Lynching Within America

2006-02-21T14:09:00.000-10:00

Studying these photos, along with reading appropriate texts regarding anti-black sentiment within American culture, has engendered in me a sense of simple, yet incredible profound sorrow. Both images and words instill in me a deep sense of sadness mixed with horror, and each of them does so through very independent regards. Under initial consideration, I thought that the pictures discerning effect on me. This was due to the primary feelings of horror and dismay I had from viewing the appalling images. The held a very strong power in terms of displaying the true graphic nature of the crimes. Unlike a novel, the pictures fill in all of the details for the viewer, so that someone cannot simply block out portions of the story that one does not wish to picture. One of the images that really resonated with me was number 53 on the site. Although the picture is grainy, the story behind it is very captivating. It explains, how in the end, how the mob had actually lynched the wrong man. The mother of the supposed victim said that the man looked nothing like her son. This seemed similar to the case in the Ox-Bow Incident, where an angry mob also acts hastily in lynching three men.

However, as powerful as these images are initially, it seems to me as if the pictures slowly lose their profound impact the more they are viewed. I slowly became almost desensitized, in a way, after looking through large amounts of them. Also, the pictures themselves seem somewhat impersonal. Without any accompanying words or explanations the victims are nameless and don't convey the incredible personal nature of each of the lynches and do little to explain the trauma in terms of real emotions. This is where novels take a distinction, it conveys to the reader the true personal sense of tragedy regarding the lose involved in these hateful crimes. By following along with the main character of a story, the reader often develops a strong sense of attachment to the protagonist and thus feels an incredible amount of emotion when a horrific act (i.e. a lynching) affects that character. Also, a novel is able to directly communicate certain emotions by directly telling the reader how certain characters feel, describing the affects of the tragedy, explaining the lasting issues regarding the character's family and friends, etc... An example of this can be seen in the case of Sethe in Beloved. The brutality she suffers is one the reader can have a very intimate connection with since the reader knows such much about who Sethe is as a person, and can fully empathize with her feelings. This ability to convey a larger amount of personal information regarding particular cases provides novels with the power to humanize the story and create a sense of attachment between the reader and the event itself. Also, a story is able to take multiple approaches to the crimes by using different points of view, thus giving a more multidimensional look on the situation.

In conclusion, the horrific events of regarding African-American hate crimes in our country has been portrayed by both visual and textual sources, each with it's own benefits to conveying the destructive nature of the violent actions. With I would consider neither as being more beneficial than the other, I think that pictures are able to provoke a stronger initial response of disgust and horror, while texts give a more personal and intimate connection with the actions.

First Post

2006-02-19T17:12:00.000-10:00

Something to start this blog out (a little Will Ferrell)... http://media.putfile.com/SNL---Blue-Oyster-Cult---Cowbell

More Cowbell...

Lynching Within America

First Post