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)

[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?)