements is racist. Because, you know, other Romanians need child support as well--so why make needing child support an accusation against a minority ethnic group? Other Romanians steal--why make that an accusation against the Roma in Romania? I am not living there but I have been following reports of the discrimination the Roma face in Europe at large. There are groups on LJ even, for and by the Roma and others who wish to support, where you can learn more about their side of these issues if you wish. I doubt your Roma friends feel welcome talking to you about these things.
And you have no idea what things are about with the Hungarian extremists in Romania. I'm not talking about all Hungarians here.
Understood. No, I don't know the issue at all--is there a part of Romania that a group of Hungarians are trying to claim? It's just the context in which you stated this--combined with calling Bulgarians and Roma criminals--sounded like you were making a statement about the entire ethnicity/nationality and I only have your words here and you were using them broadly and unqualified about ethnic/national groups.
So the next time you decide to call people racist, think about your own country's attitude toward Latin American immigrants. And THEN start calling people things, alright?
Oh, absolutely--I do call out the racism against Latinos and the hypocrisy of Americans who rail against Latino immigrants--it's my duty to work against racism in my country--there's sure unending work to be done here--including the internal work I need to keep doing in myself. That doesn't change that you are expressing racist attitudes that I think you need to be fighting against as well.