Few months back I started a thread about forced sterilization in Slovakia. (As an aside, I must ask if anyone who wrote to the Slovak government or embassy got a reply of any kind).
At the end of April, an Australian current affairs program called ‘Dateline’ did a feature about this subject. Now, we can’t see the show but we do have access to the next best thing: A transcript.
Here are a few snippits for you:
Bastards.
My God. How apalling.
How’s this for an idea, Kal. Write a complaint to the European Union - Slovakia is one of the states to be included soon. In fact, they’ll have a referendum on it soon, IIRC.
Maybe this matter needs a little more attention: it’s obviously a huge human rights violation that could keep Slovakia from entering the EU if given enough press.
http://europa.eu.int might be a good start.
The EU knows about it, Coldie.
From here:
The whole article is worth a read, btw.
The Helsinki Commission are also getting involved. This is a copy of a letter sent to the Slovak Prime Minister and here is a press release announcing the release of a report about this (And, hey, they acknowledged Roma Nation Day).
One negative aspect of this outside interest is that it appears to have the Slovak government (and doctors) in a panic and the fuckers are taking it out the Romani women involved in a piss-poor attempt to get them to shut the fuck up.
Did I mention that I thought they were a bunch of bastards?
Here’s hoping the Romani women have the strength and the good sense not to shut up just for the some convenience of some bigotted twits of doctors!
Be well, my friend,
CJ
Yeeesh… exactly who is supposed to be “above apes in trees” here? Doesn’t sound like it’s the docs, for sure. And that someone still uses the term “degenerate race” in 2003 is a testament to the resilience of ignorance and hatred.
Jesus wept. How the hell can doctors - fucking doctors - be that stupid? If being a member of one of the most education-intensive careers on Earth can’t wipe out someone’s ignorance, what hope do any of us here have?
Bulldoze the national Holocaust museum. It’s obviously not doing any good at all.
How many Rom did Hitler kill in his camps?
Does that number actually matter if the world turns its back while Slovakia finishes the job?
Kal.
This saddens me to hear this news. My father grew up, basically, with a group of Roma that would camp beside his father’s general store for a few months out of every year.
My grandfather, usually a stern, austere man, allowed the Roma to camp there when most people in the Bible Belt-South would’ve spit at them. My father and his four siblings were allowed to hang out with the Roma all they wanted. My grandfather was a hard man in many respects, but I admire him for his stance on this.
My father has many wonderful stories about his times with the Roma; some are funny, some are sad–but my father, and his father too, never portray the Roma as anything but people. People just like anyone else.
My mother’s family is Cherokee. I thank my lucky stars that I am not living in a world where that part of my heritage (as well as the bit of African-American heritage) is roundly scorned (at least not here, anyway).
It saddens me to know that there are people in the world who treat others this way, even though I grew up in a racist environment. (Black vs. white).
I pray this will end soon.
No reply yet… I wrote a few letters after the last thread, and the thread I started about this.
Ah, my thread:
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=163307&highlight=slov*
The thread that started it.
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=161458
I can hardly bear to hear some of the stories of what happens to some Roma women who live here in our area.
So sad.
It’s a disgrace that this can happen in a “civilized” world.
Shame, Shame, Shame.
I pointed this out in Kal’s earlier thread on this topic, but I think it bears repeating: The History of Slovakia sections at www.slovakia.org, repeatedly mentions the struggles of the Slovakian people to maintain their own ethnic identity, specifically the “cultural genocide” of the Hungarians and the Nazi atrocities, before finally becoming an independant state in 1993. Apparently now that they have achieved their goal of cultural and ethnic independance they are now entitled to commit the same atrocities that they themselves suffered on another innocent victim. Perhaps in protests to the Slovakian government the irony of this should be pointed out to their political leaders.
Preferably with a sledgehammer to the genitals.
Just found out that the sterilization of Romani women was mentioned in the house of representatives the day before my OP and is now a matter of Congressional Record.
Here’s a Link to the text version.
Nocturne: As you probably know, even nowadays ‘Gypsies’ are often portrayed as fictional fairy tale characters or parasites, romantic free-spirited people or born criminals. For your Grandfather to regard them as nothing more than people was way ahead of it’s time. I’d love to hear some of your father’s stories sometime.
On a personal note: My one major regret about my time here on this message board is my decision to be openly Romani. I can’t shake the thought that it was not the best idea I’ve ever had - even more so when I read myself described in an older thread as “our resident Gypsy”.
My original motivation to ‘out’ myself (for want of a better word) was just to show that Romani folk are just people like everybody else. Different, but still just people. That and to be able to vent from time to time about bigotry that most people are unaware exists.
I think I’ve done that to a degree and, what with the misgivings just mentioned, I’ve made the decision not to talk about my ethnicity anymore. Those of you who’ve read my posts on the subject know who and what I am, those who haven’t don’t need to.
Kushti bok to all of you,
Kal
Goddamn! They ought to sterilize the people who commit such atrocities. I honestly cannot fathom why this is happening in a country that is being considered for EU membership, or that they are still being considered for membership.
Kal, I sincerely hope you don’t give up your “identity” here on the boards. I have been turned on to some really important issues through your posts, and I’m sure many dopers feel the same way.
Well, it’s your right to talk or not about your ethnicity, but I am grieved that you regret your openness. This message board should be a fun hobby and an informative waste of time for anyone who participates, and I am sorry that you have experienced any pain here.
Remember, once you’re out, you’re out. All those past posts will still be there; people who miss this thread may say something in the future. Personally, I hope you reconsider this. If you have experienced negativity, it is as a result of simple ignorance. You’ve dispelled ignorance in the past; I hope to see you doing so in the future.
Ah Kal, please take to heart what An Arky and sugaree said. I have learned so much from you being ‘out’ on this message board and surely others have too. You are fighting the good fight, here and IRL, against ignorance and its evil spawn: bigotry and racism. I salute you!
After the last thread, I wrote a letter to the Slovakian ambassador to the US, who’s apparently a human rights activist. No response. I will write more letters this weekend. This is absolutely appalling.
An Arky: Thank you for the kind words. Sorry for losing my temper with you several months back.
Sugeree: Same to you, minus the apology because I’ve never lost my temper with you.
And just in case the poster who wrote “Kal - our resident Gypsy” is reading, I love you loads and meant no disrespect to you by citing it as a reason for my decision.
It’s just that I feel I’ve become too identifiably ‘Gypsy’ and seeing as anonymity and the need to deny being Romani if asked was drummed into me from an early age - even now none of my neighbours are aware of my ethnicity - that’s not a good feeling.
Obviously that’s a side effect of my openness and entirely my doing, of course.
I also get angry (very easily, as An Arky will vouch for) and that’s not a good thing. If I were to give myself over to my anger about everything being done to Romani people around the world right now (search Google News for ‘macedonia roma’ for an example), everything done to us in the past, every insulting article written in a newspaper and every slur spoken by a politician then not only would I melt down on a weekly basis, but I’d be starting umpteen threads a day and you guys wouldn’t get a look in.
Anyway this thread is not about me, so my last words will be to suggest folks Google ‘anti-Gypsyism’ - Not only did I tell you it was a real word (I don’t bloody care if it ain’t in the dictionary), but there’s a few really good articles to be found by doing so.
Kal
On preview, thanks as well Encinitas and good on ya Kyla - Just remember that even though he’s a human rights activist, in parts of Europe the Roma are not generally regarded as human.