# What do you think is the most insane, collective human event in history? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 14, 2012, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-is-the-most-insane-collective-human-event-in-history/618776 "2012-04-14T19:38:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-is-the-most-insane-collective-human-event-in-history/618776/121 "2012-07-28T22:08:08Z")
Probably not the most insane in history, but the Red Scare in the 50’s was batshit. Actually, I’d say Whites near genocidal attitude towards blacks in the 1920’s. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-is-the-most-insane-collective-human-event-in-history/618776/122 "2012-07-28T23:14:28Z")
> [@Namkcalb](#): > > [It was insane, but not as insane as you make out.](http://eprints.ru.ac.za/1317/1/Cattle-killing.pdf)(warning: pdf) > > The Xhosa had tried to isolate healthy cows from infected ones but due to long asymptomatic phase of the lungsickness, this failed. As their scientific conception of disease couldn’t explain it, they turned to superstition. The problem with arguing that cattle sacrifice was a semi-rational response to cattle disease was that the Xhosa didn’t just kill cattle. They also destroyed their crops and stored food. There’s no evidence presented that any disease was affecting their crops. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2012, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-is-the-most-insane-collective-human-event-in-history/618776/123 "2012-07-29T00:48:25Z")
> [@RandMcnally](#): > > Probably not the most insane in history, but the Red Scare in the 50’s was batshit. > > Actually, I’d say Whites near genocidal attitude towards blacks in the 1920’s. They weren’t genocidal…after all even the KKK-type racists wanted them for cheap labour as long as they didn’t agitate for voting rights or similar stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2012, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-is-the-most-insane-collective-human-event-in-history/618776/124 "2012-07-29T01:34:50Z")
> [@RandMcnally](#): > > Actually, I’d say Whites near genocidal attitude towards blacks in the 1920’s. I have a theory about this, but it would require a post lengthy enough to need its own thread. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2012, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-is-the-most-insane-collective-human-event-in-history/618776/125 "2012-07-29T01:57:58Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > They weren’t genocidal…after all even the KKK-type racists wanted them for cheap labour as long as they didn’t agitate for voting rights or similar stuff. All-black towns were completely destroyed with everyone run out. Yeah, the KKK were fine with blacks as long as they didn’t try to vote, take jobs from whites, look them in the eyes, ever be accused of raping a white woman (and it wasn’t only the accused murdered but any others they could find), etc. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2012, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-is-the-most-insane-collective-human-event-in-history/618776/126 "2012-07-29T02:30:25Z")
> [@RandMcnally](#): > > All-black towns were completely destroyed with everyone run out. Yeah, the KKK were fine with blacks as long as they didn’t try to vote, take jobs from whites, look them in the eyes, ever be accused of raping a white woman (and it wasn’t only the accused murdered but any others they could find), etc. I didn’t know about towns being completely destroyed. Where and when? Thanks. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2012, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-is-the-most-insane-collective-human-event-in-history/618776/127 "2012-07-29T02:44:07Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I didn’t know about towns being completely destroyed. Where and when? > Thanks. > > 🙂 Here is an article about the [Rosewood Massacre](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosewood_massacre) in 1923. > [@](#): > > Spurred by unsupported accusations that a white woman in nearby Sumner had been beaten and possibly raped by a black drifter, white men from nearby towns lynched a Rosewood resident. When black citizens defended themselves against further attack, several hundred whites combed the countryside hunting for black people, and burned almost every structure in Rosewood. Survivors hid for several days in nearby swamps and were evacuated by train and car to larger towns. Although state and local authorities were aware of the violence, they made no arrests for the activities in Rosewood. The town was abandoned by black residents during the attacks. None ever returned. And here’s one about the [Tulsa Race Riot](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulsa_Race_Riot) in 1921. > [@](#): > > During the 16 hours of the assault, over 800 people were admitted to local hospitals with injuries, more than 6,000 Greenwood residents were arrested and detained at three local facilities.[2] An estimated 10,000 were left homeless, and 35 city blocks composed of 1,256 residences were destroyed by fire. The official count of the dead by the Oklahoma Department of Vital Statistics was 39, but other estimates of black fatalities have been up to about 300. There would have been one in Bartow, Florida, but the accused rapist fled town, which saved the black town from being destroyed [as discused in Arc of Justice. I can quote the book, if anyone wants me to. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-is-the-most-insane-collective-human-event-in-history/618776.md?page=6)