We are just a normal family...

...says 15-year-old mother of two who had her fist child at age 12. She either does not know who the father is of either of her children or does not want to disclose the name or names.

They go on about Gypsy child marriages and while personally I think that our People should discard the idea of child marriages when one sees Gohja like that then how can they even dare to talk. At least Gypsy girls do not get pregnant at twelve, generally, without knowing who the father of the child is. If a 12-year-old Gypsy girl would get pregnant then she would be a bride and would have a husband and all that. But it is Gypsies who are always portrayed as being in the wrong and without morals. Without wishing to sound pompous things like that do not happen amongst our People and it is therefore no wonder that the Gypsy People regard non-Gypsies, which they call Gohja, as being less then them. We only need to look around us in general and see the deterioration of Gohja society - not that that leaves Gypsy society unaffected; far from it - with respect for anyone older having gone out of the window, and I have to admit that the influence from the outside society is having and adverse effect also on the Romani-Gypsy, with all the other problems going on to see that there is nothing to aspire to for Gypsies in Gohja society and that we must remain apart, as a People and Nation separate.

While we, as a People, will need to learn to integrate we must never allow ourselves to become like them by assimilating. Too many of ours in some countries are, unfortunately, headed that way however. We must show the Gohja that we are proud of what we are and who we are and that we are different to them and showing them the better ways of our Culture.

© M V Smith, March 2006