I don't hate gypsies.
I don't like their capacity for using their status of gypsies or travellers as an excuse for trying to dodge the laws of the land, though. I believe that whoever you are, if you don't want to respect the law of the land you're in, you should probably move on, rather than expecting those laws to bend around you.

I expect this is the motivation for most people, rather than bigotry.
( Kroney, Thu 20 Oct 2011, 11:50, 2 replies, latest was 14 years ago)

I think the point is that, arguably, the laws of the land have been specifically bent against them.

( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Thu 20 Oct 2011, 11:52, Reply)

That's a bit chicken and egg though, isn't it?
Because didn't they ignore planning laws in the first place, which was then rescinded, or something?
( Kroney, Thu 20 Oct 2011, 11:58, Reply)

I meant more historically
Someone put on QOTW the other day, in response the the oft repeated "if they are travellers why don't they want to travel, LOL" that they'd probably love to, but seeing as there are no longer many , legal places for them to go, they are forced to settle in one place.

While I agree in this case they were probably in the wrong, the law in the UK has been changed several times in the last 20 years, specifically to make it harder for them to live the way they used to and probably would still choose to.

I'm just saying that it's not as simple as "abide by the law and you're OK" because sometimes they change the law.
( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Thu 20 Oct 2011, 12:09, Reply)

Don't get me wrong
I'm not accusing you, or anyone else here, of bigotry. As I said, I find people's attitudes confusing.
My understanding is that they do have a recognised status in law though. And as CQ said, there appear to have been laws bent against them.
( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Thu 20 Oct 2011, 12:02, Reply)