University of Rhode Island Lynching Exhibit - part 2 of 3

[mickg1902]

I'd still argue that the Emmett Till case was one of the out right worst and disgusting acts of racism.

[ademics]

Yes, this is without question. The nefarious dynamics of the Till murder are classic racism.

[mickg1902]

It actually sickens me that someone could hate so much.

[dkfelix]

Nothing but colourblind blood thirst based on the word in the street

[Bob2000system]

A museum should be fair examing the various reasons events happened in history and put that with the exhibits.

The tour guide in the video expresses a limited, unreasoned and racist view of how punishment of capital crimes was handled. If one takes a "mob violence" view then a comparison to other events such as witch trials might be in order. Nowhere is there mention of community jury or the democratic vote on punishment of these horrific and outragious crimes or colorblind punishment.

[dkfelix]

Bla - bla bla

[tuc1966]

well it seems that when the whites got tired of lynching each other...they started lynching blacks....no wait...they always lynched blacks....and still do today...what crime deserved being pulled behind a truck till you come to pices..?

[Bob2000system]

They lynched a child molestor and child killer early in this clip. Why only mention the crimes of the lynched Jew?  What about the crimes of those deserving to be lynched?

"Hate crimes" do not belong in the museum. Rodney King's arrest was not a hate crime. Rodney King's passengers were arrested without incident because they did not attack police the way Rodney did.

[ademics]

At issue here is not the innocence or guilt of the lynching victims. Rather, it's the ways in which a modernized society chooses to be civilized. Lynching as a form of judicial diciplinary action or as it was practiced in the US bespeak of nothing that could even be loosely considered socially refined (i.e. civilized)

[Bob2000system]

Frankly, it is democracy in action.

When crimes are so shockingly repulsive and the evidence so overwelming, any delay in removing the evildoer is itself harmful to community. Crimes necessitating rapidity are rare but crimes of that magnitude are too shocking of the sensibilities for open court.

[ademics]

Indeed lynching is the exact opposite of democracy as it constitutes not a system of mob rule but a protection of those voices most marginalized. To which "crimes" do you refer? Those committed by supremacist minded whites against diasporic Africans or what? If you were Black the notion of a sensible court was at best highly unlikely and at worst mythical. Pls be more rigorous in your research before commenting.

[Bob2000system]

The idea of democracy is that the majority rules. The majority of the community supported these actions against criminals. It was the nature of the crime which motivated them. Those crimes are so glaringly absent from the video and reveal the lack of scholarly research for the exhibit. The entirety of the exhibit is thus suspect.

[ademics]

Again, I have briefly address the notion of democracy (small "d") elsewhere in my post and it has not to do with "majority rules" but rather a protection of marginalized voices.

[dkfelix]

Your argument has nothing to do with democracy or justice

[dkfelix]

has nothing to do with justice.

[Bob2000system]

All civilizations have had the death penalty and hanging was quite acceptable at the time of these punishments. Outrage over the crime seemed to be the motivation for the communites to turn out and implement these democratic punishments.

[ademics]

Two things here: 1. you need to read ALL of my comments on ALL three videos because at this point you are bringing up issues to which I've commented on previously and I have no time repeat myself.

2. I am not addressing "All civilizations" but the particular American form.

[ademics]

Rodney King's case was NOT about whether or not he attacked the police BUT about the ways in which the police used force to control him. The tape clearly demonstrates that it was extremely excessive. Had they not been officers the same attack likely would have brought them charges of attempted murder!

[dzornick]

ademics, stop polluting this site with with your rambling bullshit, no one is reading it

[ademics]

dzornick, clearly you just read it. But not you alone. If you will note, ALL my comments are merely responses to the ignorant assertions of others. Thus, if they don't post ignorant comments then I'll have no need to respond.

Thank you and continue to read widely.

[Mike52Larry]

Whatever....the last honest black leader was Marcus Garvey-he actually tried to organize Negroes (that's what they were called in the 1920's) to migrate back to Africa, before he was deported to Jamaica. Too bad. One honest black man!

[ademics]

1. Black americans don't have "leaders". We are not some homogeneous group which is lead by a single figure head. Garvey advocated going back to Africa because he understood that white supremacy in the U.S. would eventually destroy any meaningful Black existence.

[ademics]

2. white america would have never allowed Garvey to succeed. white america has this love/hate relationship with black america which prevents them from ultimately letting us go.

[ademics]

ok a few things here:

1. America is not "so bad". In fact America in many ways is a great place! One problem is that many Americans think that everyone else love America so much and just can't wait to get here.

That "so many people want to come here" is not true anymore. It used to be true but times have changed. Many people are either staying in their native countries or moving to other places like Japan, Africa, and Western Europe just to name a few.

[ademics]

2. To the extent that people immigrate to the U.S. it's often not because they hate their own country. To the contrary, they love their country just as we Americans love our country. We must also keep in mind that many Americans emigrate from America to live in other places, so it's not simply a matter of other people always wanting to move here.

[ademics]

3. Thus let us no longer be under the propagandist illusion that America is the envy of the world. People typically come here to get an education at one of our college/university (not our primary edu systems as they are inferior) or to find better employment. In terms of the rest of society and culture they'd rather be in their home countries.

[ademics]

4. Indeed many people after living here for a time DO move back to their home countries. They have families members there, they send money back to care for their families and loved ones. So people wanting to come here is not about them hating their homes countries.

[Mike52Larry]

Anti-white propaganda. Tell me: If America is so bad, then why do so many people want to come here.