View unanswered posts | View active topics It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 10:27 am



Reply to topic  [ 6 posts ] 
 Video of Emmett Till 
Author Message
Semi-pro
Semi-pro
User avatar

Joined: Wed Aug 27, 2008 4:00 pm
Posts: 21
This documentary about Emmett Till was extremely hard for me to watch. I understand the importance of seeing such documentaries, but I have a hard to watching and hearing about things that have happened in the past that just make me want to throw up. No matter how many times I hear about these cruel acts of hatred against fellow humans, I am still beyond shocked to realize that we can do this type of thing to others. I am not just talking about what White people did (and still do) to Black people, but what everyone does to every other race there is. It is unbelievable how people can stand around watching something horrendous happen!!!

I stand by what I said in class about how if Emmett's mother were still alive when the courts decided to not indict anyone on her son's murder, that would have killed her. It would be like living through the nightmare all over again and then losing her son once again. I know that if it was myself in this situation (being her), it would have killed me. Again, I do not want to sound morbid, but I AM glad that she was not there to see the outcome (again!) that still does not close the case of her son's murder.

I wanted to say that I wish someone had just killed those two men... but what would that have accomplished? Death would be too easy of a punishment for them... and then the people/person who murdered them would just be sentenced to prison or worse death. Yet again, I do not want to sound morbid, but I really wanted those men to suffer for what they did... not only doing it but then getting away with it and then bragging about it and getting paid to finally tell the truth and not have anything happen to them!!!! That truly.... pisses me off!!!!! :evil: grrrr!!

_________________
Kelly York


Thu Oct 30, 2008 2:54 pm
Profile
All-star
All-star
User avatar

Joined: Thu Aug 28, 2008 11:56 am
Posts: 31
Kelly, I am not sure that I agree with you. Emmitt Till's mother might have been pleased that someone once again took interest in her son's murder and abductions. To know another young Black man, many years later, took interest in her son may have provided her with some peace. In knowing that there is some hope in the world could cause more to fight for what is right.
I do believe that the fact that no one was held accountable for Emmitt Till's death, for the second time, would have hurt her a great deal. This woman is/was a strong woman. Going through a trial again may just have provided her with more strength. Her presence at the trial could have helped indict the five individuals, or maybe not. Neither one of us is Till's mother; so, neither one of us will ever know for sure.
I agree that those men should be punished, but killing them in cold blood would not do Till and his family any justice. Revenge, I believe, does not provide the best results.

_________________
Lianna Denise Beard


Sat Nov 01, 2008 12:19 pm
Profile
Semi-pro
Semi-pro
User avatar

Joined: Tue Aug 26, 2008 6:18 pm
Posts: 25
Location: Boone, NC
Post 
I agree with Liana. Killing the offenders in cold blood would not have done them any justice. However, when I see movies like this it bothers me also, and I think it should. It should bother anyone who has humane qualities, to hear of someone torturing anyone else. Much like the Deltas in the last film we watched (Vietnam), It makes me physically ill to hear of people being able to do this. However, it does make me wonder about their psychological soundness. If doing such things to Emmitt Till didn't bother those men, there is obviously something wrong. Even the young man who heard Emmitt Till being beaten ended up having a psychological break down, and he wasn't even a participant in the actual crime.

_________________
Jennifer Nicole Redmond


Sat Nov 01, 2008 5:58 pm
Profile
Semi-pro
Semi-pro
User avatar

Joined: Wed Aug 27, 2008 4:00 pm
Posts: 21
Post 
I agree with both of you about killing the men in cold blood would not have done any justice... which is why I did put "but what would that have accomplished?"... I just wanted to defend myself on that point.

I also agree with you Lia on the fact that neither of us are Emmett Till's mother and I agree that neither of us will know for sure how it would have affected us. I do see your point about how she was a strong woman and it is possible that she would have thought it was good that someone else took interest in her son's death enough to try and have someone held responsible so many years later. I was agreeing with you the entire time I read your post because you do make a very valid point and I appreciate what you have written. It brings another perspective that I personally did not think of while I was watching and thinking about this documentary.

Yes, people should be bothered by this. This could still happen to people and it probably still does in other parts of the world. This should never have happened to anyone and it still should not be happening to anyone.

_________________
Kelly York


Sat Nov 01, 2008 8:14 pm
Profile
Semi-pro
Semi-pro
User avatar

Joined: Fri Aug 29, 2008 9:00 am
Posts: 22
Post 
This can still happen and even in America. James Byrd Jr. was beaten and then dragged to death in Jasper Texas in 1998. A very brutal crime committed aganist an African American by white Americans. This case was in the news a lot, however that not always the case. Here is a link to the story.

http://www.cnn.com/US/9806/09/texas.dec ... /index.htm

If you do a google searh you might be surprised how many come up. Another topic you can search is gay and lesbian hate crimes and killings. There are way more than you might expect. Reports of these crimes might make the local news, but are quickly forgotten.

_________________
Thomas Lloyd Walker


Thu Nov 06, 2008 12:57 am
Profile
Semi-pro
Semi-pro
User avatar

Joined: Wed Aug 27, 2008 10:18 pm
Posts: 19
Post 
I'm very torn about watching these sorts of documents in class. I do agree that one should be opened to the facts that human kind is very warped and people will do unbelievable things yet talking about it in every ed class and many of my freshmen courses runs the risk of making one turn off to it and become numb to that kinds of horrors. It the same with watching very violent movies or video games, our society believes that violence is so normal. As for the issues of racism, I also think one can become numb to it if it is discussed in the manner of how we do in class. Growing up I never saw color. I know I didn't grow up in a community that was very diverse yet as a child the color of someone's skin was not consciously thought about. Once I came to college and it was talked about ALL the time in my English classes and in a lot of my ed classes I suddenly became aware that I was consciously thinking of the stereotypes, that we talked so much about in class, as in relation to skin color. These thoughts became very conscious and I'm worried that we are missing many other issues that in the school system because race seems like the easiest issue to talk about.

_________________
~Natalie Wolfe


Sun Nov 16, 2008 2:42 pm
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Reply to topic   [ 6 posts ] 

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
cron
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
Designed by ST Software for PTF.