Comments on: Institutional Racism?

By: Plodnomore

Plodnomore — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 18:23:31 +0000

At a diversity lecture I had to attend shortly before I retired we were each asked for our thoughts on travellers and whether we felt any prejudice about them. Some officers were disturbingly honest (having ignored Blueknights feelings) and some did follow that view by either saying nothing or little that made sense. Perhaps because I only had a few months to go and didn’t really care of the consequences – after all, what could they do, require me to resign – I stated that I was sure that there were some travellers who had left a farmer’s field in as good a condition, or even better, than it was when they moved onto it but I regretted that in $£ years of being a Police officer I had not heard of or seen it but perhaps the diversity facilitator(?) could offer some examples? The meeting ended in some confusion and some colleagues made sure that they would not be criminalised through association. Sad world innit. Now that I look at things from the outside I regularly see that, yet again, fields, playgrounds, cricket pitches and village greens are left full of old engines, oil filled containers, bits to bikes, varied machinery and old caravans after the community spirited travellers have moved on – the removal of which comes out of the local rates and taxes. Is there ANYONE out there, including Traveller Liaison officers, who has heard of or seen a farmer’s field or any other field or green, left in a better condition after the travellers have, er, travelled?

By: officer dibble

officer dibble — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 01:51:05 +0000

200
If the question were put to you again in a situation were you didnt have to publically ‘group’ yourself….window, wall or middle of the room?
I’d have to be a window man and this is just based on time spent working in the North London area in my earlier years and dealing with the sites and the occupants on a fairly regular basis.
Am I stereotyping? Is this racism or manifestations of cynicism built up after years of dealing off and on with the traveller community?
These thoughts wont get me the Community Officer of the Year award( again!!!) or past the paper sift to the post of Traveller liason officer)

By: MarkUK

MarkUK — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:44:05 +0000

Since when has a lifestyle been a race? Most travellers I’ve come across speak with an Irish accent and would not, visually, be identified as Roma. Should they be treated differently from other Irish people?

Mind you, I did hear of a great solution to “travellers” pitching up on someone’s land some years ago.

The bloke who owned the land was a self-made millionaire, a haulage contractor with a large fleet who had started off with one second hand wagon. He was a hard case.

First of all, he went down to the new campsite and threatened to tow the lot off. When told that he would be breaking the law, he did some thinking.

He went and got a JCB and drove it on to the field. Giving the caravans a wide berth, he started digging a trench. He started to encircle the camp with the trench. As he got near to completing his encirclement (the gateway to the field being the last bit left), the “travellers” approached him.

“You can’t do this – we won’t be able to get off the field.”

“It’s my land and I’ll dig whatever trench I want. Mind you, I could do with a break. I’ll be gone for about an hour, then I’ll finish the job. Too bad if your vehicles are still here by then.”

Guess how many vans were left on the field an hour later!

By: Tony F

Tony F — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:01:47 +0000

Travellers, the people who want ALL of societies benefits without paying for them. Don’t get me wrong, I have met REAL ‘Gypsies’ Clean, hard working, and yes, quite honest. And very, very proud. They are a different race of humans, and to be against them for no reason would indeed be racist. Travellers on the other hand are not a race, and are the worst of parasitical scum and should be exterminated. If they do not have tax or insurance on their rot boxes, they should be immediately fed into a crusher. With their vehicles. Why they should get away with basic motoring offences because of their alleged ‘race’ whilst we would get fined or worse for the same offences I do not know. Worn tyres are worn tyres, no matter what machine they are on.

By: TaxPayingFool

TaxPayingFool — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 13:15:12 +0000

Surely it’s not racist if it’s true?

Every time the “travellers” park up near my husband’s work, there’s a constant stream of tannoy announcements to the effect that “car registration number 123 xyz” has been broken into, owner please attend. The car park isn’t big enough for a whole shift’s cars so they park on the surrounding roads, which aren’t covered by CCTV. When the “travellers” move on, the level of theft from cars goes back to once a month or so.

Coincidence? I don’t really think so, do you?

By: Blueknight

Blueknight — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 00:30:26 +0000

The golden rules of diversity training is agree with the trainer, go with the flow and don’t ask questions.
As to what is and isn’t racism depends on where you are standing. I’m not talking about racist attacks, or the kind of stuff that the National Front might condone, but normal everyday life, which, for a number of different reasons is becoming increasingly defined in terms of race and religion.
These are a series of whodunnits. If you get too many of them right you might be racist.
1. A device has been put on a ATM machine. The device captures the bank card while a camera records the PIN being punched in. The thieves recover the card and withdraw money from the account.
2. A gang rent a house. Very quickly it is converted into cannabis fctory, with almost every room used for growing. A number of people have been tricked into living at the house to guard it, water the plants and keep everything running.
3. Somebody purporting to be a banker contacts you, saying his bank is looking after the considerable fortune of a deceased millionaire -He says he needs a foreign bank account through which to launder the money – and in return for sending him your bank details for this purpose, he will give you a share of the spoils, but instead of sending you money. he clears out your account,
4. In a misguided attempt to alter British foreign policy in the Middle East, a bomb is planted in a public place.
5. The initials KKK and a swastika are is sprayed on a wall
6. A bogus workman calls at an elderly person house. He says he is working on the water main down the road and he needs to relieve the pipe pressure by turning on the taps. The elderly person lets the workman in. They walk to the kitchen where he opens and shuts the taps for a couple of minutes. Meanwhile the accomplice has slipped in, gone upstairs and stolen all of the elderly persons savings and sentimental jewellry.