PISA THE CITY OF CULTURE?

So Pisa, in Italy, is offering Roma people 500 Euros to leave for Romania. What generous people the Pisan authorities are! Kindness such as this is not seen often in the 21^st century,

Although, are the Pisa authorities in the 21^st century? It seems highly unlikely, and the plan is just short of ethnic cleansing.

Harsh words? No, not if you read about the living conditions of Roma in Romania.

Fotis Filippou, EU Team Campaigner for Amnesty International has investigated their plight, and it does not make for happy reading,

http://livewire.amnesty.org/2010/10/18/roma-community-in-romania-still-treated-like-waste-six-years-on/

The symbol at the top is that of Pisa. Now I assume it is a Christian cross, which would suggest Pisa is a Christian-friendly city, (most of the citizens are Roman Catholic I am sure); and yet, their actions remind one more of Nazi techniques.

And this leads us to a very important question.

Why is the Holy See so quiet on the what is happening? Their silence suggests indifference, if not complicity by default. Does not the Pope have an obligation to speak out? To condemn? The Vatican is quick enough to prosecute a Vatican official for minor offences, and yet keep its head down on serious, urgent matters.

Guilt by default, but I fear the Pope is far more concerned about nuns in the USA than the persecution of Roma people.

Might "Let them eat cake" as per Marie Antoinette not be appropriate?

THE DARK PART OF EUROPE

When we talk of the Black Death, the plague, we think of the Middle Ages and the havoc reeked by the disease across the face of Europe.

And yet, a similar situation exists today – not in the depths of Africa – not in some far away place only read about in books. It is happening in Italy at personal, local, and administration levels.

The hatred and loathing aimed at Roma people – the persecution of, and indifference to, them is a plague of the 21^st century, and right in the middle of the EU – a body that has protection of human rights amongst its most important tenets.

Everyone Group, plus its supporters, fights this modern-day disease vigorously, in spite of tremendous opposition from authorities and individuals.

Nothing new I know, but time has seen little change in their situation. The same people who persecute and harass them are the very ones who throw their hands up in horror when asked for their opinion n the treatment of minorities in other countries.

I think we must assume that Roma people are not looked upon as citizens of this world. One has only to look at what happened when that little Roma girl drowned a few years ago. You forget? Families on the beach were taking photos on their mobiles, and the body was on the beach in public view for some time before authorities took action. She was treated, in death, as no more important than a piece of litter.

Easiest thing to is to turn our backs - “not my problem” does not absolve anyone. Guilty by default is the verdict on those who walk by on the other side of the road.