domestic terrorism since 1619

"Across the south, someone was hanged or burned alive every four days from 1889 to 1929, according to the 1933 book The Tragedy of Lynching, for such alleged crimes as 'stealing hogs, horse-stealing, poisoning mules, jumping labor contract, suspected of killing of cattle, boastful remarks,' or 'trying to act like a white person.' One was killed for stealing seventy-five cents."--Isabel Wilkerson, Warmth of Other Suns

Do the math. That's 3,650 people over a period of 40 years. Reduced again: That a person every single day, for ten years straight. This is post-slavery, and after the 14th and 15th amendments were passed (yet decades before they were actually obeyed). And that's only counting what was documented for those 40 years.

This is terrorism, plain and simple. And it has never. ever. stopped. Today, instead of stealing hogs, it's failing to signal. Instead of boastful remarks, it's assault of an officer. Instead of burning alive, it's being shot down like a dog. Lynching seems to still be an option though.

I can't even call this history repeating itself, because in order to repeat, it has to have concluded at some point, and started over. It has never. ever. stopped.