The Roma gypsies have been mistreated for centuries in Europe by being segregated against, yet not many people are aware of their generations of plight — recently, the Roma gypsy children have even been taken away from their parents. CNN and other news channels have said that this has gone too far.

Why are the Roma gypsies being discriminated against? Some claim because they steal. In Europe, they are treated inhumanely, hinting that the really reason is ignorance and fear. People are scared because the Roma gypsies are different.

One of the main causes of fear is the media, according to the film, Bowling for Columbine  Discriminated groups all over, such as Jewish, Muslim, and people with mental issues, are seemingly always mentioned in the news.

When describing a person, the news organization always mentions the ethnicity, religion, or mental health of the person in focus. They don’t mention when a criminal is Christian (usually) or if they have good mental health.

But, obviously, not everyone who is a criminal has a mental issue. Does not mentioning these groups mean that they never do crimes or that the percentage is lower? The answer is no; according to studies, people with mental issues are not more harmful. In fact, the percentage of murders is the same as with people without mental problems.

If people were to open up more and stop being fearful, maybe they would see that these groups are just like their own. They are individuals.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2000/11/20/opinion/italy-s-mistreatment-of-gypsies.html