Comment by Ciuin Ferrin on March 14, 2011 at 4:46

Sorry this is so late, but I had an unexpected and personal issue arise. Here is the final draft of the letter, unless of course, you find an error I may have missed.

 

 

Last night, Friday, March 11, 2011, the repeat episode of Criminal Minds titled Bloodlines ran on A&E network.

The story of this episode tells how a family of Gypsies kidnaps two young girls, age ten, wanting to make one of them the bride of their son. The Gypsies slice the throats of parents, and we learn through the investigation that the boy was forced to kill one of the parents while his father gave him instructions. This is considered a ‘rite of passage’ from boyhood to manhood. Later, the boy is being taught by his parents how to steal from a dummy that has bells hanging from it and the audience is informed by the “expert detectives” that this is the test of the seven bells, a method Gypsies use to teach their children to pick pockets. While the boy is practicing, the first girl kidnapped has a seizure. The father decides to murder her. His wife reminds him that they do not kill little girls. As the show continues, the “expert detectives” explain that “a lot of Romani make their living as petty thieves” as well as other statements based off racist and stereotypical beliefs. In the end, it is revealed that there are numerous Gypsy families living in the United States, murdering parents and kidnapping their daughters. The final scene in the show depicts yet another ten year old boy and his parents preparing to murder yet another set of parents and kidnap their daughter.

As this episode aired, a demonstration by white supremists began in Novy Bydzov in the Czech Republic. This demonstration was prompted by a Czech mayor who claims "They (the Romani) are roaming the town, being a nuisance, stealing and raping. During the time a decent citizen works, gypsies lazily sit on park benches in the square, happily chatting.”- Prague Daily Monitor, November 26, 2010.

The conditions of the Roma in the Czech Republic are appalling. Forced sterilizations have been in place from the 1970s until as late as 2007. Romani children are placed in schools for the mentally handicapped, even if they score well on tests. The Romani have sued and won the right to be educated in the public school system in the Czech Republic, yet they have yet to be allowed to set foot inside a regular classroom. Elsewhere in European Union, the Romani are being fingerprinted and photographed in Italy, a direct violation of the human rights regulations set down by the UN. The last time this happened, Hitler was in power and the Romani were sent to the gas chambers. Romani are being deported from France, Italy, Germany, with England soon to follow, even though these people have been living in these countries for over ten years. And in Romania, a bill is being prepared to force the Romani to refer to themselves as “tigan” instead of Romani, because the Romanians don’t want the world confusing them with Gypsies. The word tigan means “slave”, in reference to when the Romani were slaves in Romania for over 500 years, their emancipation coming two years after Lincoln freed the slaves here in the States.

Many Romani are probably going to die in Novy Bydzov tomorrow and the news won’t even cover it. Their homes will be burned to the ground and the fire department will make sure the flames don’t spread to neighboring buildings.

Forced sterilizations, the denial of education, the denial of work, being fingerprinted and photographed, and now, being told what they may or may not call themselves; these actions are obscene to the American way of thinking, and yet, we don’t mind, because Gypsies really are dirt, after all, that is how they are portrayed on TV.

Contrary to the comments made on the show, most Romani do not steal. I will not deny that some Romani do steal, but can you name a race whose members have never committed a crime? Romani children are not ‘born to steal’ nor do parents teach their children to do so. The bell man is a creation of author Victor Hugo for his novel “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”

Romani children in Europe are denied an education to help themselves out of poverty. Parents do not steal brides for their sons and they do not kidnap children. The show claims that the Gypsies in the US have gotten away with murder and kidnapping because they are nomadic, yet 85 – 90% of the world Romani population are settled. But more importantly, the crime of murder is considered not only heinous to the Romani, but a crime of such evil that those who commit it are put out from the society.

European politicians villianize and scapegoat the Romani, claiming they are to blame for high crime rates, poor economic conditions, and most social ills. Yet they refuse to follow through with the European Union’s plan for Romani inclusion and ignore the EU’s regulations regarding the treatment of minorities within the EU’s borders. By using such tactics, the politicians in Europe guaranty the continued persecution, discrimination, and murder of the Romani for years to come.

Your mission statement for your company makes the following claims to your work environment.

 We believe that our programs, products and services are only as good as the people who create them. Because of this, we have a commitment to high ethical values and to creating a workplace where employees are encouraged to strive for professional excellence. The diversity of our workforce plays an increasingly important role in meeting this commitment. Diversity extends beyond race, color, creed or sexual orientation. Diversity is that combination of traits and characteristics that makes each of us unique individuals and what brings us together to achieve our goals. Diversity is about respect, openness, innovation, and knowledge. It's what we practice in our business.

I ask you now to uphold that which you claim to embrace. I am not asking you to cancel the show, only to pull that episode. It promotes racism and the stereotypes that keep the Romani in both the United States and Europe in perpetual poverty and persecution.

Do the right thing, A&E.

 

_____

Please let me know if you wish to sign this.

I do feel a larger and more detailed text must be written and sent to United Artists as well as various studios who have created films where Gypsies have been portrayed as sub-human villians. I am asking anyone who has seen Damn Me to Hell and Thinner to assist me. I've not seen the films, nor do I intend to. I don't do horror films.

Thank you for your patience.

 

Baxt,

C

Comment by Els de Groen (Archive) on March 14, 2011 at 11:28

Dear Ciuin,

Thank you for your very hard work! I am happy your daughter is okay again. My God, you didn't have an easy weekend. I read the text just once and fast and will reread it more carefully. The content of the episode is completely madness, but also dangerous madness. One thing should be corrected in the letter: the very small paragraph about what might happen in Novy Bydzov. I will send you descriptions and photos (already on this site) by Lukas. Many Roma left the town and from those who stayed "only" three were beaten up, out of whom one ended in hospital. There were many policemen.

Either you adapt the paragraph or you skip it. That is up to you. I will broadcast a mail to all and invite them to co-sign you letter. By the time you get up (it is 7 hours earlier with you, I guess), I hope some of us have already reacted.

Thanks again, Ciuin!

X, Els

Comment by maurizio cimino on March 14, 2011 at 13:11

I support

of course

Comment by Irina on March 14, 2011 at 13:15

Dear Ciuin,

 

I'm also in support for your letter.

all best

Irina Costache

Comment by Ciuin Ferrin on March 14, 2011 at 15:18

Good morning everyone,

 

I have deleted the paragraph about the possible results of the demonstration, simply because when the letter was written, the demonstration was in the future. Past tense work deflates the meaning, so I removed it.

 

I will give this until 9:15AM Central Standard Time in the US, 24 hours from this posting, to allow people to sign. I will mail it tomorrow morning at 10am.

 

@Casimire: would you like me to create a temporary letterhead to send this on? Otherwise, I was planning to send it on O Porrajmos Education Society letterhead.

 

Baxt,

C

Comment by Mr. Valery Novoselsky on March 14, 2011 at 15:23

I support this letter too!

 

Mr. Valery Novoselsky,
Editor, Roma Virtual Network.
http://www.valery-novoselsky.org/romavirtualnetwork.html

Comment by Els de Groen (Archive) on March 14, 2011 at 15:23

Hello Ciuin!

Let's try to join as much as possible. You can use the letterhead of the O Porrajmos Education Society, but for the signers on behalf of the Initiative you could add our logo. You can print it in all sizes. I will send it it to you in couple of minutes.

Baxt,

Els

Comment by roxana marin on March 14, 2011 at 15:36

you guys rock:)
casimire, you're so quiet these days, where are you - i miss you!

Comment by Nada Kokotovic on March 14, 2011 at 16:57

I support letter

Nada Kokotovic

Comment by Viola Hinz-Hassan Pour Razavi on March 14, 2011 at 18:16

I support the letter

Viola

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