THERE were two “Reigns of Terror,” if we would but remember it and consider it; the one wrought murder in hot passion, the other in heartless cold blood; the one lasted mere months, the other had lasted a thousand years; the one inflicted death upon ten thousand persons, the other upon a hundred millions; but our shudders are all for the “horrors” of the minor Terror, the momentary Terror, so to speak; whereas, what is the horror of swift death by the axe, compared with lifelong death from hunger, cold, insult, cruelty, and heart-break? What is swift death by lightning compared with death by slow fire at the stake? A city cemetery could contain the coffins filled by that brief Terror which we have all been so diligently taught to shiver at and mourn over; but all France could hardly contain the coffins filled by that older and real Terror—that unspeakably bitter and awful Terror which none of us has been taught to see in its vastness or pity as it deserves.
when you only complain about one, and not the other, is exactly the point
Like when people want to complain about the savagery of killing the Romanovs . . . and ignore how many peasant girls died of starvation for each Fabrege egg . . .
Holy shit! That there is some
Damn fine narrative.
If one is likely to grab a gander in this convo, please do sayeth.
Seriously, hoping you are enjoying it too!
Yes, some deaths are worse than others. No, that still doesn’t justify the death penalty in any way today.
when you only complain about one, and not the other, is exactly the point
Like when people want to complain about the savagery of killing the Romanovs . . . and ignore how many peasant girls died of starvation for each Fabrege egg . . .
Holy shit! That there is some Damn fine narrative. If one is likely to grab a gander in this convo, please do sayeth. Seriously, hoping you are enjoying it too!