[ryanmarsh]

My grandmother in-law relayed a similar story growing up on a farm in Kansas. When she was a little girl there was a gypsy camp up the river. The gypsies would occasionally steal chickens. Her father eventually put a stop to it when they brazenly tried to use a car (I don’t know where they got it) to steal several chickens. Her father got his hands on one of the women and beat her senseless and one of the men engaged him and he pounded the man till he went limp. They were carted off by the other gypsies. Possibly dead.

I asked “Wasn’t there a sheriff? Didn’t he get in trouble?” She said “no, there was no law”. I said “you mean like no law enforcement?” She said “no, there was no LAW”. Implying it was completely lawless way out there on the farm.

Crazy to think about. This was in the 1930’s.

[puranjay]

This might be strange to HN readers, but in large parts of the world, going to the police for protection or justice isn't the default. The police is often corrupt and complicit with the perpetrators, especially if they happen to be from a privileged class or social strata.

[buckminster]

I used to live in a third world country and there was an American there who was always getting into scrapes. He would insist on involving the police, who would ask to see his ID. He would proffer his wallet and the police would relieve him of his cash and send him on his way. Despite this happening repeatedly he never lost his middle class belief that the police were basically the good guys!

[dmix]

It probably just means the gypsies didn't want to go to the police over an assault when they were committing a robbery.

[pavel_lishin]

It probably means that the gypsies knew that they wouldn't get a fair shake regardless of facts, to be honest.

[ryanmarsh]

There were no police to go to. Did you even read my comment?