More From Alder's Ledge

November 16, 2010

The Greatest Sin of our Fathers

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Porajmos
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Even in recognition of these attacks and this oppression and segregation we have done far to little far to late. Most information that is being leaked, or breaking through European censorship is at least a year old by now. Those left dead or dieing in distant lands are without names and faces because nations such as Italy, France, Germany, Sweden, and the UK don't want us to know of their sins. Yet here we are... screaming... if for no other reason but to maintain our humanity.
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As of last week the French government has stepped up its deportations of Roma and many are being sent to countries they were not born in nor where their parents or grandparents. Most are receiving far less than the 343 dollar pay out for "volunteering" to leave French soil that Sarkozy promised them. And even more aren't receiving no monetary compensation for being uprooted at all.
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Reported on November 5Th by Financial Times Online, Italy's far right (FT was more generous and said "centre-right") government has proposed a new (all be it in addition to current racist laws) law that would allow Italy to deport its entire Roma population. The proposed law states that any Italian citizen or non-citizen of foreign birth or origin may be deported for any "overstay" in Italy without financial support (i.e. a job).
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The same law in Italy would also "clear prostitutes from the streets". Thus allowing Italy's Silvio Berlusconi to equate Roma citizens to prostitutes. And yet Italy claims it is not committing any acts of prejudice what-so-ever.
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And yet if one looks through the bill they would notice that Italy is allowed, by this law's own wording, to "expel EU citizens who remain in Italy for more than 90 days should they not fulfil EU requirements in having a job, adequate income, and proper lodging (all of which most Italian citizens have suffered as least once in their life). This law is not only aimed at targeting the Roma, whom are "routinely unemployed", but is also retroactive. Meaning that if the Italian government believes that their is even the possibility that you have ever been without "a job, adequate income, and proper lodging" you are a candidate for expulsion.
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Take this to the next level and you have a new problem. Say Silvio's government decides to expel more of its Roma to Kosovo. If deported to Kosovo Roma will not be capable of reentering the European Union or its member states. After all, if you believe Italy or France, they only got to the said member states because of the EU's lack of "monitoring internal migrations".
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Therefore the racist policies of European Union member states would be effectively stripping European Union members not only of their citizenship to Italy or France but to the European Union itself. And that is precisely the goal of people like Silvio and Sarkozy. If the Roma in Western Europe are simply shipped to Eastern Europe... well they can't legally reenter into countries such as Italy or France without Silvio or Sarkozy's permission. And you can bet you top dollar that these to fascist are not about to allow Roma back into their countries once they have been expelled.
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The only hope for Italy's Roma population to remain put now lay in Brussels. The European Union has previously denied Italy's past attempts at legally expelling European Union citizens from Union soil. But with the rising tide of xenophobia and anti-gypsyism it isn't as unlikely this time around.
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However, despite my disgust with Italy and France; Germany, Hungary, and the Czech Republic have elicited more outrage from me and others in the recent months as they too have amped up their persecution of the Roma.
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In the Czech courts the life of a Roma toddler will only get you 22 years... that is if you even actually serve that. The Neo-Nazis who burnt the young girl had done so in celebration of Adolf Hitler's birthday... this happened to be the only reason the Czech court took on the case.
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Natalka Kudrikova, set on fire on April 19Th after four Nazis tossed Molotov cocktails into her home, finally was released from the hospital in December of last year. She had received burns over an estimated 80 percent of her body. Having lost three fingers in the fire, Natalka fought off repeated attacks of post-burn trauma as her kidneys began to fail and blood poisoning set in. 14 surgeries later, the young Roma girl is alive... her attackers showed only remorse for the fact that she had not perished in the fire.
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Hitler's 120Th birthday was grounds for celebration amongst Neo-Nazis and pot smoking hippies alike. For Czech Roma... just another day in the Hell Europe has to offer them.
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In Hungary you can see Jobbik followers sporting everything form t-shirts saying "Jewish Pigs" or driving cars with bumper stickers saying "Jew Free Car". Yet it is the Roma who the Jobbik party has targeted with their racist laws. And if not with their laws, Hungary has long been an accomplice to the Roma's Devouring by remaining silent as right wingers light up their Molotovs and load their pistols.
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As for Germany, well they have been watching and listening to all their neighbors for some time now. They have successfully gauged the level of tolerance Europe has for racism against the Romani. And Germany is now willing to apply what it has learned.
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Looking back at Norway (from the 1930s-1970s it was legal in Norway to forcefully sterilize Roma) Germany has decided to allow its politicians to talk about reintroducing such practices. After all, Hitler proved to us that if you can destroy enough of a generation in one population you can therefore successfully destroy the culture they would have otherwise passed on. And Hitler is still not all that "evil" in Germany's collective mindset (if he was, the German public school system would more honestly record and teach their history under his Third Reich).
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For the most part however, Germany has simply adopted the strategies of France... or Sarkozy. And with German efficiency (i.e. Auschwitz) the Germans have begun to forcibly expel its Roma population to Kosovo. This allows Germany to be free of a "problem" as they call the Roma and to seemingly never have to deal with them again.
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In the end we will have to wait to see where these issues lead us. We can imagine the red banner of fascism rising over the horizon and yet it is not yet up the flag pole all the way. We can hear the echoes of jackboots upon the sidewalks of Europe and yet they are not reverberating in Washington's ears just yet. This may become the things of nightmares or if God willing... just another trial for the beleaguered Roma.
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In 1986 Elie Wiesel accepted the Nobel Peace Prize for his works in recording his story of survival during the Holocaust. Upon receiving it, Elie was compelled to ask the Roma for forgiveness for "not listening to your story". It was at that moment that many "intellectuals" suddenly became aware of all those Roma Hitler had killed alongside the Jews, biracial, blacks, homosexuals, mentally ill or retarded, and enemies of the state.
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Source Documents
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http://www.english.rfi.fr/europe/20101020-czech-nio-nazes-get-22-years-attack-roma
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http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/aeaebf0c-e90c-11df-a1b4-00144feab49a.html
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http://www.europeanvoice.com/article/imported/opportunity-finally-knocks-for-europe-s-roma-/69222.aspx

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