Is Senator McCarthy a Victim or Victimizer

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Recommended: McCarthyism and its effects

At the turn of the 1950s, there was a fear of communism gripping the hearts of Americans. As the bane of democracy grew internationally, spreading into China in 1949, Americans feared that there were roots of communism within the United States as well. As the years progressed, spies were discovered, and committees were created to keep Communist parties in the United States in check. On February 9, 1950, Senator Joseph McCarthy made a seemingly radical statement, announcing that he possessed the names of hundreds of communists in the government. Through dishonest methods and breaking the law, a paranoid McCarthy established a higher position for himself in the nation, but ruined the reputations and lives of hundreds of people through lies and false evidence. Senator McCarthy was unquestionably not a victim of his time. Primarily, Senator McCarthy was not a victim of his time because he unjustly challenged and broke various laws during the trials. According to Richard Simon of The Los Angeles Times “long-sealed transcripts of closed-door hearings conducted by Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy demonstrated McCarthy’s radical and abrasive approaches” (Simon). For example, in February 1954, an army officer spurned questions of the trials, citing a presidential order “against the disclosure of the army personnel and security records” (Simon). However, McCarthy neglected the presidential order and threatened the officer by stating that if he did not answer the questions, then his case would go to the Senate for contempt of the court. By doing this, McCarthy demonstrated his unwillingness to comply with the law, and it showed his greed for power because he overrode an order from the most powerful political figure in the United States. Furthermor... ... middle of paper ... ... the victim of his time for the reasons stated above. Works Cited Ayers, Edward L. . American Anthem. Austin: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 2007. Print. Bartlett, Charles. "McCarthy, Joseph Raymond." World Book Student. World Book, 2014. Web. 23 Mar. 2014. Kessler, Ronald. The Bureau: The Secret History of the FBI. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2002. Print. "McCarthyism, Red Scare, And Domestic Subversion."DiscoverTheNetworks. DiscoverTheNetworks.org, 14 Feb 2005. Web. 23 Mar 2014. . Nash, George H. The Conservative Intellectual Movement in America since 1945. Wilmington: Basic Books, 2006. Print. Simon, Richard. "Papers Show Sen. McCarthy Was Sizing Up His Victims." . The Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2003. Web. 23 Mar 2014. .

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