NationStates Jolt Archive

Are the Rrom/Roma a social problem as a category? Do you believe they carry intrinsic, endemic problems or are they just occupying the last place that was left for them in Eastern European societies?

Consider:
In my country, Gypsy slavery was abolished just before that of Blacks in the US (around 1850). It carried just about as much a legacy of segregation as its counterpart, for very similar reasons.
The Gypsies were victims of the Holocaust, all over Europe and in its Romanian version.
The Rroma keep being pointed out as a problem (although, not really victimized! we overcame that stage), and the image in Romanian society is still very close to "minstrel show"-ism (a jingoism I came to hate). To cite an example: Romania has a problem with immigration - in the sense that Romanians' immigration and temporary residence to the EU (and elsewhere) tends to breed criminality. If I were to look into it, I would find Romanian Roma participation in crime a bit higher than their percentage in society (hard to tell, but around 10% perhaps). The state shouldn't even notice that, since Romanians are definable as citizens, and the structure isn't meant for some, it is meant for all - consequently, if responsible for some, it is responsible for all (note: the problem starts with the absurd statement of ethnicity in the official census - I am against that on principle). However, most Romanians see "Gypsitude" as responsible for crime, and accuse the Roma of "ruining Romania's image in the outside world". The attitude is tribal, to say the least.
But - do you think I am right? Are Romas a problem in itself beyond that type of discourse?

Anybody?

Excuse my Ignorence, but what is/are Rrom/Roma?

Excuse my Ignorence, but what is/are Rrom/Roma?
Gypsies. They're widely seen as lazy criminal drifters in Europe. They've been the victims of much discrimination and of the holocaust.

Gypsies. They're widely seen as lazy criminal drifters in Europe. They've been the victims of much discrimination and of the holocaust.

Oh.

I'm about 1/16th Gypsy, so I would call myself opportunistic.

(3,000th post, w00t!)

Excuse my Ignorence, but what is/are Rrom/Roma?
It's in the post: the Gypsies. Roma is the prefered term - it's a self-definition, not an outside reference (based on the fact that people believed they were "Egyptians" - turned to "Gypsies").

The Roma's traditional lifestyle is problematic in this day and age. They wander about everywhere, but don't belong anywhere. How does a group of people like that get regular work? How do they maintain access to social services? What's to be done about the minority of Roma who are criminals, but are protected from justice by their nomadic lifestyle and the natural suspicion and distrust that their community has for outside authority figures?


These are tough questions, and I can see two possible answers.

1) Registration of each and every individual Roma by the EU. Issue them ID cards valid in every EU nation to help keep track of them, and establish a department in the EU government for Roma affairs.

2) Force them to give up their lifestyle. (good luck)

People get pissed off with them mainly because they always a leave a gigantic mess behind them wherever they go but I don't think many are criminals though.

Oh.
I'm about 1/16th Gypsy, so I would call myself opportunistic.
If you don't know what the Romas are, then you are opportunistic (kidding!). Read all of the original post - I detailed things.
(3,000th post, w00t!)
Congatulations!

The Roma's traditional lifestyle is problematic in this day and age. They wander about everywhere, but don't belong anywhere. How does a group of people like that get regular work? How do they maintain access to social services? What's to be done about the minority of Roma who are criminals, but are protected from justice by their nomadic lifestyle and the natural suspicion and distrust that their community has for outside authority figures?
Most Roma in Eastern Europe are settled down and hold IDs.
Actually, the main "problem" is thought to be theirs: discrimination and violence was aimed at settled communities (the killings of Romas by etnic Romanians and Hungarians 15 years ago, the "wall of shame" erected in some Czech burrough to keep settled Roma out of "white" areas etc.).

Most Roma in Eastern Europe are settled down and hold IDs.
I did not know that. Good for them. So what's the problem then?

I did not know that. Good for them. So what's the problem then?
Apparently, their lifestyles in these settled communities.
Read my original post, where I point out my vision of the "why" and look into other "problems".

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Yeah, they're criminals.

Digging under electric fences at night to steal stuff off construction sites, including digging up 400kV cable and taking a blowtorch to it so they can melt it down and extract the copper to sell to a scrap merchant. They get a few hundred quid, the country loses millions, each time. Beat up security guards too.

And the day a bunch of them dies doing something that stupid, everyone on site gets sued.

Yeah, they're criminals.

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Actually, in this respect, Hitler was on the right lines, they are socially degenerate, and serve to detract from the rst of society in all they do.

Actually, in this respect, Hitler was on the right lines, they are socially degenerate, and serve to detract from the rst of society in all they do.
Whatever prejudice is torn apart (Blacks, Poles, Jews, homosexuals, neoprotestants etc.), the Romas are still in there. And everybody agrees, right? They are the one scapegoat society is left with, and it helps that persecution is applied to this category by the formerly persecuted as well.

Good thing we still have those degenerate Gypsies to kick around! :rolleyes:

Good thing we still have those degenerate Gypsies to kick around! :rolleyes:
Indeed, though many fear that some day they might decide that they are "people" too and then we'll have a mess on our hands. There are too damn few groups to stereotype and cast out anymore, back in the day you could simply curb stomp a nonwhite for wearing a funny hat. Now, you have to be all civil and have the courts send him to jail for 10 years.

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