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
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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.