rugbymatt

I started the thread in the hope that the other one didn't get shut down Livit,
this kind of thing interests me due to my background and as such its something I am interested in hearing about. But you don't want that, you want to take snipes and try and look good.

If you don't want to discuss the topic then just don't post on it, some people have posted their opinions, you post a niggle.

DebsyW

I have no idea what it is like now, as I am completely out of touch, but when I was a very frequent visitor to Spain as youngster to see family, the gitanos were treated as Untouchables.
I made friends with a little gitano boy and my other friends treated me like a leper.

rugbymatt

Xtreme was the one for this, he lives among them and has plenty of tales to tell about them.

We had a Roma girl as a friend of ours and her life was harder than any I had ever heard, she was denied an education, not only by a society that didn't care about her but also by her family who hated the society they were forced to live among. She had already been on the game by the age of 18 and between then and us being friends at the age of 21 she had done things in her life that would make you cringe!

Now, is this a result of her race or her family? Hmm......

Relampago

The thread is of Rugbymatt, so it should not miss us...

Your comment is the most coherent that I have read until now

rugbymatt

And you have not understood the meaning of the thread, sad really.

HBG

Gitanos are despised the world over because their lifestyle offends ordinary people. I read the Guardian and once voted for the Liberals, but I'd rather not live next door to them (the Gypsies). Nor other Guardian readers or Liberals. I'm lucky, I have Danish neighbours who just wave and smile, and don't understand anything I say to them.

I wonder if they have Gitanos in Denmark?

DebsyW

When I was little the gitanos liked me. I was a little girl who was foreign and couldnt speak an awful lot of spanish at the time. It was in the late `1960`s early 1970`s and I was the only foreigner they had seen in their lives. It was great, I was embraced. They had a shitty existence, really dirty and deprived, but I didn`t care and neither did the kids that I played with.

As I grew up and returned year after year things changed. By the time I reached adulthood I was shunned.

They had changed and no doubt so had I.

DebsyW

I`ve just read through the last pages of the `closed` thread.

Matt, well done on opening this one. Good move

Relampago, contrary to what was said about you - I do not think that you are racist at all. A little intolerant of immigrants, maybe, but I have to hold my hand up and say that I have felt the same on more than one occasion.

Cricketman - you talk sense. Cool user-name by the way

Livit - have we met before? On here? Have you had a past life?
I think you are very amusing and on rare occasions I may agree () with a tiny bit of what you say - but add to this thread, don`t moan about it. If you don`t like it go on the `Weather` thread.
Or make up one of your own

twistedmelon

Rugbymatt,
You stated earlier that you had made the title deliberately ambiguous and then criticise folk if they don't get your interpretation.
I don't think it was ambiguous, I, like a few here, understood it to be an english vs spanish thing.
Bigots are bigots by choice, it's not from lack of comprehension of the world they live in. Bigots by their nature are not open to debate, so having this thread seems pointless to me and worse only gives a voice to them.
Thankfully bigots are still in the minority, let's keep it that way.
This will be my last post on this, good luck.

rugbymatt

Since so many people on here are intent on turning this into a "them against us" thread it will, no doubt, end up that way, and I can only assume its a full moon or something.

Its funny how you have taken my quote and turned it around, there are plenty of people out there who think racism is evident in Spain, I have never seen it BUT, on reflection, I have on many occasions made a comment about Moros and I had friends who would rub my face sometimes if I didn't buy a round of drinks to check if I was a Moor. I have heard of North African Looky Looky men being beaten up and their tat stolen, but I have not seen it myself.

But lets just remember Twisted Lemon, I have in almost EVERY post (and you would know that if you bothered to read my posts rather than just see my name next to a post them reply furiously) that I have questioned if this is just a Spain thing and I have mentioned that it could easily happen in the Uk and indeed does.

I will reiterate....

THIS THREAD IS FOR THE DISCUSSION OF THIS HIGHLY EMOTIVE SUBJECT

If you don't like the content, don't read it, but there is little point in commenting on posts you don't even bother reading. Relampago I can forgive for being Spanish and not understanding the subtleties of the English language, but what excuse do you have for your ignorance?

twistedmelon

I find the "subtleties" of some peoples english hard to understand, therefore I prefer ignorance, it's more blissful.
As I said, I will take your advice and not post on this subject and leave it to those less ignorant than me

rugbymatt

Pity, it was a perfect place to put your views, like everyone else has.

jackytoo

No-one can deny there is racism in Spain if they read the newspapers here. There are always racist incidents in large Cities such as Madrid and barcelona, sometimes in malaga too. The racists seem to have added another catagory to their list now, British.

jdr

Too many people use it as an excuse for any minor problem they have with someone different to themselves.
People are too sensitive about racism, instead of just letting it blow over their head they take it to heart all the time.
I grew up and started work in the times of the Jamaican influx into the UK and was called a honky on quite a few occasions and they were called spades, this didn`t have any affect as it was the going terminology.
Nowdays it would be totally not PC as times have changed and people take offence at the slightest thing, it is thought to be provocative to fly a cross of St George flag for gods sake.
Anyhow us honkies still joined in the Friday night to Monday morning parties and were welcomed with open arms by our Jamaican friends in Mile End.
It`s sad to see things change because of peoples ignorance of other cultures instead of joining in, mixing and having a laugh.

HBG

The last few posts have got me thinking about forums themselves, and as the OP pointed out, it seems that his mere name tends to get people posting without them having read the contents of his post. I think his post is perfectly clear and easily understood and I have corresponded accordingly.

Maybe it's like going into your local bar, you join the people you want to talk to, and stay away from those you don't. We're all different and that's what makes life interesting.

As for racism in Spain? Compared to what I've seen elsewhere (I've spent many years in London) it's practically non existent here.