I get it, the word "gypsy" is now offensive. But please don't equate it with the "n word".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grew up knowing about the Roma people and knowing that they are sometimes reffered to as "gypsy". I also thought that "gypsy" had come to mean "nomad" or "traveler". I mean obviously calling someone a "dirty gypsy" or thinking that because they are Roma they are thieves or a discriminating based on their ethnicity is wrong, but it is news to me that "gypsy spirit" (usually used lightly to describe a free spirit or nomadic person) is now a slur on par with N*****.

Neither you nor anyone else gets to dictate how offensive they deem a word. Sorry.

[Anonymous]

Equally offensive.

[Anonymous]

Huh...I thought it was more like (American) Indian or Queer. A word that has a spotted history but that some people have adopted as their identity...but may be offensive to others. This is different than black people using the n-word with each, because I've still never heard anyone say it's socially acceptable to refer to their population that way.

I think terms like "gypped", though, are considered pretty offensive.

Anyway, I don't really have much call to use the word and tend to avoid it...so this is interesting to me.

[Anonymous]

They don’t only beg. They steal and they scam.
A group of “gypsies” (not sure of their origin) scammed me when I worked in a restaurant years ago.
I knew what they were doing, and I got my manager involved.
He ended up giving them the few bucks in question because it wasn’t worth the headache and then told them to never come to the restaurant again.
I have never forgotten this and I don’t have a very good impression of people identifying as gypsies.

[Anonymous]

What I find offensive are the Gypsies who have appeared recently in the Metro. They stand on the platform with small children and beg for money. They are putting their children at risk on crowded platforms. Moreover, ff the usual Gypsie m.o. holds, they have accomplices who are trying to pickpocket at the same time. This has been a longtime problem in European train stations, near tourist sites, but how did such Gypsies get into the U.S.?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who told you that it was? Gypsy comes from a mistake about the origins of the Roma/Sinti/travelers and it offensive to many, but I've never seen anyone claim it is *exactly* like the n-word. Both are slurs. One has a more robust history of terror in the United States.

Word.

Just look at murder stats by race/ ethnicity of accused.

I do not see many Roma there.

We don't really have a population on Roma here either.

DC has a nice Roma population. They own some businesses in Adams Morgan and, I'm sorry to say, they beg in the suburbs.

In most European countries they beg all over the place. Imagine outside EVERY Safeway (even the most remote ones you don't even understand how they got there), every CVS etc. Here, I am yet to see one.

Try riding the Red line between Union Station and Farragut North at lunchtime. Can't avoid them begging for money & blasting music.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What I find offensive are the Gypsies who have appeared recently in the Metro. They stand on the platform with small children and beg for money. They are putting their children at risk on crowded platforms. Moreover, ff the usual Gypsie m.o. holds, they have accomplices who are trying to pickpocket at the same time. This has been a longtime problem in European train stations, near tourist sites, but how did such Gypsies get into the U.S.?

Exactly, why are they allowed to do this? No way Metro doesn't know what is going on.

[Anonymous]

The responses to this thread smack of stereotyping, racism and xenophobia.

Really sickening!