Our group wanted to try something a little different with this weeks blog post. Photos can be very deciving and bring out a lot of feeling. Sometimes not knowing the story behind the photo can generate different views of a photo. Thus "This photograph was taken after the lynching of two young black men accused of raping a white girl. They were hanged by a mob of 10,000. A third man was saved by the girls uncle who said he was innocent". The peoples faces are very telling and can generate a lot of thoughts. Also try to think of the emotions that the photo brings out. How does the photo bring out the environment in which it was taken? Try to think about how the different actions and colors blend into framing the photo. Is the photo trying to express some meanning or purpose? Also could this photo be viewed differently back then compared to how it is viewed now? This is probably out in left field but there is a lot that can be said about this photo. Thanks.
http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2007/08/1930-lynching.jpg
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52 comments:
The photo is certainly shocking and unsettling. My reaction to this particular photo is to wonder how something like this could have happened. Granted it took place in a very different time, but it still took place in America, and less than 100 years ago. The bystanders appear to be jubilant, some smiling, which is just incredibly cruel. What is upsetting to me is that two men, regardless of whether or not they actually committed the crime, were the victims of excessive vigilante justice. They were given no trial, and it was most likely because of their race. And the mob seems to be acting as if they've just done the right thing. To me, that goes against so much of what this country stands for, and sometimes it's hard to believe it was a part of our history. That is, however, if you can take this photo at face value. Justin mentioned in the description that photos can be very deceiving. I'm very curious as to what he means by that, and if it is of significance. If the photo is misleading, then it will certainly require a very good explanation.
As Phil said, the photo is very unsettling. No matter how much hate someone may have for another individual, its hard to imagine anyone smiling and laughing at such a vicious act. The audience almost seems proud of their violent actions making a viewer of this photograph wonder if they are trying to send an intense and fear provoking message to other African Americans. The man in the picture that is pointing at the two hanged victims is support for this claim as it looks like he is extremely proud of this action and has no remorse for the violent deaths of these two men. Some of the members in the audience appear to be casually talking to their neighbor as if nothing has happened and that the sight of two men hanged in a tree is a common everyday occurrence. Back during the time period when the photo was taken, it probably was not a surprising scene for its viewers. Looking back at it today, most people would agree that it is almost unbelievable and would find it difficult to reason how these people could live with themselves after participating in such a malicious action. Despite racism still being present to this day, its amazing to see how much the attitudes towards these appalling acts have changed since the taking of this photograph.
This picture is very nauseating for me. As an African American, pictures like this can be quite difficult to see. It's scary to think about the fact that had I lived in that time, that could have been me, or someone that I knew. Senseless acts of violence like this may have been the norm back then, but it's tough to see this as a part of our history. It's disturbing to see that the people in this picture are so indifferent. The people seem to believe that the death of this two men meant nothing. They are still able to go about their normal days and conversations as if nothing happened. There is even this sense of pride in some of the men. It's disgusting.
I do agree with Phil though. Justin, why did you say that pictures could be deceiving? Because to me it seems like two black men were killed for something that they did not do, simply because they were black. But that's just me. (No personal attack intended.)
To answer the question "could this photo be viewed differently back then compared to how it is viewed now?"... I believe this photo viewed at the time would cause little shock value. Today upon viewing it, like commenters have already said, it causes a shocking and nauseating effect. As it should. But back when lynching and racism were more prevalent and accepted, this photo may have caused even pride and satisfaction for a grand majority of white people in America. The fact that people in the picture are seen smiling shows that the disgraceful way these people the two African American men are being treated does not phase them. They feel justified in their actions. I also find it interesting that no kids are present in the picture, even though an action like this at the time was very commonplace. It shows that possibly these people did realize that gravity of the image before them, even though they feel justified in their actions.
Reacting to the previous comments, the conjecture seems to be that this photo is unsettling today where it was not 80 years ago. I don't agree. While this photo might not have provoked a reaction years ago, I was not easily effected by the image. My initial reaction was simply, “To bad this happened. We don't do this anymore.”. I wasn't particularly unsettled, and I began to question why. After carefully looking at the picture, I found a couple details that hinted to the reason why. One was that the picture was in black and white. In the age of color, 3d imagery, an image that is black and white seems very old in contrast. The other detail was the appearance of the men and women in the picture. As seen in today's society the average citizen is not seen wearing any of these outfits. This time difference seen in both details, allows the reader to disconnect from the atrocity seen in this photo. But the mind is a tricky instrument of analysis.
After looking for why I was not effected by this photo, I began to unconsciously conjure up an image that would unsettle me. The picture generated was a large color photo, with citizens in business suits and dresses standing next to skyscrapers, pushing two people off the top of one skyscraper. Now when I look at the 1930's photo of two black men, I picture a current day setting. This generated image, not the original 1930's photo, unsettles me greatly. A real picture of that scene shall hopefully never see the light of day.
I agree with what Alisha and Phil were saying, I don't see how this picture is deceiving. I think it portrays the extreme levels of racism that were present back in the day, and the distinct division between blacks and whites. The picture is even in black and white, which could be seen as a parallel to the races of the people in attendance. The crowd of people do not seem shocked at all, it seems as though they treat the lynching as a common occurrence. I feel like there are some people who would have disagreed with this action back in that time, but they are not shown in this picture. I feel like people would still be shocked when shown this picture in the era it represents, but maybe not as shocking as we find it today. Personally I was repulsed when I saw this picture, and I'm glad I didn't live in that time.
I agree with other posts that this black and white photo is really upsetting. The gloomy, dark tone already makes people feel not good. The two black men was hanged on the tree while other people gathered around, watched and smiled. I noticed one guy who faced us and pointed to that two black man. It seems that he was proud and excited for what’s going on there. His gesture gave away the information that he wanted to show more people about the lynching and let more people humiliate the black people. Even though I know that the two black men committed the crime, I still feel it’s extremely cruel to treat them like this. They even didn’t have the chance to get a just trial and proper punishment. The crazy and cold-blood mob deprived their rights to receive a trial, and even their rights to live. I think this result is caused by racial discrimination. Those white people, who considered them to be superior, did such cruel thing in order to humiliate the black people and gave them a warning that they would get the same result as the two dead men if they did something wrong to the white people. So this photo strongly presents the old world, where racial discrimination was so extreme and black people were in such a great suffering at that time. We view what those white people did as extremely cruel and unfair nowadays; however, people at that time would view it differently. They might think such punishment for the black was reasonable and acceptable, and the black deserved it. What’s more, it might be even possible that such sight was quite common at that time.
I highly agree with Phil and Olivia that this photo is really unsettling and shocking to me; however, it seems not shock at all at that time for the people. Many people are over there watching the lynching. Some of them are smiling, some of them are pointing to the two black man and talking about them. I feel like the lynching and racism were popular and normal at that time just like the other posters feel. Although I know that back to that period, discrimination and punishment were very serious and terrible, I still feel uncomfortable when I saw the photo. Just like Carolyn, I feel lucky that I don’t live in that period.
To say this photo is unsettling is an understatement. At the time the picture was taken the practice of lynching was probably considered a norm and a photo like this would not have received a reaction. The racism of the time lead to injustices and atrocities and this picture is a perfect depiction of what people thought nothing of. I don't think that this photo is really trying to express anything because anyone could easily find many many more just like it with a google search. I think that this photo is simply a grave reminder of a tragic part of American history and something to be learned from so as never to be repeated.
When viewing this photo, there are a lot of emotions that come to mind. I agree with a lot of the above posters about it being unsettling and it also could trigger an angry response out of some viewers. When looking at the peoples faces, they seem to have treated this event as almost like a date night. It looks like town social where people would go to hangout and have a good time. Some of the people there look like they are smiling and some even look like they are posing for the photo. It also appears that the location was in the center of a town. I believe this because of the street lights in the background and what looks like a building in the back. Based on the location and the expressions, this wasnt treated as a tragic event, but instead, it was more of a celebration. When it is being viewed today, the reaction is much different. Today, people look at this with disgust and embarrassment, whereas back then, it was looked at with pride.
When I saw this picture I was really shocked. I cannot believe such a curl action happened in our society, even if it happened long time ago. These two black people were clad in rages and their clothes were dirty. It is obvious that they suffered a lot before being hanged. They might be flogged, kicked and excruciated by the white people before being hanged. I feel unbelievable and angry with the people standing under the tree. They gather around the tree and talk with each other. The people who look at the camera were even smiling. How come they still laugh? It seems that they feel very pound of themselves hanging those two black people. The picture use the visual shock presents the racialism for African American in 1930s. It also points out the racialism today. The picture wants to show us how bad racialism is and to tell us stop having racialism. When people see this picture they must think they are not the same as those people who gather under the tree. But when you discriminate others you are the same as those curl people in the picture.
This cruel picture gives me several feelings. First of all, I can feel racial discrimination. There are two punished men who look like public executed and the reason of that would be race. Human being should be punished when they violate the law. However, the law should punish them with a legal procedure. This picture never presents appropriate punishment. It totally does not make sense that some people are executed in public and by such brutal way because of a different race. We can see some laughing men and the man who pointing out the miserable people in the picture. They look like they think that this event reserve to be happen and it shows that how racial discrimination is prevalent in their mind and at that time.
this photograph is definitely capable of evoking an array of emotions. The background of this photo is hard to focus on when the central focus are the two young african americans. After seeing them and being overwhelmed with sorrow because no human being should be publicly executed, especially for being accused and not proven guilty, I came to the realization that this was an early American time. The onlookers didn’t think anything was wrong with their gawking and meeting around the tree. Their faces show how insignificant they viewed the event as considering most of them are smirking, pointing, and one couple is even holding hands. Today, any individual would see this picture and be disgusted with the cruelty shown. It honestly hurts me to see pictures like these from our country’s past but I try to believe these actions happened to shape America into what it is today.
This picture brings to light the emotion that those involved in the picture have, or lack thereof. There is nothing that incites more anger around the world than rape or molestation. In developing South American countries it is not uncommon for a rapist to be beheaded in jail by other prisoners if they find out about what landed the other prisoner in jail. In the 1930's, America was not much different than the countries I just spoke of. The rape of a white woman by a black man would be considered even worse than a white man raping a white woman. That's what we see here, the response of the public to an alleged rape. Public outcry begins, and then a small group of protesters form. Once a small group gets together they begin to tell friends about what happened, often with some things added in. Once the mob mentality is reached, nothing can stop it. You lose all sense of individuality and morals become blurred. The idea of innocent until proven guilty is thrown out and death becomes the only punishment the perpetrator is worthy of. You can sort of see that from the picture, with many of the people in the crowd nicely dressed and some maybe even wearing their Sunday best. Most do not look happy about what has just happened, but at the time they probably all felt justice had been served-- because in their minds those that they just hanged were guilty on all counts, no questions asked.
This picture depicts the sad brutality that is our nations past. It shows both how bad our nation was, and how far it has come. What type of response do you guys think this picture invokes in today's time? Is this picture more or less impact-full than when it came out? and to which group do you think this unsettles the most?
I disagree with Zach's reason why this photo might not be unsettling. He says that the use of black and white and the outdated clothing helps to signal that this photo is old and outdated as is lynching. The focal point when viewing this photo is not that this photo is black and white, and I certainly don't find myself focusing on the clothing upon first viewing this photo. I believe that this photo, much like other images ingrained in our minds, will contain shock value for years to come. The first thing many people will notice in this photo are the two African American men hanging lifeless and covered in their own blood. And I also think this photo will retain unsettling and nauseating feelings because although lynchings are no longer happening in the United States, racism and hate crimes still do occur. For example, gay children are killed around the United States for loving someone of the same gender. Therefore, I do feel that a photo like this, no matter the color or clothing worn, will retain its shock value and feelings of sadness.
Just to clear things up I never meant for this particular photo to be deceiving without having background information as well as not having the history behind reasoning for the hanging. I was speaking for pictures in general and saying some photos can be deceiving without knowing the who, what, when, where, why and their relations with viewing a photo from an outside audience. It seems to me that everyone is agreeing with how disturbing, hateful and disgusting this photo is and I agree with these descriptions. The main reasons for choosing this photo was to evaluate the emotions, feelings, which emerge after viewing the photo along with, the way certain aspects of the photo cause these emotions to surface. Therefore there is no racial intent in relations with choosing the photo.
I may think this picture is little exceeding. The main reason is that there is no, at least I didn't see any, black onlookers in this picture. In this way I guess, the photographer might be trying to express his complaint about white people's indifference on black. The most shocking I saw in this pictures are those facial expressions on onlookers' faces as they looked at someone's death, especially the man on mid-left side holding a woman's hand. It seemed he was smiling very happily and feeled safe for his girlfriend or wife. beside concern about themselves he showed no any mercy on other's lives.
The emotions that came out of me while viewing this picture was hurt and anger. The onlookers' faces looked like they were happy about seeing the 2 men dead. The one as Baichuan said, looked like him and his girlfriend was having a grand ole time going to this public hanging. How could this have happened not even 100 years ago? This picture also made me think of the youtube video on Saddam Hussein's hanging and how the crowd was reacting to that and how the viewers on youtube reacted. DId anyone watch it and if so, what was your emotions and how do they compare to the ones from the picture?
This picture comes from a very dark period in our country's history. The photo illicits intense feelings of disgust and sadness, not just because of the death, but also due to the onlooker's reactions. Most unsettling are the smiles on the crowd's faces. Katherine's comparison of the Saddam video and this photo was very accurate as they both provoked a celebratory atomosphere through the death of another human being.
I don't usually comment on the class blog, but I thought that this post and the subsequent discussion warranted a little extra context and commentary. First, I tried to find out a little more about the context of the photo. Another blog offers some additional details about the image, and while I think that they are helpful for analyzing the image, you should keep in mind that blogs are generally not considered to be reliable sources:
Lawrence Beitler took this iconic photograph on August 7, 1930. It showed the lynching of Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith, two young black men from the John Robinson show circus accused by a teenager of raping his white girlfriend (This accusation was subsequently found to be a lie). A mob of 10,000 whites took sledgehammers to the county jailhouse doors to get these men; the girl’s uncle saved the life of a third by proclaiming the man’s innocence. Lynching photos were made into postcards to show off civic pride and white supremacy, but the tortured bodies and grotesquely happy crowds ended up angering and revolting as many as they scared. The photo sold thousands of copies, which Beitler stayed up for 10 days and nights printing them."
This comes from the following source: http://iconicphotos.wordpress.com/2009/08/12/lynching-of-young-blacks/
The blogger cites a book, A Time of Terror, which would probably be a much better source to consult directly.
I think this picture shows the worst of humanity. This shows hatred at its worst. I however do not agree with Katherine's comparison between the lynching of African Americans to the death of a brutal dictator. I also disagree with Huang when he stated the picture is "exceeding". This is exactly what was going on during that time and it should and, in fact, needs to shock you because we need to know that, with enough anger, this is what we Americans are capable of.
i was surprised and shocked when i was first time seeing this picture. i could not believe this kind of things can happen in the past even if this thing happened 100 years ago. maybe the people at that time are civilized but i still cannot believe that this situation can happen in america. the two hanged black people are watched , laughed and finger pointed by the public by variety of people. maybe the two black mans do commit a crime to the white girl, but it should not be this way. they deserve more civilized and fair judgement. in my opinion, if people hate something, if those people did something bad, the consequence could be exaggerated. this is what happened next. but there is still people who thinks correctly. the third person was saved by the girl's uncle. the purpose in my opinion is that people should remember the past and do not let it happened again
At first glance of this picture I felt sad and angry that people would allow something like this to happen. Even without knowing what exactly happened in the photo and knowing the background information about it looking at something like this would still make me feel the same way. People who had viewed this picture during this time probably didn't think anything was wrong with it; however, times have changed and things are not like that anymore. This is why I feel people find this picture so disturbing during this time. Even with the context that was posted I still feel the same way about the photo. It actually makes it worse because this all happened for no apparent reason and why these men were hanged in the first place was a total lie. It is very disturbing that something like this happened and even more that people let something like this happen. This photo is just a sad imagine of something tragic that happened.
Going off the information that John just posted do you think that something like this would happen regardless of race? The picture brings up the aspect of social justice and what people think about punishment in society. Lynching is a form of the death penalty which is a controversial topic that many disagree with. The fact that the two men were found innocent further complicates the discussion on capital punishment.
To answer Mike's question, "Is this picture more or less impact-full than when it came out?", I believe this picture is more impact-ful today then it was when it was first released. Back when this picture was taken, it wasn't shocking to see African Americans being hanged because of accusations surrounding them. This was the type of life that people grew to consider normal or at least not shocking. In todays times, this would be considered a horrible tragedy and this story would be all on every news station in the country and possibly even in other countries.
I am slightly curious about to why this particular photograph was chosen for this blog.
Also, it bothers me quite a bit that the whites that participated in this lynching went as far as going into the jail to find these men. As if being jailed for a crime that they did not commit wasn't enough, they had to be brutally beaten and murdered. All I see when I look at this picture is a group of monsters. This may have been the norm back then, but it is appalling and disgusting that this picture was taken to be revisited for years to come. This picture brings up several emotions for me, as I stated before, but the main one that I am feeling looking at this picture again is anger. There is so much pride in this terrible act, but my question is this: how would you all feel if the role was reversed and there were whites hanging on that tree?
With Jon's background on this photo, it is much easier to evaluate it. I believe that this photo still invokes some of the same emotions as it did back then. By this I mean that it still sparks anger, and to some degree, revolt among some people. However, I do not believe that people feel proud of this anymore. Instead, many people feel shame and embarrassment towards this. It is hard to believe that this occurred less than 100 years ago in this nation. But it is nice to know that we have made more progress in the 80 years since, than in the 200 years preceding this.
I like Katherine's comparison to the killing of Saddam Hussein. I do think there are some parallels between the two killings. Although the people being killed have totally different background stories, reactions are very comparable. For one, both deaths show the side of humanity that can find joy in another person dying, no matter how insane this may sound. Both instances brought satisfaction to the onlookers for one reason or another. Another similarity is the ability of the audience to detach from the person being murdered, so as not to feel emotional when viewing that person's dead body. This side of the human mind creates parallels between the two deaths, although circumstances and histories to each story are very different. Therefore, I do find that reference valid in comparing the audience at time's reaction.
Keep in mind the effects a photo can have on the public's view and how this photo relates to the public reaction not only in the picture but those viewing the picture from an outside standpoint.
Nobody is going to argue that what happened here isn't horrible, but you have to try and put yourself in the shoes of the members of the mob to at least attempt to understand what they could have been thinking. Here and in other cases, such as Saddam Hussein's hanging, the reason for the "joy" or excitement on people's faces is because in their minds they just accomplished something great. They were thinking that they just hung a rapist or a murderer, and they were all freshly emotional at that time-- but OBVIOUSLY they weren't thinking clearly at all. The whole situation is horrible and very sad, but knowing a little bit about what might have been going through their heads helps us understand the situation ever so slightly, although nothing can justify hanging someone based on speculation without any proof (especially when there is proof that he was innocent, as Jon said)! Nobody jump on me for being a racist or taking an evil point of view, I am simply trying to understand the emotions of the picture better.
The background behind the photo helps to show that these Americans were actually proud of their actions. It's unbelievable that thousands of copies of this photo were sold as postcards. This also shows that the people had no remorse for their actions and did not think they were doing anything wrong. It is also interesting to note that not everyone agreed with the lynching as some individuals were angered by the violence. In this case, the people taking part in the lynching actually failed to send a message of fear to others, and their actions worked against their intended message.
I feel as though the description of the events through the link John posted makes the photo seem like it is justified, but I feel like it still isn't, the two men were wrongly accused. They weren't given a right to a fair trial, probably since they were African American. I found Brandon's point about capital punishment interesting, as well as the Saddam reference. Public executions have been around for centuries, take the French Revolution and the guillotines for example. What makes it seem okay in some circumstances but not others? What draws the line?
To answer Alisha, I would most likely be angered that our country has such a checkered past along with the racial anger that would arise. I may be wrong, but it seems like you are being slightly accusatory of our blog post because of the racist basis. This picture represents a terrible time in our country when minorities had to go through a myriad of trials and tribulations in order just to live. This marks a terrible time in our country and I believe that the meaning and reason behind this picture is much more important than a south park clip or a satirical post.
I find it unbelievable this picture was only taken 80 years ago. The civil rights movement spanned over numerous years but 80 years ago really wasn't that long ago. In my opinion, this image doesn't produce multiple responses but just one, anger. I cannot really agree that public execution was a huge fab in the south during the time. I understand there were more people who resisted the idea of equal rights than people who believed equality was the moral action but many of those people who were afraid to voice their opinion didn't partake in these cruel activities. This picture really demonstrates how Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights activists reached all the people of our nation and positively changed their outlook on justice between the races.
i should also say that this is cruel.however, this did happened in the past. the white people may think that it is safe for their daughter girl friends and wife if the dangerous blacks are wipe off from their land. but this is a deprived of human right for a certain group of people because they also have right to live on this land. actually, people do not have to be sad and shocked because this is how people is evolved and become civilized. even now the discrimination still exist. but we can see that it is much better than the past. so, we can still remember the tragedy and move forward. finally, i think this picture targets the people that watching and laughing in the situation.
I pretty agree with Olivia about the idea of “timely”. I think people in different periods of time can view this photo differently. In 1930s, probably people would feel proud (or interested) about this kind of lynching. However, when we view it now, most of us will feel shocked, sad and even angry. Maybe this sort of pictures is normal in that period of time. In addition, it states that “A third man was saved by the girls uncle who said he was innocent”, which brings up another question: Are the two people who were hanged by a mob of 10000 actually guilty? We cannot answer this question currently because evidences can’t be found now. However, if the two black people were also innocent, would this mob of people believe them? No, they would still lynch those two people because of their race. The environment determined their notions and actions. As I said in the last comment, racial equality still exists after civil war and continues to affect the rights of black people.
Zachary,
Your view is completely understandable. But regardless, I don't see that as an excuse. Consider it now. If you find that someone raped a close family member of yours, it is still wrong for you to beat and kill them. Nowadays, you go to jail for something like that, regardless of how noble it seems.
I agree with most of people that this picture makes us feel anger and shocked. There are many details in this photo that conveys certain message. For instance, as Katherine said, the couples on the left side seemed to have a great time watching this public lynching. They not only cared nothing about the two dead men, but also felt such sight was really interesting. They might even feel proud of themselves to be white, who are superior to the black.
Also, to comment on Zach. They were suffering from deindividualization with the group which caused them to not think as humans, but as one ravenous group. It is human nature but that doesn't make it any bit less acceptable.
Knowing the information behind the photo really only confirms what we all suspected. That this was an unjust act of violence driven by hatred and bigotry. And had they even been given a trial and jailed, they may have later been released as it was later revealed that they were in fact innocent. It really goes to show how dangerous the mob mentality is, and what can happen when people stop thinking for themselves. Some of the people who participated may not have actually done it had they taken the time to think through things. I think that this kind of issue is actually rather relevant today. It seems like just a spark of overactive emotions can incite a group of people to act a way they otherwise would not act.
@Brandon
Brandon brings up a good point. While this picture elicits the feeling of injustice today, back in 1930 the group seen by their expressions, was of righteousness. In today’s society, capital punishment exists in certain states. In each court case the question of what constitutes killing a person. In 1930 they thought rape of a white, by African Americans, constituted a death penalty. In today’s society, this would not stand, but would subsequent rapes call for a death penalty if proved so? Would people feel like they had justice, if the perpetrator received the death penalty?
Mike, please understand, I'm not accusing you guys of being racist at all. This picture is just very emotional for me and I have a hard time understanding why it was chosen because it hurts.
I agree with Shannon that, no matter whether viewers know the background of this picture or no, they should all feel disturbing from this picture. I felt ridiculous and sad before I got to know that actually the accusation was a lie. Even if it was not, they deserved a more civilized way of judging. Moreover, I feel offended that such picture showing obvious racism could even been printed on postcards as evidence of civil "pride". If that's the way "civil pride" is defined, then it claims that all white in that time were racists, if that's also the way they thought.
Alisha,
Your response is exactly what I didn't want to hear haha.... By no means am I saying this is okay. I think it is absolutely horrible and heinous. I wasn't trying to make an excuse, but rather try and explain what kind of thoughts might have been going through their heads (not justifying or making claims that they were doing good).
I agree with Olivia's point that if the picture is viewed at different period the feeling will be different.if the picture was viewed by white people at the time the picture was taken, they may be just shocked but still feel superior of themselves. they wouldn't feel that they did something really wrong and they would not realise it was racialism. Because the white people at that time felt they were better than others. That was already a deep thought in their mind. But if the picture is viewed today, people will realize how serious the problem is and they will think racialism is wrong. I think the white people now will feel shamful for what the white people did at that time.
Alisha, i'm not saying you're claiming we're racist. I'm simply saying that since this was such a horrible time in America, we need to remember it in order make sure it doesn't happen again. It is better to acknowledge it than to ignore it. Yes it is a very horrible picture, and yes it is something that brings pain to many individuals. It is also however a very important picture in regards to our nations dark history. I am sorry if this post offended you, for that was not the point at all and I hope you will not look upon us as insensitive. We were not trying to mock this event, we are simply trying to analyze this pictures effect upon the movements of the time and how effective it was.
It is very toe-curling that this photo was made into postcards. Also, they printed and spread out these postcards to brag their supremacy. This incident gives us a lot of things need to think about it. Most of all, I want to say about minorities’ right. I don’t have exact background information or know full historical background. However, I can image that, at that time, the African-American were on the relatively weaker position to White people. Because the minority abused the majority, the latter exerted harsher penalties than their offense. I think that, today, there are much less racial discrimination in our society (I believe it still exist ). However, we can easily find, like those two black men, the minority who is suffering because of inequality such as the oppressed minority race. So, we need to protect them, enact a law which gives them equality, and respect humanity.
Mike,
I apologize for making it seem like I was offended. This is just something that is very difficult for me to see. I'm not seeing you as insensitive, but I've seen so much of this that it's hard to have to see it again. Analyzing this can be really hard for me in particular and it's really hard for me to not be biased at all. This is a really terrifying part of our history and I have a really tough time dealing with it.
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