Terror in the United States: An Open Letter to American Moderates
The history of the United States of America is a history of terror. From the day European colonists landed on this continent, all variety of political violence has been wrought on the natives, the enslaved, and the working class, upon whose bones this country was built. From the sprawling skyline of New York City to the sleepy meadows of rural Oregon, the land is stained by the blood of innocents. When the colonized fought back, they were called savage barbarians, and they were slaughtered. When they fled, they were called weak and cowardly, but still they were slaughtered. When the enslaved acted passive, it was seen as evidence of their inferiority, of their inability to comprehend freedom and autonomy. When they fought back, they were chased down by men with guns, guided by hunting dogs, as if they were common game. They were captured, publicly beaten, whipped, mutilated and hanged. When, alongside their brothers and sisters, they rose up and fought the confederates alongside the