The joy of killing! the joy of seeing killing done--these are traits of the human race at large. We white people are merely modified Thugs; Thugs fretting under the restraints of a not very thick skin of civilization; Thugs who long ago enjoyed the slaughter of the Roman arena, and later the burning of doubtful Christians by authentic Christians in the public squares, and who now, with the Thugs of Spain and Nimes, flock to enjoy the blood and misery of the bull-ring. We have no tourists of either sex or any religion who are able to resist the delights of the bull-ring when opportunity offers; and we are gentle Thugs in the hunting-season, and love to chase a tame rabbit and kill it. Still, we have made some progress--microscopic, and in truth scarcely worth mentioning, and certainly nothing to be proud of--still it is progress: we no longer take pleasure in slaughtering or burning helpless men. We have reached a little altitude where we may look down upon the Indian Thugs with a complacent shudder; and we may even hope for a day, many centuries hence, when our posterity will look down upon us in the same way.
- Following the Equator
Samuel Clemens, the Great Mark Twain
Most people have forgotten the man born Samuel Clemens, who became the revered preacher of truth, Mark Twain. Even worse, those who have barely heard of him think of him as a backwoods bigot. Nothing could be further from the truth. So much can be learned from this outspoken, scholarly man of the world. Following, you will find a barrage of quotes, which we don't expect you to read, but we hope that you do. May all gods ever invented bless The Great Mark Twain.
