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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/oct/11/racism-travellers-gypsies-parliament-mps-poll
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| Racism against Travellers and Gypsies is still permissible – even in parliament | Racism against Travellers and Gypsies is still permissible – even in parliament |
| (4 months later) | |
| Wed 11 Oct 2017 14.45 BST | |
| Last modified on Wed 11 Oct 2017 17.46 BST | |
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| “Gypsies and Travellers and local communities” was the title of a House of Commons debate on Monday. Oh no, I thought, here we go again. | “Gypsies and Travellers and local communities” was the title of a House of Commons debate on Monday. Oh no, I thought, here we go again. |
| Whenever politicians take an interest in my community, it is often to attack us and further division between us and the settled community. Just look at the title of the debate: the suggestion is that we are not a part of local communities. | Whenever politicians take an interest in my community, it is often to attack us and further division between us and the settled community. Just look at the title of the debate: the suggestion is that we are not a part of local communities. |
| But early on in the debate the Labour MP Tony Lloyd stood up and called for balance, saying that my community “probably faces the biggest levels of prejudice and discrimination in Britain” – and that politicians had a duty to do something about that. | But early on in the debate the Labour MP Tony Lloyd stood up and called for balance, saying that my community “probably faces the biggest levels of prejudice and discrimination in Britain” – and that politicians had a duty to do something about that. |
| Lloyd highlighted a YouGov/Traveller Movement survey, also released on Monday, which found that more than 40% of British parents polled would be unhappy with a close relative forming a relationship with a Traveller. For no other reason than that person is a Traveller. | Lloyd highlighted a YouGov/Traveller Movement survey, also released on Monday, which found that more than 40% of British parents polled would be unhappy with a close relative forming a relationship with a Traveller. For no other reason than that person is a Traveller. |
| This is a shocking statistic that should have been condemned by all the MPs at the debate. But then the inevitable happened. The Labour MP John Speller stood up next and said: “Does my honourable friend accept that the public view of the community will continue to be shaped by the appalling behaviour of the minority, who bring absolute chaos to their own communities.” | This is a shocking statistic that should have been condemned by all the MPs at the debate. But then the inevitable happened. The Labour MP John Speller stood up next and said: “Does my honourable friend accept that the public view of the community will continue to be shaped by the appalling behaviour of the minority, who bring absolute chaos to their own communities.” |
| I’m sorry, what? Can you imagine any MP standing up and intervening like that if it were about any other ethnic group? | I’m sorry, what? Can you imagine any MP standing up and intervening like that if it were about any other ethnic group? |
| But this is the problem. Too many people still see it as acceptable to be racist towards us Travellers – probably because when they are, nothing is done about it. And it is often figures in authority who spread negative stereotypes about us and, to use Speller’s words, are behaving “appallingly”. | But this is the problem. Too many people still see it as acceptable to be racist towards us Travellers – probably because when they are, nothing is done about it. And it is often figures in authority who spread negative stereotypes about us and, to use Speller’s words, are behaving “appallingly”. |
| Last month a report entitled The Last Acceptable Form of Racism found that 70% of Gypsies and Travellers had experienced discrimination in education, and reported teachers overlooking bullying or being discriminatory themselves. | Last month a report entitled The Last Acceptable Form of Racism found that 70% of Gypsies and Travellers had experienced discrimination in education, and reported teachers overlooking bullying or being discriminatory themselves. |
| This was my own experience. When I was in primary school, every single day my teacher would make me, my brother and my cousins open our bags so she could check to make sure we didn’t have anything stolen in there. No one else’s bag was ever checked. Just ours. Every single day. | This was my own experience. When I was in primary school, every single day my teacher would make me, my brother and my cousins open our bags so she could check to make sure we didn’t have anything stolen in there. No one else’s bag was ever checked. Just ours. Every single day. |
| Every day my teacher would make me, my brother and my cousins open our bags to check we hadn't stolen anything | Every day my teacher would make me, my brother and my cousins open our bags to check we hadn't stolen anything |
| But I guess that’s not racism or discrimination. Because a minority of Travellers have committed crimes, we all therefore must commit crimes and steal. Even little children. | But I guess that’s not racism or discrimination. Because a minority of Travellers have committed crimes, we all therefore must commit crimes and steal. Even little children. |
| People often ask me why Travellers have less trust in authority or don’t always finish school. Would you if this were your experience? Would you want your child to have to experience this? | People often ask me why Travellers have less trust in authority or don’t always finish school. Would you if this were your experience? Would you want your child to have to experience this? |
| Another statistic from the YouGov/Traveller Movement survey shows what sort of experience we tend to have at school. Over one in three UK parents polled said they would be not be happy with their child having a playdate at the home of a Traveller. Again, just because that child is a Traveller. | Another statistic from the YouGov/Traveller Movement survey shows what sort of experience we tend to have at school. Over one in three UK parents polled said they would be not be happy with their child having a playdate at the home of a Traveller. Again, just because that child is a Traveller. |
| When I was at school there were plenty of times when this happened to me, when a child would stop playing with me because I was a Traveller. | When I was at school there were plenty of times when this happened to me, when a child would stop playing with me because I was a Traveller. |
| One friend who was suddenly not allowed to play with me started calling me a “pikey” for no reason; my mum explained it would be because of the parents that the child had suddenly changed his opinion of me. | One friend who was suddenly not allowed to play with me started calling me a “pikey” for no reason; my mum explained it would be because of the parents that the child had suddenly changed his opinion of me. |
| My little girl is very outgoing and confident, but I am dreading the day she comes home crying because she hasn’t been invited to a party, or loses a friend, or is called a racist name. | My little girl is very outgoing and confident, but I am dreading the day she comes home crying because she hasn’t been invited to a party, or loses a friend, or is called a racist name. |
| It is sad that this is still happening in schools. It’s sad that politicians are still painting us in a certain way. It’s sad that we have racism or discrimination in almost every scenario you can imagine. | It is sad that this is still happening in schools. It’s sad that politicians are still painting us in a certain way. It’s sad that we have racism or discrimination in almost every scenario you can imagine. |
| I have gone through this discrimination along with all my family all my life; and looking at the way politicians were speaking about us on Monday, I don’t think it’s going to change any time soon. Do you? | I have gone through this discrimination along with all my family all my life; and looking at the way politicians were speaking about us on Monday, I don’t think it’s going to change any time soon. Do you? |
| • Cassie Marie McDonagh is an Irish Traveller, and member of the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Women’s Empowerment Network | • Cassie Marie McDonagh is an Irish Traveller, and member of the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Women’s Empowerment Network |
| Roma, Gypsies and Travellers | |
| Opinion | |
| House of Commons | |
| Race issues | |
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