Mimi wrote:
@apparentpikeyscum:
Just to clear up something brought up earlier in the thread, would you, who classes yourself as a traveller (I believe, it's a bit hard to follow this thread at present) define travellers as a 'race' of people? If so (for the sake of my own curiosity), is it generally thought of that all travellers are of a single race or is it believed that Romany travellers, Irish Travellers, Scottish travellers, (etc) are all separate races or ethnic groups, and how might an Irish (for example) traveller be different from other Irish folks, racially? See, I wouldn't class 'Irish' as a race, so find it hard to see why 'Irish traveller' might be, and if it's not, how are the comments here 'racist' (I'm not asking if they are wrong or distasteful, but specifically 'racist'.)
If it's not a race issue, but an issue of the traveller's lifestyle upsetting and encroaching on the lives, rights and property of others, then that's a society and law problem, so the law-abiding, tax paying, neighbourly people that you speak of really aren't anything to do with this thread.
I don't think that many people think that someone from an Irish travelling background who leads a productive life in society is 'bad' due to their forefathers. I don't know how you'd ever know, anyway. So it seems that people only have a problem with those that, whatever background they are from, cause trouble and upset in the community through theft, anti social behaviour, or occupation of land that doesn't belong to them and flouting of the laws surrounding the land that does. If those things don't apply to you, then you really aren't the 'kind' of person being discussed here, it would seem.
I don't think anyone has said they have trouble with any group from a particular background, just a problem with those groups or individuals, such as those at the Dale Farm site, who seek to live their lives outside of the laws of the country they live in.
Yes I see your point & I think it is more similar to for example a man that says all women are bitches. As a woman I would find that offensive. It is more a case of steroetyping. It does cause offence to those innocent but made to feel they have to defend themselves because without realising it people make them feel they have to. Call it self preservation/defense.