"you know...nice tortures such as deboweling."
I assume you mean disemboweling.
IIRC, Wallace was dragged through the streets, hung from the gallows, then cut down while still breathing.
After this, he was drawn. This is different than simple disembowelment... his intestines were ripped out slowly, then burned.
Next he was quartered... all his limbs and head were cut off.
His head was placed on a pole on London Bridge, while his limbs were sent to various points around Scotland.
Yes, this sounds pretty savage to me.
"Why don't some of you spend as much time naming European cultures who fought over land and employed torture."
The question posed by the poster of this thread was about the Native Indians.
Post a thread about the various atrocities of other ethnic groups and I am sure lively discussion will ensue.
"There are many savages in the world...I don't think color of skin or culture made much of a distinction."
What part of my post implied that I thought savagery was exclusive to the Indians?
The words I posted were those of a contemporary observer, John Lawson.
He actually experienced the things described. We didn't.
FWIW, he was pretty friendly to the natives when compared with some contemporaries.
Yes, my ancestors are responsible for horrible things, too... on both sides.
My mom is part Cherokee but I don't know how much.
My dad's family has been here since Jamestown, ca.1623.
I am not so shallow as to think that anything regarding this issue is black or white... more like shades of gray.
No one is blameless in this.
American, British, American Indian, French, Japanese, German...
All cultures have things they are ashamed of, or at least should be.
I believe this definitely includes America's treatment of the native Indians.
However, they were not all the gentle natives that historical revisionists would have us believe.
Anyone who says otherwise is being totally disingenuous.
There are plenty of other people on this thread that you should take greater issue with than me.
Take a look.
FRegards.
CD