04-07-02 @ 6:02 am EDT

Last night on America's Most Wanted (which became a sellout a long time ago anyway--"Ooo look at the neat TV screens we have in the background! Everybody is so busy on all that high-tech equipment! And now you too can buy an AMW hat!"), they covered a case concerning a group of burglars. Not only did they refer to them as "plus size" or something similar (the thieves were bigger than average), but they also called them "Gypsy thieves" and "self-proclaimed Gypsies."

First of all, make up your mind if they even ARE Gypsies. "Self-proclaimed" usually means somebody is NOT what they claim. Second of all, way to go, AMW. You're right up there with the KKK now. So, we can't refer to a group of "nigger thieves" or "Kike thieves" or "dago thieves," or even more "PC" terms like "black thieves," "Jewish thieves," or "Italian thieves," etc....but it's perfectly okay to say "Gypsy thieves."

In this day and age, with supposed equal rights for almost anyone, the Romany are the last group left that can be reviled and stereotyped in everyday usage and it's still "perfectly okay."

Get it straight, AMW:

"Gypsies" is NOT the term that many of them like to be referred to as. The proper terms are Romany, Roma, Rom, etc.--not to mention the specific names that each different group bears.

"Gypsies" is a VERY general label. Do you have any idea how many subgroups it covers? They're like clans. They come from all over the world. And EACH GROUP OF THEM IS DIFFERENT. You can HARDLY group them all together in one big bunch.

Even if the Romany were ONE big group, why is it oh so okay to stereotype and generalize with them? "Gypsy thieves!" They're of Romany descent--oh! They MUST be criminals! Because everybody knows that all Gypsies ride around in caravans and wear exotic clothing and tell fortunes and pilfer your pocket change...right?

Okay. If you believe that:

All black people like to eat is chicken and watermelon. Oh, and they all pick cotton and sell drugs for a living.

All Jews are out to own all the money and take over the world. They're such misers.

All Hispanics have these humongo families living in squalid little houses. I bet they all drive Lowriders and wear sombreros, too.

All gay people are pedophiles and want to corrupt your little children. They want to create a gay empire. The men are all little lisping wisps and the women are truck drivers.

Did I forget to mention that all Asians wear coolie hats and work on railroads? They're smart, but they're very short. Do you remember when your dog went missing? Guess who ate it?

Oh yes! Another little thing. That Italian guy you know? He's a mobster and his pop owns a deli. Be sure not to cross him or you might end up with a horse head in your bed.

And be careful of that Indian guy who lives down the block. He might own a casino, but if he gives you something today, he's going to ask for it back tomorrow. And if you get HIM mad, he might just stop by and scalp you. Don't worry too much though, you'll know he's coming when you see the puffs of smoke and hear the "Woo-woo-woo-woo-woo!"

Uh-huh.

Do you buy any of that?

I do hope I've made my point clear. Thank you plenty, AMW. I've just lost a lot of respect for you.