[dasboot]

Actually, the remainder of Mr Blackston's commentary--omitted for brevity's sake--discusses the laws and oppressions you cite; and he expresses relief that they are no longer (in 1765?) in force, repealed, or largely ignored.

There is no disagreement from me that the persecutions of Gypsies were over the top.

My point was, in citing these documents, to show that the Roma as a race were not the object of persecution; it was rather any individual or clan that were practicing the 'arts', regardless of ethnicity. (refer to bold in Blackstone)

[fqued]

But, indeed, the Roma, were, and are, persecuted AS A RACE. This persecution did not stop in the 18th century. (by the way, where in Blackstone are you citing? I am fairly well versed in Blackstone, and keep Book I of his commentaries on my bedside table).

Back to Hitler. Although he killed millions of Jews, his first target was the Roma, and he killed 80% of those in the lands he controlled.

In the Bosnian calamities of recent times, the Roma bore the brunt (from all sides), and hidden in the various terms used for the dead are hundreds of thousands Roma killed.

Roma, AS A RACE, continue to be persecuted in many nations. Canada and Hungary seem at this point to have the most enlightened attitude and legal systems re the Roma.