HELP SECURE A HOME FOR LULU AND HER FAMILY!

HELP SECURE A HOME FOR LULU AND HER FAMILY!  By Celine Leduc

Lulu and her family are Romani (Gypsies) they came from Hungary and sought asylum from Canada.  Their dream was and is to lead a sedentary life and not a forced nomadic life.  All over Europe Romani people are discriminated against, they rarely have a chance to settle down and establish roots, they are pushed away like unwanted people. The language used to describe them is reminiscent of the Nazi era, words such as rats, vermin are used, by the civilized ones who are NOT civil.  

Gypsies they are called they are labelled as kidnappers of children, mostly those who are blonde. As a child living in Léry near Montreal, we knew the Gypsies were coming as spring arrived, we saw them wanting to settle down and find temporary seasonal work.  They would paint homes, make repairs, help you with roofing for a fee, they worked hard and at night return to their camp.  They were not allowed to camp on the shores of Lake St-Louis but were welcomed in Kahnawake which was not far. When you got close to their spring/summer residence you could hear people sign and smell food cooked outside.  Parents would tell their children do not go they will kidnap you.   I did venture and meet some of the gypsies as my favorite uncle took me over to meet the people. My parents never wanted to take me to their camps, however I had a rebellious uncle who heard me and listened.  He drove me to where the Gypsies camped, I was happy listening to the music and seeing women dance, and I wanted to join them.   The women did give me some food and blessed me but then told me to go home to my parents, study and listen to my mother and father.  Life was too hard on the road.  They did not live up to their “reputation”. I wondered why as a child?  Today I know everyone had lied to me about the Gypsies they were known or identified themselves as Romani and were family oriented.  They did not want to destroy families because family was important.   Yet they had suffered because their own families were destroyed as children were taken away from them.    Fast forward 50 years or so, in Canada a family is to be torn away from the Canadian dream, a 5 year old child and her family will be deported, to a country that does not want them.  The worst part is that Canada my country does not want them to live here. 

Do politicians know how to read? Do they know international politics? They talk the empty talk of let us rid ourselves of prejudice and racism and yet they use racism and prejudice to deport Romani families. In Canada we tell the world we care about our children, all children we have laws to protect them from abuse.   We have laws to make sure children get a proper education, are not discriminated against.   We have laws yet where is the law that protects Lulu and her family?   If she is deported she will be put in a very dangerous situation.  In fear of losing her identity and her life.   Because she is Romani she will not be able to be properly educated.  She will live on the street, in a caravan going from town to town forever being rejected because of who she is, Roms.   She will be harassed, told she is a crook a criminal based false data and on assumption and not truth.   She will be referred as a vermin, be pushed shoved and mistreated in Hungary by the extreme right and their mindless followers. 

Canadian politicians are not honest they dismiss claims from Roma asylum seekers from Hungary the same way that they dismissed claims from Jewish German asylum seekers in the late 1930s fearing infiltrations by Germans of the Nazi party.   Here is an article that talks about the plight of Roma people http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/02/16/conservatives-to-announce-further-barriers-to-deter-bogus-refugee-claimants-report/  On this site you will see the Canada billboard warning about bogus Roma asylum seekers  http://www.cireport.ca/category/communities/gypsyroma-community Many groups are denouncing these practices http://jonjayray.wordpress.com/2009/07/05/canada-trying-to-keep-gypsies-out/  Why? I ask because hypocritical Canadian politicians believe the lies told to them as children, do not trust the Gypsies, they will kidnap your kids, sadly what these unethical politicians are doing is they are sending families back to a country that does not want them.  A German woman once told me that between 1939 and 1945 the Gestapo would try to sell Jews and Gypsies for a truck or car, not one European country wanted Jews or Gypsies, 2014, history repeats itself and we as Canadians claim we are civilized, yet we are neither civil nor compassionate.  Here are two videos that shows the life of Hungarian Gypsies life on the road  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Z7CuUWo9sg   another film found on YouTube this video opens with the heart wrenching question from a Roma Women Who cares about me  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAfUeNOa-uE  I care what about you?   If you do care sign the petition https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAfUeNOa-uE write letters to help Roma refugee claimants from Hungary we cannot change the past but we can work towards a better future and make sure we do not repeat mistakes that have cost the lives of millions of people between 1939 and 1945, our lack of caring helped kill 6 million Jews and millions of Roma people.  Showing empathy and compassion is a must the words I heard 50 years ago are still true, family matters, education is a must, respect your parent.  I was fed and blessed by a Roma women 50 years ago, now is the time to say Lulu hope you and your family can stay in Canada.