More on Lynching

[benlehman]

This is just a stray thought from months ago.

There was a student project at the UW where they had lists of all the people who were lynched in Washington State, their names, their race, their age. They read them out loud at one point, I think, but they also had them in big binders on the quad.

I just remember that half of the Chinese men were listed as "name unknown." How fucked up is that? To kill someone in a mock trial and execution and not even know his name. It gave me chills. Still does, actually.

Comments

[graypawn.livejournal.com]

It's so weird. There is still some part of me that identifies that kind of history with the South and the South only. The rational part of me knows humanity spreads evil in every cardinal direction. But i still get a feeling of "Gosh, what a surprise" when i see the words 'Washington State' amid that statement above. And what's worse is, if i read 'Alabama State' i would just shake my head and go, "Yep. Heard that." Just another form of prejudice, i guess. (shakes head, bowed in shame)

[benlehman.livejournal.com]

Lynchings were really, really common in the west. In many towns, mob violence basically usurped the law entirely.

They didn't last as long as in the south, but they sure happened. Like with slavery, the south takes the blame for the whole country's problems.

yrs--
--Ben

[yeloson.livejournal.com]

To kill someone in a mock trial and execution and not even know his name.

I think though, that's kind of the key point. Senseless murder isn't murder if the person isn't human and names only matter for humans.

What often passes for civilization is just very elaborate rationalizations justifying the same old savage acts.

(I think it was you who was telling me about the lethal injection, right?)

[yeloson.livejournal.com]

Apparently there's two chemicals- one is the one that kills you, which apparently is very, very painful, the other one is the one that paralyzes you, so you don't violently thrash about from the painful part.

Morphine, would be both more humane and actually cheaper.

Again, it's not that savagery is being done, it's that it needs to be appropriately decorated in the guise of civilization to make it palatable.

[benlehman.livejournal.com]

What Chris said. The supreme court put a temporary stay on all lethal injections in California after the head of the AVA (American Veterinary Association) said he would disbar for reasons of cruelty anyone who used that chemical cocktail to kill an animal.

yrs--
--Ben