And here, just for fun, are songs with the word Gypsy in them. I am just so obsessed with Gypsies. I picture them as being fun loving, and free. Of course most of them are now at least semi-sedantary now. As it's more difficult to make a living practising the old arts and trades of a Gypsy. Still they have a very interesting and colorful history. Gypsies have inspired the dreams of many people. "Gypsy"- by Stevie Nicks http://www.lyricsfreak.com/f/fleetwood+mac/gypsy_20054242.html "On the Road Again" http://www.geocities.com/SouthBeach/Shores/5498/page2.html "Love Potion Number Nine" http://www.mathematik.uni-ulm.de/paul/lyrics/searchers/lovepo~1.html "The Gypsy Cried" http://www.lyricsdownload.com/lou-christie-the-gypsy-cried-lyrics.html "Embraceable You" http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/anamericaninparis/embraceableyou.htm, And probally the most best known songs about Gypsies. Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves". http://www.lyricsfreak.com/c/cher/gypsies+tramps+thieves_20029746.html The Gypsies(Romany) even have there own flag. (see above) I think I'm done posting about Gypsies for awhile. I just happen to have a certain affinity for them, as I'm a scavenger of aluminum, and an amateur pennywhistler, who hopes to busk http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Busker someday. I can only hope to be as good a Traveler as the Gypsies historicly were, and are. By and large Gypsies only wish to help you, and make you happy. Except for Gypsy moths, which I refered to in an earlier post. So show some appreciation.
5 comments:
You know the Romani don't like being called that...it's a slur. The more you know.
As I've posted elsewhere on my blog, I use the general term gypsy to refer to all of the various traveler groups, including those whom are Irish/Scottish, not simply Romany travelers. Furthermore I do not consider the word Gypsy to be a perjorative, and I do not suppose that all that many travelers do either. But at any rate, especially being that I'm a left-libertarian, I value the idea of free expression, and refuse to be constrained by political correctness. I will note though that the term "Gypsy" is a misnomer, as the Romany, and their Sinti counterparts, are derived from India, rather than Egypt. People used to have the mistaken notion that they were from Egypt, hence the origin of the word. No offense was intended. And in, and of itself, the name gypsy should not be taken to be an insult. But, as I mentioned above, youens doth not have the right not to be offended. While I , on the other hand, doth have the right to free speech. P.S. Do some people really have nothing better to do than to give persons a hard time, if and when they utter the word "gypsy"? I mean wouldst these people whom have given me negative feed back concerning my use of the word "gypsy" likewise bother performers such as Shakira, given her song, titled "Gypsy" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3KQzPkZV0M ? Come on people, get a life, why don't you?
Shakira and many artists have used the word gypsy is taken as if you're using the N word to some gypsies and it offend them I think they want to be called Romani our roma the reason why its not right sometimes say gypsy in the song is because so many people do not like the roma and they are harsh towards them and the Roman thay don't like it if someone is using the word gypsy make a profit off of them in a song or a clothing line or any or anything else what the word gypsy me myself I am a Roman easy so I know what they mean when they are upset when people are making money because of the Gypsy culture style are you just using the word gypsy because the Gypsy suffered in the Holocaust what did use and no one ever talks about that you see the gypsies are not allowed to live Americanize life they dont go to school I have jobs because they're afraid because of what happened in the Holocaust they always talk about the Jewish than how the Gypsy suffered with them also here
I hope that people realise that I posted such blog articles when I was a number of years younger. So I don't necessarily still hold the exact same opinions on all issues that I did at the time I originally addressed them on my blog. And while I still assert that personal freedom should be held in higher esteem than people's feelings, I tend to take a more nuanced view than when I first addressed this. I feel, for instance that such traveler groups should be largely tolerated, yet still steps should be taken to better integrate them into modern society. Nations can not afford to simply take a laissez faire approach to their vagrant activities, which make up their traditional way of life. My main issue I take with Ms. Slee, and her group, is that they appear to act as if the Romany are the only gypsy/traveler people in existance, or at least the only one that matters. But this is not so. For starters there is also the Sinti http://www.everyculture.com/Europe/Piemontese-Sinti-History-and-Cultural-Relations.html, and the Yenich http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yeniche_people. So I usually just use gypsy as a general catch all for all transient nomads. I first read about Gysies proper, in a book put out by the National Geographic Society, titled "Gypsies: Wanderers of the World" http://www.librarything.com/work/239550, which had the participation of an English Romany man. So if the word "gypsy" were a categorical pejorative, I'd think that he would have pointed it out to them. In my personal take on the matter, I think that the term gypsy is less analogous to the word "nigger", and more comparable to the term "Indian", in describing Native Americans. It's not accurate, as Native Americans did not originate in India, and Romany did not originate in Egypt. However I feel that there was never any particular mallace intended as such. In fact, in such places as Germany, there are people who've based an entire subculture based upon the adoption of Indian lore.
http://www.utne.com/Mind-Body/Germans-weekends-Native-Americans-Indian-Culture.aspx?page=2#axzz2XNpnovOW From the article, "
Once, as part of his promotion efforts, he described his documentary in an e-mail to a hobbyist organization as being about “Indian life.” He received a quick response informing him that the proper term was “First Nations,” that he would do well not to use racist terminology.
“I am an Indian!” Blackbird shot back. “My friends are Indians, my family are Indians. We have always called ourselves Indians. I have a status card from the Canadian government that tells me I am an Indian. You have no right to tell me what I am.” I feel that similarly, Slee should not purport to speak on behalf of all Romany, some of which I suppose will not altogether mind being referred to as Gypsies. And as to the Holocaust, a number of people such as I, also suffered. In fact we were actually the amongst the very first persons sent to the camps, before Romany, and Sinti, even before Jews. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holocaust_victims#Leftists So it is not fitting for people to try to play the victim card in order to stifle commentary, and criticism. I mean if people were to use the term "commie" in a derogatory manner, I wouldn't ever try to give them grief about it. I have far better, and more important things to do with my time than to dispute over the usage of words. This is the best response I can come up to, in response to the last comment posted about this blog entry, and my use of the word "gypsy". Obviously though, the commenter is not all that fluent in the English language, so it was hard to comprehend the points s/he was trying to get at.
I am a Traveller Gypsy and no the word Gypsy is not offensive to a Gypsy to just a Romany it is. But don't tell me about my culture or what we approve of. We even wear clothing saying Gypsy on it. We are proud of our culture so the more you know!! The less idiotic you will sound.
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