Lynch mob
Over in the comments, someone described the people of Durham as a "lynch mob," presumably because a number of citizens had the audacity to demand that law enforcement agencies investigate and prosecute allegations of sexual assault. Leaving aside for the moment the hows and whys of that investigation and prosecution (but of course we can't, can we? The Duke lacrosse case continues to constitute The Worst Miscarriage of Justice in the History of the United States™) the use of the words lynch mob is particularly misplaced, and reveals much about the character and nature of the supporters of the Duke lacrosse players.
Lynching of course has nothing to do with demanding that law enforcement do its job. Wikipedia quotes from numerous state codes defining lynching as "Any act of violence inflicted by a mob upon the body of another person which results in the death of the person," with a 'mob' being defined as "the assemblage of two or more persons, without color or authority of law, for the premeditated purpose and with the premeditated intent of committing an act of violence upon the person of another."
The use of the word, even metaphorically, invokes the out of control mob, impatient and frustrated with the authorities, taking matters into their own hands. Which, no matter how you slice it, is not what happened in Durham. But it's important for supporters of the lacrosse players to continue to enhance their status as victims. Indeed, the more we see members of the far right embracing the lacrosse players cause, the more the victimization card is played. It is, after all, what they do best.
Another commenter reminds me that lynchings were not confined to black victims, and that they did not always result in hangings.
True that.
The archives at the Tuskeegee Institute remind us that of the 4,743 lynchings documented in the US between 1882 and 1968, a mere 3,446 (or 72%) were committed against African-Americans. Why, some states like South Dakota, Nevada, and Arizona didn't lynch a single black person. And not all of those lynched were hanged. Some were burned, shot, or stomped to death.
It will probably continue to amaze me for the rest of my life how willfully blind and ignorant some people choose to be.
By the way, Floyd Lee Brown could still use your help. Eighty years ago, he probably would have been lynched. I wonder who would have been in the mob on that day?
Lynching of course has nothing to do with demanding that law enforcement do its job. Wikipedia quotes from numerous state codes defining lynching as "Any act of violence inflicted by a mob upon the body of another person which results in the death of the person," with a 'mob' being defined as "the assemblage of two or more persons, without color or authority of law, for the premeditated purpose and with the premeditated intent of committing an act of violence upon the person of another."
The use of the word, even metaphorically, invokes the out of control mob, impatient and frustrated with the authorities, taking matters into their own hands. Which, no matter how you slice it, is not what happened in Durham. But it's important for supporters of the lacrosse players to continue to enhance their status as victims. Indeed, the more we see members of the far right embracing the lacrosse players cause, the more the victimization card is played. It is, after all, what they do best.
Another commenter reminds me that lynchings were not confined to black victims, and that they did not always result in hangings.
True that.
The archives at the Tuskeegee Institute remind us that of the 4,743 lynchings documented in the US between 1882 and 1968, a mere 3,446 (or 72%) were committed against African-Americans. Why, some states like South Dakota, Nevada, and Arizona didn't lynch a single black person. And not all of those lynched were hanged. Some were burned, shot, or stomped to death.
It will probably continue to amaze me for the rest of my life how willfully blind and ignorant some people choose to be.
By the way, Floyd Lee Brown could still use your help. Eighty years ago, he probably would have been lynched. I wonder who would have been in the mob on that day?
Since 1949, Durhamites have slept soundly, secure in the knowledge that, in our town, erection can be depended upon. Now, thanks to the power of the internets, we can spread that security all over the world.
25 Comments:
Barry,
You must be mistaken! I am absolutely certain that the Duke lacrosse case was The Worst Miscarriage of Justice in the History of the United States™---I read it on the internet.
By
Anonymous, at 12:30 PM
DEAR LEFTIST LEFT-WING RAGIN'G "BLOGGER" LIBERAL
YR WEAK "BLOGGING" SKILLS PALE BEFORE THE BLINDING LIGHT OF OUR KING KC AND HIS APOSTLE-HOOLIGANS THE LIESTOPPERS OUR QUEENS
THEY ARE THE ONE TRU SOURCE OF ALL BLOGGING BEFORE WHICH YOUR MEASLY PUNY RANTINGS MUST FAIL!!1!
WE WILL NOT REST BEFORE "REVREND AL" AND "JESSIE" PAY REPARATIONS TO OPPORESSED ATHLETES EVERYWHERE! THEY WILL WEEP AT THE SIGHT OF OUR ADONISES AND ADONESSES BESPECLED WITH GLORIOUS STATUES TO LINE YR FREEWAY
WE WILL NOT REST BEFORE THE TRINITY PARC HIPPIE SOCIALIST COMMUNE IS BULLDOZED AND REPLACED WITH CLASSY SPORTS BARS! SUCH IS THE PRICE OF THEIR HERESY!
THE GATSBY IS THE FIRST BUT MANY WILL TAKE THE GREAT PLACE THEY ARE OWED -- THE TOM AND THE DAISY WILL LINE THE ROAD TO BUCHANAN
AND WE WILL REJOICE AT THE BROKEN SPIRITS OF YOU ALL -- REJOICE AT THE CROSSES THAT WILL LINE YR STREETS WITH POTS HANGING FROM THEIR NAILS
I AM OSIRIS! DRINK ME BUT SHAKE WELL FIRST! FOR BEST TASTE CONSUME BEFORE DATE ON PACKAGE!
By
Anonymous, at 1:23 PM
yOu RuLeZ!
By
Barry, at 1:34 PM
I humbly bow before thee, o great osiris the lesser. That was teh awesum.
By
Durham Bull Pen, at 2:07 PM
Why did the lynch mob think it was their duty to demand an investigation into a false rape charge that was already being investigated. Your foolish argument would hold water if there was, at the time of the "tolerant" lynch mob protest, no investigation being performed.
If you and the idiot "tolerant" lynch mob are so concerned about the police conducting investigations why no protest demanding an investigation into the black Duke student raping the white female or the corruption that caused this modern day politically correct injustice?
It is because you are full of shit and your excuse.....well is just an excuse for your condoning of any "tolerant" lynch mob that may go after the very people that you are not so "tolerant" of.
Looking at the old pictures of the "tolerant" lynch mob just makes me laugh how delusional their world view is from reality. They also look pathetic and stupid considering how wrong they were. It just makes me laugh out loud how idiotic they look to the real people of America.
All those nuts out in front of the LAX house look like the whos who of the not so popular high school click.
I bet you are proud. Oh the glory days when we almost had our one example so we could say "hey look at us white guilt people. we care about a low life no good mother scum black drugged out prostitute and we told you them rich white boys were trouble."
How does it feel to still be on the losing end of life?
This was brought to you by a reasonable mind in a sea of delusional left wing nuts in Trinity Park.
By
Anonymous, at 3:29 PM
Another whiny ass titty baby.
I hear all the lefties in Trinity Park are vegetarians who want to save water, too.
By
Barry, at 3:52 PM
Yea some idiot thinks by not eating meat, that is not even raised in Durham, is some how going to help solve our water problem. Do these people have shit for brains?
Go figure. Left wing nuts are definitely not known for their logical ideas.
All that talk about meat yesterday made me go out and buy my entire family and a few choice friends steaks for last nights dinner.
If everyone stopped eating meat what would vegetarians do to make themselves feel superior?
By
Anonymous, at 4:55 PM
Did you wash your car, too?
By the way, Jon, there's no need to hide behind the pseudonym.
By
Barry, at 4:59 PM
Not Jon my friend. I live on Trinity Ave. I do not even know Jon but I have seen his post. You cannot miss someone making logical arguments when all you normally see is...well idiotic feel good crap like me having a burger hurts our water supply in Durham. Some other mental midget posted that a steak cost more than what people pay for it. See how uninformed these "tolerant" people are? I think a proper education is in order.
And no I did not wash my car. Remember I live in TP. I paid someone to wash my car but bitched about how unfair minimum wages are and wealth redistribution and crap such as that.
All this talk about meat again I believe I will purchase another steak for tonights dinner.
By
Anonymous, at 5:20 PM
i'm having chicken stuffed with pork belly myself.
you're really not Jon? there's two of you in Trinity Park? and you've never met?
why does that strike me as incredibly unlikely?
By
Barry, at 5:23 PM
No I am really not Jon and no I have never met him. He seems like a fair minded well intentioned individual. At least he does not illogically think some how meat from another region is going to diminish our water supply.
I think there are a few level headed not so "tolerant" heterosexuals in TP. Just a few mind ya.
I like TP and how it is a real community but despise how foolish some have made us look. If these people only had common sense they might be ok.
By
Anonymous, at 5:34 PM
Mr. Dependable,
I thought TrinityRez was a parody, like Stephen Colbert. But he's apparently not? I'm not sure if that's sad or what.
By
Anonymous, at 2:11 PM
No there is actually some non sexist non envious fair minded people in Trinity Park.
Not everyone hates a particular class so much that we feel the need to make an ass of ourselves by forming lynch mobs and banging pots and pans.
By
Anonymous, at 2:30 PM
I, like Trinity Rez, am appalled at the behavior of Trinity Park residents. It is only by the best stroke of luck that the residents of the "lacrosse house" are still alive, after an angry lynch mob of 40-50 residents came after them, beating on pots and pans in an obvious threat that they were going to use the same utensils to bludgeon the poor players to death. If they hadn't acted quickly in foiling the raging vigilantes by pulling a very tricky "keeping the door closed" maneuver, the paper the next day would have had pictures of their bloody bodies with slatted spoon marks all over them.
By
Unknown, at 9:58 AM
Not sure if the misfits would have actually killed the unprotected class, the ones I saw did not look like they could beat their way out of a wet paper bag, but their was definitely some angry lunatics demanding vigilante justice.
Remember these are the "tolerant" people.
By
Anonymous, at 11:10 AM
Also, Michael a lot of the players had to leave town due to threats and such. So I am not sure anyone was at home.
But hey do not worry these people are rich white males ya know. They do not deserve normal treatment like the protected classes.
By
Anonymous, at 11:18 AM
I hate to even dignify this with a serious response, but the growth of the "potbangers" into a leviathan of mythic proportions in the fevered brains of the LieStoppers crew is almost as impressive in the scale of the delusion as it is pathetic.
I do not condone the "potbangers," but let's be completely honest about what happened. It was a half-dozen or so middle-aged folks who took some kitchen equipment and made a mild ruckus in the front yard of one of their neighbors. It was silly and adolescent, yes, but as far as actual "vigilante justice" inflicted upon the residents of the house, it was little more than what the residence of that and other houses had been subjecting their neighbors to for years.
Calling it a "lynch mob" pushes the word "inane" to its very breaking point.
Now, I'm sure you'll breathlessly rush to type something about the Black Panthers or some such nonsense, which again desperately imagines some grander connections between the responses which swirled around Durham in the wake of the affair.
When I read about the "pot bangers" in the newspaper, I rolled my eyes and moved on. To this day, I cannot move myself to find any greater response justified.
By
Unknown, at 2:09 PM
What are you saying, Michael? Everyone over 25 is middle aged?
Geez, the ageism around here . . .
8^)>
By
Barry, at 2:24 PM
Blogger Michael Bacon said...
I hate to even dignify this with a serious response..........
Well rest assured you didn't.
Considering I witnessed the angry misfits ostracize some Duke Adm. man in front of his own house I will go with the "lynch mob" moniker.
Just like everyone wanted to lump all the transgressions of the Duke LAX players into one group can't we lump all the transgressions of the Duke haters into one group? NBPB=pot bangers=racist NCCU forum participants etc.
Isn't it fair how that works?
By
Anonymous, at 3:24 PM
Only a freakin' clueless white guy would categorize the pot-clangers as a "lynch mob."
And only spoiled, coddled white boys would think they were in any danger from said pot-clangers.
By
Anonymous, at 3:35 PM
How dare the parents of the LAX players care about them and want to protect them. I mean how dare them to have that basic parental need to protect their offspring.
Your post just points out your envious hatred of successful white males. I mean god forbid some parents have worked hard to provide the best for their kids. I guess we all need to be poor poor me victims and live in poverty to be deserving of compassion and protection from rogue police, racist citizens and corrupt prosecutors.
I think I will stick with my plan...
Work smart, save every dollar that I can, invest, sacrifice some small stuff etc
So my kids can have all the opportunities that they deserve.
However, my kids maybe envied and hated by some but that is a small price to pay for being a model citizen and actually contributing to the greater good of our society.
I know rich white men do not deserve feelings and protection.
Is that how it works with the "tolerant" crowd?
By
Anonymous, at 4:44 PM
Clueless white guy would be some ignorant fool that thought 3 wealthy Duke males would risk their entire lives and all they had worked for since birth on raping a prostitute in front of 40 odd people.
Clueless would be anyone that justifies all the actions after the prostitute cried rape.
Clueless would be someone that thinks because an individual is a rich white male that they cannot fell threatened.
Clueless would be the delusional fools that voted for Nifong long after all the evidence presented to the public pointed absolutely to innocent.
You get the point.
By
Anonymous, at 4:50 PM
Yup.
Clueless would be to think that a man in the most scrutinized position on the planet, the President of the United States, would be so dumb as to risk his political legacy for a blow job from an intern.
Clueless would be to think that a United States Senator would go trolling for gay sex in an airport bathroom.
Clueless would be to think that among one of the elite private universities in the country, date rape would be epidemic.
Actually, come to think of it, clueless would be to assume that this is all somehow about ganging up on "successful white males," and that those doing the criticizing couldn't possibly fit into that category. Or, for that matter, assuming that all of us voted for Nifong.
And the beat goes on... These are particularly rich:
'Considering I witnessed the angry misfits ostracize some Duke Adm. man in front of his own house I will go with the "lynch mob" moniker.'
Now we're into serious allegations. A man was OSTRACIZED?!? In PUBLIC?!! The horror!
By
Unknown, at 2:04 PM
And not just any man, but "some Duke adm. man."
Considering some of the nice things the LieStoppers crowd have had to say about Duke administrators like Dick Brodhead lately, how do we know the folks doing the ostracizing weren't from that group?
By
Barry, at 2:13 PM
When did I say you voted for Nifong?
If you did not then that is one less thing you are clueless about.
If the boys were not treated the way they were because of their race then why didn't we see the same events happen when the black Duke student was accused of raping the white student or any other black in modern day times.
If these men were not targeted can you show me an exact example were the race roles were reversed? I will give you a 10 year time span.
This has been ask before on other message boards and no one has every produced anything similar. Good luck.
I could not care less what Bill did in his private life. I voted for him based on how well I thought he could run the country not how well he ran his personal life. I was rather happy with the state of America while he was in office.
By
Anonymous, at 9:01 AM
Post a Comment
<< Home