Historic precedents are all well and good, in context, but those were  
state events, under the rule of law (I know, that's arguable, but  
that was the thesis), whereas lynchings are by their nature extra- 
legal. Crowds watching a state sanctioned execution were in no way  
legally at risk whereas by their participation, all attendees at a  
lynching were participants in the strict definition of the illegal  
event. Presumably, if a herd of these fine folk were to be arrested  
in the act, at the very least the ringleaders would be charged and  
presumably brought to justice. I would think that now, the herd would  
have all members arrested and charged to varying degrees in order to  
set the tone firmly against repetition. How times have changed for  
the better.

McKinley Morganfield in one of his numerous interviews mentioned that  
the last known lynching in the USA was in 1969 which I found quite  
shocking due to the late date. But without citation, I have no idea  
whether it was accurate or not.

Lyle Browning


On Jun 23, 2007, at 11:04 PM, James Brothers wrote:

> For years executions were public, drew large crowds, and were  
> considered a kind of "holiday". Huge crowds used to gather at  
> Tyburn to watch hangings in London. And equally huge crowds  
> gathered to watch the executions during the Terror in France. It is  
> therefor not really surprising that a lynching might elicit the  
> same kind of behavior. There is, unfortunately, historic  
> precedence. There are some mighty peculiar people out there. One  
> could argue that the extreme violence in many movies is feeding the  
> same impulses. Can't say that this is the kind of thing I would  
> want to attend and I'm not interested in gratuitous violence in  
> films either.
>
> James Brothers, RPA
> [log in to unmask]
>
>
>
> On Jun 23, 2007, at 21:12, Lyle E. Browning wrote:
>
>> On Jun 23, 2007, at 8:30 PM, gcg wrote:
>>
>>> While there has been some discussion as to an urban legend that  
>>> the word
>>> picnic is derived from the term "pick a ni$$er," one can say that  
>>> this is
>>> not the case. Yet, with the majority of myths circulating if one  
>>> digs deep
>>> enough the is a modicum of truth that is usually wrapped in a lie.
>>>
>>> As genealogists, both amateur and professional, it is our duty to  
>>> seek the
>>> truth. The word picnic does have a connection not to derogatory  
>>> terms about
>>> African Americans. But, it does have a connection to derogatory  
>>> actions and
>>> terrorism done to African Americans.
>>>
>>> The lynching of African slave descendants in the South especially  
>>> during the
>>> post "Reconstruction" era and the days of the "Jim Crow" laws  
>>> took on morbid
>>> carnival atmospheres including picnics, picture taking, and  
>>> postcards. These
>>> are no urban legends. The work picnic can be considered  
>>> derogatory as these
>>> public spectacles and historical proof in the words of the  
>>> terrorists
>>> themselves are preserved for the whole world to see.
>>
>> ...snip...
>>>
>>> So now you know the rest of the story, and have a good picnic or  
>>> barbeque
>>> even though it is now illegal to watch a ni$$er swing.