In regards to the term Gypsy and it being an offensive term. This needs further review (maybe a lot more) but for now, these are my thoughts: I have known some blood gypsies and I cant recall Roma being used more frequently as a term they used to describe themselves. I know I heard both Gypsy and Roma being used in personal settings. (maybe its like Indian) A lot of American Indians call themselves Indians not Native Americans. A lot call themselves by their actual tribe. (Cherokee,Navajo,Sioux etc..) or a combinations of all of the above. I also wonder how much gypsy blood is legit before you are able to use the term gypsy without guilt in the mainstream or with the blessings or paternal condemnation by the actual culture and people. Comparable to the sense that African American/black can to some degree use the N word amongst themselves but even that has its limits within their circles before it angers and inflames. I have a lot of questions..Anyway, the Gypsy/Roma peoples have spread far and wide in legend and through history. I believe they began in a region around northern India and started running because of religious persecution. Not unlike the Jewish story and I believe 2nd to the Jewish people they were slaughtered by Hitler in high numbers during WW2. I have tribal ancestry (Taino/Arawak) of which I know little about since 90% of my tribe died out due to smallpox and almost all that was left were the woman taken by the Spanish & a few men/woman/children who were taken by pirates and a few other seafaring trade groups. Some may have became pirates. According to my grand-folk- Gypsies and other seafaring tradesmen played a genetic role in our survival. Those were not my (grand-folk) actual words but you get the point...and in my experiences with real Gypsies/Roma (who have a wide variance of opinions on this matter) they have told me on a few occasions including in the fortune telling circle that I am one of them. IDK. When I was young and a little ignorant I said No Im not and in one case I was thoroughly frightened by a Gypsy?Roma? who followed me through a shopping mall to tell me something that didnt make sense to me...But, since I was also a military brat, I usually fell back on that life to explain my almost fanatical urge to run and travel and explore the unknown. Could that actually be hardwired into DNA? Hmmm I wouldnt think so but stranger in a strange land than fiction things have happened. hehehe Sooo time has passed and I have grown to wonder as I shed most of the obvious prejudices and custom brainwashing layers away that we all endure in one form or another... and most of it was replaced with wonderment (and a touch of shame) that has been at times romanticized as I grew up. With all that said...and I have thought about it a lot. I think that sometimes we use the word gypsy in a beautiful way and we are honoring the slain by reclaiming the legend, redefining the slander.I know its more complicate than all that. Layers and layers of complicated. Yaddayaddayadda I also believe one day many of us may one day have to run to the hills, the deserts, the wastelands and the tribes and clans, nomads & caravans may prove to be our salvation. I hope they are still out there in some form or another. I believe they are. Not so long ago I found them. Blood and Spirit.
Posted on: Sat, 20 Sep 2014 13:51:20 +0000
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