I mean, last time I checked, there weren't any groups of common American's gathering in crowds to watch a man be drawn and quartered for sheer amusement.
When I first started to respond to your comment, I think I misread what you wrote. I had a whole response written out, and then I realized that we're mostly in agreement. Anyway, I do agree that we as a culture may be more sensitized to torture -- or at least less blatant about appearing to condone it (hence the attempts to redefine the word torture or to get others to do it for us). However, in the not extremely distant past (think early-mid 20th century), there were groups of "common" Americans who thought little of gathering around lynched bodies snapping photos like they were at a barbeque.
I think what we Americans probably hate more than promoting or committing injustice is actually looking like people who promote or commit injustice. It's kind of bad to do it, but it's worse to be called on it.
(Disclaimer: I fully realize that my response probably went off on a tangent that has more to do with my initial misinterpretation of what you were saying. So think of my response as me using your comment as a springboard only. *g*)
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Date: 2005-03-02 09:59 pm (UTC)When I first started to respond to your comment, I think I misread what you wrote. I had a whole response written out, and then I realized that we're mostly in agreement. Anyway, I do agree that we as a culture may be more sensitized to torture -- or at least less blatant about appearing to condone it (hence the attempts to redefine the word torture or to get others to do it for us). However, in the not extremely distant past (think early-mid 20th century), there were groups of "common" Americans who thought little of gathering around lynched bodies snapping photos like they were at a barbeque.
I think what we Americans probably hate more than promoting or committing injustice is actually looking like people who promote or commit injustice. It's kind of bad to do it, but it's worse to be called on it.
(Disclaimer: I fully realize that my response probably went off on a tangent that has more to do with my initial misinterpretation of what you were saying. So think of my response as me using your comment as a springboard only. *g*)