Irish Travellers arrested on slavery charges

[laoislad]

How do you know when a traveller is having her period?

She is only wearing one sock.

[4father]

I judge everybody as I find them. Members of my family have been bullied by travellers, have had goods stolen by travellers, been assaulted by travellers. Should I just forget about this?
The Guards do nothing about most of their behaviour. They are a law to themselves around where I come from.
What experiences have you got dealing with Travellers?
Pick on somebody my own size? 

I don't think you should forget any individual who bullies your family, who stole your goods or who assaulted you.  I have also had stuff stolen, been assaulted etc by individuals.  But that is the way I look at them, I can't say Irish people because that would mean that I would never trust another Irish person.  So no, don't forget about it by any means but also don't lump every 5 year old, middle aged and 80 year old traveller into one bracket.  They are all individual people.  And because you are lumping them into one category and being derogatory about them when you certainly don't know them all personally makes you a bigot and for that you have my pity.

And yes, pick on someone your own size ye bully ye!

[4father]

How do you know when a traveller is having her period?

She is only wearing one sock.

Do you feel good about yourself after posting that.  You know, bully's are normally the ones with the issues.

[fitzroyalty]

I went to school with (settled) travellers, never had anything against them and for the most part they were no harm.

Still wouldn't trust them as far as I could throw them. Anyone who tries to let on that they wouldn't be wary if a traveller knocked on their front door is only kidding themselves.

[tyssam5]

I went to school with (settled) travellers, never had anything against them and for the most part they were no harm.

Still wouldn't trust them as far as I could throw them. Anyone who tries to let on that they wouldn't be wary if a traveller knocked on their front door is only kidding themselves.

Same here, was a bit foolish to play cards with them though.

[4father]

I was once cornered on my own by a couple of male traveller teens at the Cavan by-pass a few years ago stopping on the way to the All-Ireland football final (it's a few years ago now, think it was 2004) - they said that they needed some money to go and see their aunt in hospital in Belfast. Managed to string them along for a few minutes to try and buy time while the others ones I was with were in the diner at the time and I hoped they would soon be out but it wasn't to be the case, anyway it soon became clear that they were bluffing (they couldn't name any actual hospitals in Belfast) and eventually I palmed them of with some loose change around £2 saying that I had no other money on me.

Despite that, I wouldn't group all travellers as robbing scum. Some (at least) are and definitely take the piss on cases of human rights, robbery and fraud, but at the same time there's not much point in myself judging someone automatically if I don't know them. They're plenty of scumbags in settled, so-called "mainstream" communities that rob, steal and try to take the piss out of their legal and public rights without living up to their responsibilities.

IIRC a few years ago on the AFR board, a poster left a message congratulating John Joe Nevin on qualifying for the Olympics in Beijing without mentioning his traveller background. A few days later the same poster wrote in the subject line something like "Gypsy to represent Ireland in Beijing" and funnily enough, the viewing rate of that post was much much higher than the original post made.

Good post

[theskull1]

Because you are motivated by hatred and not concerned about their 2011 cars.  I feel sorry for you that you are are still lumping everyone into the same bracket.  Most of them, the majority of them etc.  Do you realise how ridiculous you sound?  If only you could channel your hatred into something good or at least pick on someone your own size.

"In all seriousness, yanks did it themselves - look at how they have benefited since.   Cnuts"

The above posted by you on the 9/11 thread. You're the man for lecturing about hatred then.

How was I showing hatred?  Are you so simple to think that I meant that I hate all yanks from this post???  I was talking about the yank establishment you imbecile and that's why they got called cnuts. 

Don't think you thought this one through before hitting 'post'.

Considering your argument in this thread, do you not consider it unfair to tar the whole of the yank establishment with the one brush, or is that lost on you?

[4father]

Well Skull, if you want to get into semantics then that's alright, i can deal with that.  But please don't lose focus of what the main issue of concern is here.

So Semantics semantics semantics.  When I used the term 'yank establishment', I'm not talking about the administration staff at the White House or others who may work in the civil service.  I mean the decision and policy makers.  Those who planned out their hegemony and global economic dominance.  Those neo-conservatives who in my opinion either did the 9/11 thing themselves or who knew rightly that it was happening and used its legacy to conquer and colonise the middle east.

But that shouldn't get in the way of the main argument here of bigotry.  Where do you stand on that?

[theskull1]

Well Skull, if you want to get into semantics then that's alright, i can deal with that.  But please don't lose focus of what the main issue of concern is here.

So Semantics semantics semantics.  When I used the term 'yank establishment', I'm not talking about the administration staff at the White House or others who may work in the civil service.  I mean the decision and policy makers.  Those who planned out their hegemony and global economic dominance.  Those neo-conservatives who in my opinion either did the 9/11 thing themselves or who knew rightly that it was happening and used its legacy to conquer and colonise the middle east.

But that shouldn't get in the way of the main argument here of bigotry.  Where do you stand on that?

And you don't think for one second that the travellers had anything to do with it?    What kind of conspiracy theorist are you 

[mylestheslasher]

John Joe Nevin is a traveller. He burst his arse training to represent his country (which is a lot more than some of ye smart boys ever did) and succeeded in becoming an Olympian representing Ireland. When I watch someone represent their country i feel a sense of pride in them. I don't consider whether they are black or white, prod or catholic, traveller or settled. The point I am making is that there are people on this thread that brand John Joe Nevin to be scum because somewhere else in the world a group of travellers committed a horrible crime and somehow this makes all travellers, including Nevin, scumbags. This is the attitude of a simpleton, plain and simple.

[4father]

And you don't think for one second that the travellers had anything to do with it?    What kind of conspiracy theorist are you 

Had a chuckle at this.

[4father]

John Joe Nevin is a traveller. He burst his arse training to represent his country (which is a lot more than some of ye smart boys ever did) and succeeded in becoming an Olympian representing Ireland. When I watch someone represent their country i feel a sense of pride in them. I don't consider whether they are black or white, prod or catholic, traveller or settled. The point I am making is that there are people on this thread that brand John Joe Nevin to be scum because somewhere else in the world a group of travellers committed a horrible crime and somehow this makes all travellers, including Nevin, scumbags. This is the attitude of a simpleton, plain and simple.

Not to mention a bigot.  We've grown up with bigots up here and we can smell them a mile away.

[pintsofguinness]

John Joe Nevin is a traveller. He burst his arse training to represent his country (which is a lot more than some of ye smart boys ever did) and succeeded in becoming an Olympian representing Ireland. When I watch someone represent their country i feel a sense of pride in them. I don't consider whether they are black or white, prod or catholic, traveller or settled. The point I am making is that there are people on this thread that brand John Joe Nevin to be scum because somewhere else in the world a group of travellers committed a horrible crime and somehow this makes all travellers, including Nevin, scumbags. This is the attitude of a simpleton, plain and simple.

Not to mention a bigot.  We've grown up with bigots up here and we can smell them a mile away.

You should be able to smell one alright.

[4father]

meaning?

[ONeill]

Hard to believe the bigotry and small mindedness on display in this thread.

I went down to watch Donegal Celtic at the weekend. I brought my five year old son. The language and threatening nature of the supporters' comments towards the ref and opposition was despicable. You're talking about 100 or so fans. I was unable to leave the stand for 5 minutes either side of half time because the stewards were afraid harm would come to the officials and players. Now, does that mean that everyone in West Belfast is like this? You'll also get joyriding, drug dealing, beatings. Are they worse than travellers? What about the ref who was knocked out on the field this year in Tyrone and other attacks on officials? Do we refuse to paint that family/area as scumbags because there is no distinct label for them as we have for the travelling community?

There is no doubt that a rogue element exists in the travelling community, and given their numbers a relatively high percentage. However, look around your own neighbourhood first and identify those you know are not to be trusted or have been involved in pub brawls, financial skulduggery or theft. The difference is - you cannot label them.