Blog 11

After reading the moving poem "The Lynching" by Claude McKay, one particular line stuck with me. Starting at line 10, it says "The ghastly body swaying in the sun/ The women thronged to look, but never a one Showed sorrow in her eyes of steely blue". I don't understand how can women and children be numb to such a site. It continues to say "And little lads, lynchers that were to be" as the kids are expected to grow up around such violence and racism. They left a man hanging burnt in front of women and children to prove what point? A man of any circumstances should have the dignity to not expose their family to such brutal acts. How can a "true woman" not feel sorrow for such acts, to not be moved at the sight of a burnt hanging body. Where is the humanity? These lynches were justified by exaggerating or flat out lying about crimes they did not commit and it was out of pure blood lust. Are they any more human than the African -Americans they treated as sub par humans. It seems the roles have changed and now these mobs are the barbaric, inferior race who cannot solve a problem with out spilled blood and an African-American to blame. McKay's poetry really brings light in these wrong doings and are very influential there meanings.