Without Sanctuary

Studying these photos has engendered in me feelings of disgust, embarrassment, and disbelief. Looking at the many photos posted on Without Sanctuary, an overwhelmingly amount of emotions and thoughts ran through my mind. I was absolutely disgusted by the fact that the people who lynched the victim and the observers actually stood around and took a photo with the victim. They looked proud of the fact that they just took another's life. It's also disgusting that there are so many photos of such lynchings. Although I did not have any ancestors in this country when most of the lynchings occured and therefore did not take part in them, the photos still make me feel a bit embarrassed to be an American. This country was founded on principles of freedom and certain unalienable rights. These pictures are proof that many Americans, although they claim to believe in the founding principles, take away others' freedom and rights just to make themselves feel more powerful. When looking at the photos a sense of disbelief comes over me for much of the same reason why I feel embarrassed, that our founding principles are not being followed. I just can not believe that a human being can be so mercyless and cruel to another human being.
Of course by taking photos it allows future generations to see exactly what happened so many years ago and helps teach experiences that can not be fully explained by words. They allow the viewer to look at the facial expressions of the lynchers and observers. Just by looking at someone's eyes you can sense what they're feeling and get a better understanding of a situation. A facial expression can explain feelings that aren't necessarily being said and can show the true feelings of a person. A novel, poem, or any other form of writing can not show a facial expression of someone, they can only describe or do their best to describe a situation. On the other hand novels and poems can tell someone the history of the situation, how it began, what exactly happened, and the after effects. For example, in Native Son the author gives the reader a brief introduction on what Bigger is like before he murders Mary. The reader also understands why Bigger murders Mary, why he tries to cover it up the way he does, and what his punishment is. A photo can not explain why or how things happen, it just shows one moment, not the before or after. Obviously photos and literature both have their advantages and disadvantages, without either we would not be able to know and understand our past as much as we do.

Oh hello

Oh hello, this is a test! :)