Eng 101 - Lynch

Joy Cooper

English 101

10/17/17

Martina Jonas

Lynch

        The word lynch sends shivers down my spine. Every time it is uttered gruesome images of bloodshed, tears, and death pop into my mind. As stated in the Oxford English Dictionary, the early use of the word lynch implied the infliction of punishment such as whipping, tarring and feathering, or hanging. Now, lynch means to condemn and punish (inflict sentence of death) by lynch law. The word Lynch originated in the U.S. by Captain William Lynch.

 Andrew Ellicott believed lynch was first formed in Virginia around the year 1776. An article in the Southern Lit. Messenger (1836) 2 389 contradicts Mr. Elliot’s time frame stating, lynch was formed in the year 1780. Along with making the word lynch into a credible action verb, Captain William Lynch wrote The Willie Lynch Letter and The Making of a Slave, which is a vivid letter instructing slave masters in the way of controlling African American slaves by setting them against one another. The word Lynch was created with the intension of inflicting barbaric punishments among innocent people that happened to be born with the wrong skin tone. The thought of the word alone makes me anxious.

        I chose the word Lynch because it resonates within me. I think it is important to know the trials and tribulations my ancestors faced in order for generations after them to live cohesively with other races. Knowing my history prohibits me from taking anything I have for granted. It also rains in my impending naivety from rising to the surface. If I didn’t learn my history, I would constantly forget that racism is still alive and thriving. It may not always be blatant but a hatred as strong as racism is enough to cause people to kill in cold blood. My history is a reminder that because of my skin tone I have to work twice as hard as those of different races in order to succeed and watch my back while I’m at it.