Americans Quote by Wilton Barnhardt
““Southerners. Such literate, civilized folk, such charm and cleverness and passion for living, such genuine interest in people, all people, high and low, white and black, and yet how often it had come to, came to, was still coming to vicious incomprehension, usually over race but other things too - religion, class, money. How often the lowest elements had burst out of the shadows and hollers, guns and torches blazing, galloping past the educated and tolerant as nightriders, how often the despicable had run riot over the better Christian ideals... how often cities had burned, people had been strung up in trees, atrocities had been permitted to occur and then, in the seeking of justice for those outrages, how slippery justice had proven, how delayed its triumph. Oh you expect such easily obtained violence in the Balkans or among Asian or African tribal peoples centuries-deep in blood feuds, but how was there such brutality and wickedness in this place of church and good intention, a place of immense friendliness and charity and fondness for the rituals of family and socializing, amid the nation's best cooking and best music... how could one place contain the other place?””
About This Quote
Even in seemingly civilized societies, deep-seated tensions can erupt into violence, revealing contradictions within cultural ideals.
In simple terms: Civilized places can harbor hidden violence.
Key Takeaway
Recognize hidden tensions.
Themes
social conflict
history
violence
culture
contradiction
Mood
somber
critical
Type
analytical
historical
When to use this quote
- community activism
- historical analysis
- policy making
- education curricula
Key Concepts
sociology
political science
human nature
Questions to Reflect On
- What underlying factors fuel such contradictions?
- How can societies reconcile ideals with reality?
A Different Perspective
Complex causes make simple blame insufficient.
