ABSTRACT
Justifying the intentional infliction of suffering and the taking of life involves not only the removal of the otherwise protective boundaries of life but also the demonization of a perceived threat. Lynchings following the Civil War in the United States provide one tragic example. Those already on the margins of life were most vulnerable. As blatant injustices became evident, new protections were devised. They were slow incoming. Additional egregious examples further energized reform efforts. In one instance, it took 40 years to exonerate nine young men who had been riding a train during the Depression, charged with rape, and sentenced to die. In another instance, two men were acquitted of the brutal torture and murder of a young teenager, a crime they admitted committing.
