Let's say that for example, people thought Chris was a bad person and he killed many people. A group of people vote for Chris to be lynched. Race has absolutely nothing to do with this; it's because of Chris's actions. This is the context for the use in question of the word "lynch".
My friend says the term "lynch" is such a racially-loaded term that we should use the word "hanging" instead. He says that the word "lynch" carries specific connotations of racist violence.
Please English experts tell me your insight on this! Is it actually racist or is he going overboard?
Best Answer
Lynch by definition means someone was put to death without a legal process. It usually refers to death by hanging, but not necessarily.
Hang means hang to death by rope, legally or otherwise.
The word "lynch" in the U.S. is often associated with a history of extrajudicial killing of black people, usually by racist organizations like the Ku Klux Klan.
Whether the term "lynch" would be considered racist would depend on the context in which it was used. If the term was referring to a black individual in the U.S., it might be perceived as racially or historically insensitive.
See the Wikipedia page on Lynching in the United States for more information.