Tyson Fury

[Bruce Rioja]

I really hope Klitschko smashes the stupid ignorant c*nt to pieces in the rematch.

You and me both, Mate. If he doesn't then he still has Anthony Joshua waiting for him, who'll knock his pig fecking ignorant, racist, homophobic head off of his shoulders.

[Harry Genshaw]

The simple c*nt seems to have confused being a dick with having a personality. He was also rude about Jess Ennis which means he'll never win me over

Just on the question of his background, a spokesman for gypsies and travellers on 5 live today was painting him, & his community as more victims of prejudice than perpetrators. He said the use of the term 'pikey' was often excused on tv and social media but that they found it deeply offensive. As a group of people that largely keep apart from the wider community, are they the last victims of open discrimination/prejudice?

[thebish]

The simple c*nt seems to have confused being a dick with having a personality. He was also rude about Jess Ennis which means he'll never win me over

Just on the question of his background, a spokesman for gypsies and travellers on 5 live today was painting him, & his community as more victims of prejudice than perpetrators. He said the use of the term 'pikey' was often excused on tv and social media but that they found it deeply offensive. As a group of people that largely keep apart from the wider community, are they the last victims of open discrimination/prejudice?

I think worldwide there is genuine Romany/Gypsy persecution - it extends further than name-calling on telly... some reckon as many as 500,000 were killed by nazi Germany - and in 2014 a French mayor claimed that hitler had not killed enough of them...

[Harry Genshaw]

^ oh aye but they're the only ethnic group I can think of where a pejorative term to describe them is still largely ignored. Someone using the n word or the other p word in the press or social media would be rightly pilloried. Not so much using the pikey term. I was just wondering why is all

[Prufrock]

Is "pikey" often used in the mainstream media to refer to Irish gypsies/travellers? I've heard it used a lot as a catch-all for scally sorts, rather than specifically that group.

[Harry Genshaw]

Is "pikey" often used in the mainstream media to refer to Irish gypsies/travellers? I've heard it used a lot as a catch-all for scally sorts, rather than specifically that group.

I'd say so yes. Personally, I first heard the term used by Vinnie Jones when he was praising Brad Pitts performance as an Irish traveller (?) in Snatch. Scallys tend to be referred to as just that, or chavs don't they?

[LeverEnd]

I think pikey is used as a term for a way of life. It's not a race, people can come in or out of that lifestyle whenever they like, and they often do. Its fashionable among the left wing to defend them as a minority but I think they invite and deserve a lot of the criticism they get. I've taught loads of romany hungarian kids and thought they were great. They came here because their parents were looking for a job and a better way of life. Fury and his ilk are just stupid ingorant c*nts. feck them.

[Bruce Rioja]

Gypsies are not a race. An individual can chose to either opt in or opt out of that particular way of life. One simply cannot opt in or out of one's race. Some have this absurd romanticised view of Gypsies living an harmonious life selling clumps of lucky heather, completely ignoring the fact that they are a bunch of thieving, dirty nice people who seem to think that they can simply freeload their way through life. Adolf Hitler didn't have it all wrong!

[Beefheart]

The simple c*nt seems to have confused being a dick with having a personality. He was also rude about Jess Ennis which means he'll never win me over

Just on the question of his background, a spokesman for gypsies and travellers on 5 live today was painting him, & his community as more victims of prejudice than perpetrators. He said the use of the term 'pikey' was often excused on tv and social media but that they found it deeply offensive. As a group of people that largely keep apart from the wider community, are they the last victims of open discrimination/prejudice?

I think worldwide there is genuine Romany/Gypsy persecution - it extends further than name-calling on telly... some reckon as many as 500,000 were killed by nazi Germany - and in 2014 a French mayor claimed that hitler had not killed enough of them...

More recently in Italy since they opened their borders to Romania, Berlusconi proposed fingerprinting all Romany children who came into the country. I don't know whether that went ahead but it was worryingly popular. Though seems tame in comparison to what Trumps been on about this week.

Re: Personality, I'd say Drs' Vitali & Vladimir Klitschko Phd, the polygots, politicians and philanthropists have more personality than that pikey (sorry) prick.

[Athers]

As a group of people that largely keep apart from the wider community, are they the last victims of open discrimination/prejudice?

Suspect they will be until they abandon their caravans and move into the streets/modern world. Finding faeces on formerly used land and that 'Gypsy wedding' TV show (exposing how awfully they treat girls) is about all anyone knows about them... and that leads to prejudice

[Il Pirate]

I'd better keep quiet. But Fck me, I've had to take some deep breaths.

And for what it's worth, on a boxing note; Anthony Joshua wouldn't get near Tyson Fury at present. I'm not saying in the future he may not beat him, but as it stands now, AJ would spend all night punching fresh air. I think what Fury lacks though, is a real big punch, which when fighting some of the guys in the division, could be his undoing.

[Il Pirate]

Gypsies are not a race. An individual can chose to either opt in or opt out of that particular way of life. One simply cannot opt in or out of one's race. Some have this absurd romanticised view of Gypsies living an harmonious life selling clumps of lucky heather, completely ignoring the fact that they are a bunch of thieving, dirty tw*ts who seem to think that they can simply freeload their way through life. Adolf Hitler didn't have it all wrong!

I hope you are proud of yourself..................

[Bruce Rioja]

Gypsies are not a race. An individual can chose to either opt in or opt out of that particular way of life. One simply cannot opt in or out of one's race. Some have this absurd romanticised view of Gypsies living an harmonious life selling clumps of lucky heather, completely ignoring the fact that they are a bunch of thieving, dirty tw*ts who seem to think that they can simply freeload their way through life. Adolf Hitler didn't have it all wrong!

I hope you are proud of yourself..................

Of course I am. My family are proud of me also. That's all that matters to me. What's your issue? Oh, and Anthony Joshua will knock the Pikey Gobshite's block off. Let's have a Tenner on this.

[Harry Genshaw]

As a group of people that largely keep apart from the wider community, are they the last victims of open discrimination/prejudice?

Suspect they will be until they abandon their caravans and move into the streets/modern world. Finding faeces on formerly used land and that 'Gypsy wedding' TV show (exposing how awfully they treat girls) is about all anyone knows about them... and that leads to prejudice

Part of the reason for me asking the question is that I share many of the same prejudices others on here seem to, but I know lots of mine are based on ignorance. The few dealings I've had in life with 'gypsies' have been largely negative but in the same way that not all gypsies sell lucky heather, not all treat girls in the manner shown in the tv programme. 'Grabbing' is an Irish traveller thing and I believe, unknown in the English gypsy heritage.

Roma gypsies are surely a race though?

[Bruce Rioja]

Roma gypsies are surely a race though?

Are they feck!

[Harry Genshaw]

Roma gypsies are surely a race though?

Are they feck!

Really? I thought I'd read they were originally from India or the Himalayas. Hence the rather dark appearance of Roma who have lived several generations in eastern Europe.

[LeverEnd]

Roma certainly have clear racial characteristics, they are recognisable as such. Its like a tribal thing but I don't know if they are considered a separate race. Taught a lot of roma kids in the English as a Foreign Language unit set up at Smithills due to falling numbers (new Islamic school nicked a lot of the kids sadly). They weren't from travelling families but were ethnically roma.
I think you're right HG that they are descended from nomadic indian tribes. One of those groups that can't be clearly defined racially I'd say, a bit like somalis who appear to be somewhere between african and arab.
Anyway, I feel like Alice Cooper in Wayne's World now.

[Montreal Wanderer]

Roma gypsies are surely a race though?

Are they feck!

Really? I thought I'd read they were originally from India or the Himalayas. Hence the rather dark appearance of Roma who have lived several generations in eastern Europe.

I don't know the definition of race as used here, but Romany are certainly a distinct ethnic group and have their own language, though they inhabit widely dispersed geographic areas. Are Jews a race? If so why not Gypsies? Just asking.

[Prufrock]

"Race" as a concept is bollocks. No such thing. Studies keep showing people from Beijing's genetics closer to those of people from Paris/ Rio/Cairo as to those of people from rural China. Genes that service appearance are v small proportion. So any claims about black people being better athletes, or Asians at maths are bogus. Much more local, so people from sub-saharan plains better at long distance running etc...

[Bruce Rioja]

Roma certainly have clear racial characteristics, they are recognisable as such.

Yes, the tatty bastards are instantly recognisable as the ones making off with stolen items back to their caravans which are sited on land that they've no right to be on, on which they leave a monumental pile of shite when they're brought to task - the Pikey c*nts.