Libyans Are Exacting Revenge~~Why Are We Surprised?

The headline reads;'Leaked UN Report Reveals Torture, Lynchings And Abuse In Post-Gaddafi Libya'.  Why are we surprised? These people just fought a very hard war against a regime that, from what I understand, was ruthless in the way the treated its people prior to the war and during it. Revenge is a normal course of action after such a war; albeit an undesirable course.

We have seen revenge taken against the enemies of the victors in wars throughout history and I do not see this trend changing ant time soon. While this is disturbing to all of us; stopping it, in a post war atmosphere, is near impossible.

I can hear the self appointed guardians of the thought that 'This would never happen in The United States' trying to convince us that the people exacting revenge against their enemies is barbaric and that we, as Americans, would never take part in such an act.

Enter Charles Lynch((1736 – 1796), American Revolutionary, from Virginia. Mr Lynch  was a Virgina planter who headed an irregular court in Virginia to punish Loyalist supporters of the British during the  American Revolutionary War. The terms "lynching" and "lynch law" apparently derive from his name.

In several incidents in 1780, Lynch and several other militia officers and justices of the peace rounded up suspects who were thought to be a part of a Loyalist uprising in southwestern Virginia. The suspects were given a summary trial at an informal court; sentences handed down included whipping, property seizure, coerced pledges of allegiance, and conscription into the military. Lynch's extralegal actions were retroactively legitimized by the Virginia General Assembly in 1782.

"Lynch's Law", referring to organized but unauthorized punishment of criminals, became a common phrase, as was used by Charles Lynch to describe his actions as early as 1782. Variations of the term, such as "lynch law", "judge lynch", and "lynching", were standard entries in American and British English dictionaries by the 1850s.

From the article Persecution of the Loyalists (or Tories) by Angela E. M. Files; 'The noun "persecution" means "pursue with harassing or oppressive treatment especially because of religion, race or belief." For their belief in the British system of government and the Crown, the Loyalists or Tories were persecuted before, during and after the Revolutionary War. Most historians of this war agree there were two types of persecution to which the Loyalists were subjected, oppressive treatment by lawless mobs, and abuses carried out constitutionally by unjust and cruel laws authorized by the Thirteen Colonies. It was at the hands of the mob that the Loyalists first suffered persecution.'

Many of these 'mobs' were under the control of 'The Sons Of Liberty'. 'On 26 August 1765 Sam Adams organized the Sons of Liberty, a secret organization of artisans, shipyard workers and wharfingers of northern Boston who were opposed to the Stamp Act that had been passed by the British Parliament for raising revenue in the thirteen colonies.'

'The Sons of Liberty planned and incited atrocities against the Loyalists through the use of mobs and propaganda. Sam Adams was the Master of Propaganda against the Loyalists.'

That description dose not jive very well with what we have been taught in school or have seen in movies does it?

It has always amazed me that people are so eager to see the 'evil; in others while denying the 'evil' that may reside in their histories or withing themselves. The tactics of The Sons Of Liberty can be seen in segments of our 'political society' even today. Look at the tactics employed by all our political parties, some political blogs, both conservative and liberal talk shows and even in some of the 'rhetoric' spewed by Occupy Wall Street.

Yes!! The revenge in Lybia is reprehensible. As was that in Iraq, Vietnam and Afghanistan. As it has been post every war.

Condemn it!! Fight against it!! But never feel that as a people, we by virtue of being Americans, are above it!!

Randy