My goodness, but I seem to have stirred up a hornet’s nest when I referenced gypsies in a couple of my previous entries. BZZZ-BZZZZ – STING!!! This will be my last entry regarding this issue as first of all, it gets OLD, and secondly, Ole made me promise not to get in a battle of wits with someone who is not well equipped. But first I have a couple of points I want to make.
I did a bit of research on the internet after receiving comments from a Melissa Hughes and an Elizabeth Strom. I was able to determine that Ljorna is a student at the University of New Orleans and Melissa Hughes is her Sociology instructor who gave her class an assignment to monitor blogs for the use of racial slurs. Ljorna became so upset with my response to her comment where she informed me that I know nothing about gypsies and that I was racist and insulting, that she forwarded all this information to her instructor. She also sent the links to Elizabeth Strom, who, from what I can derive, lives in New York City and is a singer/musician and a Jewish activist. The following statement is taken from her web site: “In addition to her ongoing commitment to klezmer and Yiddish music, Schwartz has a new project with Yale Strom, Salman Ahmad and Samir Chatterjee called “Common Chords”, which explores harmony, peace, understanding and great music between traditionally different cultures (Jewish, Muslim, Hindu).”  I was able to determine that Melissa Hughes is a supplemental instructor in the Sociology program at the University of New Orleans and her graduate thesis was entitled The Romani Place in Kosovar Space: Nationalism, Citizenship and the Roma in Kosovo.
All this because I wrote a story about when I was a little girl and my family moved from place to place – Life as a Gypsy. It’s my opinion that these three people need to start worrying about things that are truly important – like abortion, sharia law, Middle Eastern dictators, etc. And Ms Hughes and Ms Strom couldn’t understand why I was receiving so much support from my commenters. Maybe they all think like I do and deal with the realities of the world instead of searching for drivel to develop a cause.Â
Anyway, Ljorna thought she was sending the Big Guns after me, I guess. Sorry, Ljorna, but I won’t change the title to my post. It remains Life as a Gypsy. Not to be mean, but you read WAY too much into it.
Fun things to come tomorrow. All for now.
Love, Lena
PS:Â None of you better be telling Ole and Lena jokes now – I just might get insulted – and that goes for you people down at the University of New Orleans too.
Perhaps a better thesis could have been developed about the differences between populations in their respective geographical areas. ND/MN as compared to New Orleans? Hmm…
Oh, Lena! How ridiculous this all is. Almost sounds like government officials. Rest assured, you have done and said nothing wrong. Someone obvioously wanted a good grade in a course and pulled out the big guns. Amen to all that. I truly understand.
Hey Lena, Dis is yur burdder Sven. I tink yu handled dat preddy well.
Sven
Tusen Taak, Brudder Sven – appreciate your comment!!
A good friend asked me to post this for him in response to those who accused me of my racist crime. I hope that Ms. Schwartz, Ms. Hughes and Ljorna read this:
“I find it amazing the guilty white folks who are determined
to see that NO person is ever offended by ANY other person.
In the history of mankind, every group has had to earn
respect and acceptance of the culture in which they chose to
live. Race, religion, skin color, beliefs all are flash
points that opposing views have to reach a common ground.
If you do not like what I call you then make very sure that
you do not deserve it. Make sure that under your breath you
are not making or thinking something about me that is less
than perfectly nice. Because at this point based on the
comments and direction of the class teaching, the use of the
phrase gypsy, has you accusing those of us that saw the
humor and interest in Lena’s story, as knuckle dragging cave
man. Perhaps I can best say that I care not one iota
whether your feelings are hurt as I have yet in my life time
found a group who cares one damn iota about my feelings.
A middle aged white male AMERICAN
J. D. Bohlman
Amen!!
Thank you, Mr. B.
Funny that she didn’t take offense at “grease monkey,” eh? When I was a kid, itinerant workers were called gypsies. Even some military service families called themselves gypsies.
ahhhhhhh to get offended by so little! LOL I wish life was so simple.
I was the child of a military father…maybe there is a little gypsy in me? or is that from my mothers’ Bohemian side?? If you can’t laugh a little…life will be short! 
What I find the most ironic is that Ljorna was so quick to be insulting to you for being what SHE perceived as being insulting to others. Talk about a double-standard!