Citizenship and Race - Free Essay Sample

Introduction

Racism is thriving in the United States of America even in the dawn of the twentieth century. It is particularly hard for men and women of color to enjoy a free life as they were constantly looked down on and denied even the most basic human rights. The country’s nationwide crime is lynching; a crime that represents the cool, calculated deliberations of enlightened people who openly ascertain that there exists an “unwritten law” that validates them into putting other human beings to death. These people are convicted without hearing any of complaint under an oath, without any trial by a jury, without any opportunity to present defense, and without the right to appeal.

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Lynching

Lynching was born out of what deemed as an emergency to deal unlawful acts in the West and was basically a mob procedure. If a law breaker was caught, he was hastily tried and when found guilty, he was hanged to the same tree under which the court summoned. But even as these emergencies ceased to exist, the spirit of mob procedure continued and the grim process that was invoked to declare justice was now made an excuse to wreak vengeance and cover crime. More often, the people of color are the recipients of this vengeance and crimes especially in the South. Lynching has affirmed its way in defiance of the law and in favor of anarchy.

As a person of color, one is seen as a lesser human being and is treated inhumanly. The black race is subjected to the horrors of lynching and more thousands men, women and even children have died by hanging, burning, drowning and shooting. A majority of these people were innocent and were killed simply for being black. On the other hand, being White offers one the security to live a free life and enjoy human rights. It is not uncommon for a White person to accuse a Black person of a crime they did not commit and subject them to harassment. The Black person still feels trapped in the throes of slavery as the “unwritten law” justifies “negro domination”.

Unwritten Law

The author points out that “unwritten law” enjoys advocacy from rouge groups such as the “red-shirt” bands (succeeded by the Ku-Klux Klans) of Louisiana, South Carolina and other Southern States. These advocates boldly vowed to intimidate, suppress and nullify the Negro’s right to vote. Such happenings make it hard and unpleasant for people of color to identify themselves or be proud of their American identity. They feel like foreigners and unwanted in a land they should proudly call home. To further their plans, the Ku-Klux Klans, the “red-shirts” and other similar bands started beating, exiling and killing Negros to the point where their purpose was achieved and the supremacy of the “unwritten law” was effected. And while lynching began in the South, it rapidly spread to other States till the national law was nullified and the reign of the “unwritten law” was now supreme.

The author points out that this led to more suffering for the people of color as men were taken from their homes, stripped, beaten and exiled. Others were assassinated if their political prominence made them obnoxious to their political opponents. The Ku-Klux barbarism of election days reveled in the butchery of colored voters and the nation descended into anarchy. It was a disgrace to civilization. Though one would assume that the spirit of mob murder should have been satisfied with the absolute suppression of the Negro vote and the butchery of people of color should have ceased, that was far from the truth. Black people continued to be killed over various allegations such as dispute over terms of contracts with their employers or when a colored man resented the imposition of a White man. If there was a confrontation between a colored man and a white man, the colored man was killed, either on the spot at the hands of the white man, or later at the hands of a mob.

If a colored man showed the spirit of courageous manhood, he was hanged and the killing justified by declaring that he was a “saucy nigger”. If a colored woman refused to tell the mobs where a relative could be found for “lynching bees”, she was killed and accused of cohorts. If a white woman were to accuse a colored man of disrespecting her, even looking at her in a way she deemed disrespectful, the colored man was sentenced to death. Though there were white women getting involved with colored men voluntarily, they did this in hiding and if was found out, they often accused the colored men of raping them. On the other hand, the white man could rape a colored woman and get away with it without any form of punishment. It is such discrimination that led to the colored person losing all reasons to celebrate and enjoy their citizenship.

Special Treatment

The white person continues to have special treatment and often, the sentiment of the country has been appealed to in describing the isolated condition of white families in populated Negro districts. They are made to sound like they are surrounded by animals rather than fellow human beings and are viewed to be in constant danger. The author points out that the most surprising and worrying thing is that even those elite in the society just look on as these atrocities are committed. And although they may have not actively participated in the killings, they are equally to blame. It is sad that another human being would just look on as a fellow man or woman is tortured, mistreated and killed for simply being Black.

The author makes it clear that it is almost a crime to be Black in America in these times. Even the government condones the mistreatment of the colored man. Annually, an average of two hundred men, women and even children are killed. Not only are these killings carried out by the mob, they are taken publicly. And although the leading citizens do not participate actively, they aid and abet by their presence and silence on the killings. Leading journals inflame the public by glorifying lynching when they publish scare-head articles and offers of rewards.

Conclusion

It is a mockery to civilization that the United States of America boast of being “the land of the free and the home of the brave” yet the said brave men gather in thousands to torture and murder defenseless and feeble single individuals. It is not bravery to withstand such atrocities without compunction of conscience. And it is the responsibility of the nation to right its wrongs.