After watching the video today and looking at the postcards, I was shocked. While I knew that this stuff had happened in the past, I knew all the facts, stories like Till's and real life representations like the postcards brought out a new sense of disbelief. It is different to see what really happened and how horrible these actions were. I was not among the "not surprised" in the class. I still can't believe that people would do this to each other. I mean, I know they did, I just don't understand why and what they could possibly have been thinking. To hate someone because they have a different skin color or background than you is truly ignorant, in my opinion. The detailed descriptions of torture and pain the people went through were also very horrifying. It really brought to life the hatred and turmoil of the time.
Till's story also shocked me. He was just a kid doing what a kid would do. But instead of being repremanded and grounded like a kid today would be, he was kidnapped, tortured, and killed. Not only must his death have been traumatizing, but the fact that his killers went free must have been devastating. Till, and many others, died in vain, without reason and without justice. The film and the postcards just helped bring what I already knew back to the forefront and demand more attention and contemplation.

This seems to be the sad reality of our past. Social injustice has been around as long as humans. I guess all we can do in our current state is learn from the past and not act with the same ignorance.

Unfortunately, I was one of those in the "not surprised" group. I hear of these things every year in my education and yet it is all falls in the same "disbelief" category of my mind. I know that things like this really happened yet I can not get an understanding of WHY these things actually happened. What could have possibly been in the minds of those that killed the Blacks and Jews not all that long ago? I think what really scares me the most is the fact that so many people conformed (some still abide) to those beliefs! Of course, there is no way for one to actually know what they would have done in this time period, but I would hope that I would have been one to go against the norms of society. It absolutely disgusts me to think human beings are this cruel and inhumane. Yet, genocides and suicide bombs are still happening today. I try to understand both sides to every issue. But I just can not wrap my mind around those that think killing others "for the cause" is just. Do I think the world will ever be at peace? No. However, I try to be civilized and just with all those I come into contact with in efforts to promote / make my community that much easier to live in.

Chelsey, I have to say that I agree with everything you said. I was very shocked by what I saw on the video. It befuddles me to think that there are people out there who are so inhumane and have so much hatred in their hearts for another person that the value of life means nothing to them. I just want to know where this hatred comes from. Sure it may be fear of the unknown, jealousy, and many other cases but what of those is enough to make someone want to take another person's life? I just do not get it. It made me very sad and angry watching the video. I guess because I have been shown these images and they have become REAL for me, now I am angry at the racism in the world. I do not just accept it anymore; I want to be a part in removing it. I may only be able to remove it from my classroom, but at least I can so something.

I was upset by what I saw on the video. I wasn't really shocked though, because I have heard about African American lynchings happening before. It upset me by how many people were lynched, just because they were opponents to various issues. In our past, it seems that we as Americans were scared of anything that was different from us, so we had to get rid of it. That's the impression I got from the video. The message that seemed to be sent was that you either need to go along with everyone else, or stand out and get killed. That's pretty sad.

I want to suggest that part of what is going on is that we just do what other folks do: we follow the path of least resistance. If we live in a time of racial abuse and hatred, we hate and abuse.

I think what's most important to realize about these happenings is that they are still going on somewhere in the world today. Maybe it isn't lynching, but in many countries around the world prisoners, minorities, or government revolutionaries are being tortured and killed in order to "be an example" to others. What blows my mind is how reluctant we are to acknowledge that not only is lynching and mob violence a part of our recent history, but that people today are doing the same thing, Americans included. Granted, it seems less of a problem in America today, but we are certainly not immune to unjust violence on smaller but equally important scales (police brutality, prisoner torture, continual presence of KKK and other groups, etc.).

Chase, that is a really good point. I think it is easier for us as Americans to turn our head and not realize the pain and suffering going on in other countries. The lynchings and hate crimes of African Americans in the past and present are a small part of the violence going on throughout the world.

I was also one of those students that knew about the lynchings. I want to comment about a class I took this summer and the book that was read in it. It was a history class and we read the Ida B. Wells (an African American woman who lived during the lynching period) and it was unbelieveable to read about some of the reasons why African Americans were lynched. If anyone is interested in learning more about the unjust treatment of African Americans during this time period, I highly recommend this book.

Chelsey, I agree with everything that you are saying. The most horrific thing for me is that people can treat others like the murderers of Till did, that people can torture other human beings. This has happened more times in the past, is happening now, and will happen in the future. There are countless examples.... After thinking and talking to others about this issue I came to conclusion that some peoples' prejudices allow them to see those they are against as LESS than human. I am ashamed that people can do this.

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Audrey Fowler