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Stephanie Weeks
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Joined: Tue Aug 23, 2005 5:45 pm Posts: 30
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I tried looking at the lynching sites for Tuesday night's class and I just couldn't do it. I realize that it is important to understand the mistakes of the past so that we don't repeat them, but I think there is a fine line between learning about an issue and obsessing over it. (You know, beating the proverbial dead horse.) Why do you think it is so difficult for us to take the next positive step in race relations in our country?
_________________ Stephanie Weeks
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Sun Oct 23, 2005 12:29 pm |
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Carrie Allen
All-star
Joined: Tue Aug 23, 2005 5:44 pm Posts: 38
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We have to remember the horrific past and how American's treated other American's. We also have to realize that it is still in existence today. The armed forces have exhibited this horrific treatment of human beings in Iraq just this past year. WE have a long way to go to make this county a "free" state.
I agree with Stephanie about viewing the photos. I have such a hard time viewing or hearing about others mistreatment because it is against everything that I am. I DO NOT understand how anyone on this earth can believe they are better than anyone else. All parents have the responsiblity to educate their children that different is just different not wrong or ugly. I worry about my son and the world he is going to grow up in because it is still a racially heated world.
_________________ Carrie Allen
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Sun Oct 23, 2005 6:21 pm |
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Paige Hoffman
All-star
Joined: Tue Aug 23, 2005 5:45 pm Posts: 35
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I do agree with Stephanie that we need to move forward. We cannot get stuck by not forgiving ourselves for the horrendous acts of the past. However, as part of the process of moving forward, isn’t it important to acknowledge, remember and feel the pain of America’s past atrocities? These photographs evoke immediate and intense emotion (the saying “A picture paints a thousand wordsâ€
_________________ Paige Hoffman
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Sun Oct 23, 2005 6:54 pm |
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Amy French
All-star
Joined: Tue Aug 23, 2005 5:45 pm Posts: 43
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I agree with Paige. I feel that for us to move forward as human beings, we must face the atrocities committed by our ancestors. We must understand these mistakes if we are to correct them. How many Germans have claimed that they did not really know what was happening to Jews in Hitler's camps? The same could probably be said for a lot of my Southern ancestors who may have not been slave owners or members of lynch mobs, but chose to turn a blind eye to the hate and discrimination that was going on around them. The best that I can do is to look at these pictures, as uncomfortable as that might be, and try to empathize with the people who were treated so unfairly. Every life deserves some respect and no one should have to die in the way that so many African-Americans did during the struggle for equality. I'm not sure we, as Americans, will ever be able to reconcile the wrongdoings of our ancestors. However, I do feel that if we are to be strong as a nation, we must get past these differences and work together as Americans. Unfortunately, as divided as we are at this point in time, I just can't fathom when that will be possible.
_________________ amy french
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Mon Oct 24, 2005 10:17 am |
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Julia Cooley
All-star
Joined: Tue Aug 23, 2005 5:44 pm Posts: 36
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These pictures roused a very troubled and sickening emotion on my part. I could only look at about the first 10 pictues, and was troubled to the point of tears and left with a very sick and discusted feeling in my stomach. This is a horrific part of our past, and I struggle with accepting the fact that I am part of the race that inflicted such pain and brutality and torment on others, who are really no different than any of us. The civil rights movement is one that I take personal interest in, and I understood the abuse that was brought upon blacks, but seeing these pictures, one after another, made it so much more real. I have seen films, read books, and other pictures before, but maybe I was in a somber mood anyway, but looking at these pictures, brought out so many feelings of anger, and pain. Although I can not on any level even begin to empathize to the extent of the suffering, this hits home. After learning of all of the events in history such as this, I feel this one rings in more personally and hits closer to home. I can not fathom why we feel we are so much better as whites than anyone else. I understand the concept that we hold the ranking and the power and the money, but those are just material things. Where are all of the good people hiding? Maybe one day society will see the err of their ways, and learn to accept each other. I refuse to remove my rose-colored glasses.
_________________ Julia Cooley
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Mon Oct 24, 2005 10:37 pm |
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Mitzi London
All-star
Joined: Tue Aug 23, 2005 5:45 pm Posts: 34
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I agree, it was very difficult to look at these photos. I'm not sure how we proceed. While reading Other People's Children I thought maybe there's a lot of issues I don't have a handle on yet. I'm looking forward to tonight's discussion.
_________________ Mitzi
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Tue Oct 25, 2005 12:28 pm |
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Ricky Ward
All-star
Joined: Tue Aug 23, 2005 5:44 pm Posts: 58
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I agree that it is very hard for us to accept that these terrible things have been done to people in this country so recently. We like to think that we are above this type of behavior as modern day American's. However, the video's we watched in class proved that we have not. I do believe that we are getting better at accepting each other, but it is a long road and there is more ahead of us. We are not there yet, but I do have hope for the future.
_________________ Ricky Ward
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Wed Oct 26, 2005 10:39 am |
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Ashley Tyndall
All-star
Joined: Tue Aug 23, 2005 5:45 pm Posts: 30
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The topic of lynching puts a knot in my stomach and I cannot believe we used to beat our children in schools. While we should remember what we have done in the past, we need to look in to the future to find alternate ways of handling discipline problems in the classroom.
_________________ Ashley Tyndall
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Thu Dec 01, 2005 1:43 pm |
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