Witch-hunts Unavoidable

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The world never seems to learn from its mistakes. Experiences that humanity never wanted to see again are surprisingly still present in today’s society. The Salem Witch Trials of 1693 are one of these experiences. Witch-hunts usually involve moral panic or mass hysteria, and in Salem’s case, the hanging of 19 people (Notes). Unfortunately, witch-hunts are still seen today. They target large masses of innocent people, often times because they fit a certain stereotype. Most of society does not want witch-hunts but personal and society values clash creating a hysteria-filled witch-hunt. The Crucible truly embodies the atmosphere and origin of witch-hunts. It shows that fear, strong beliefs, and greed cause both ancient and modern-day witch-hunts.
Fear is one of life’s greatest motives. It drives us to a point that would not otherwise be reached. Witch-hunts are started and fueled by fear. Fear can be seen in both the individual and society. In the Crucible, the individual feels fear when they are being accused with no good options. We must tell the truth, Abby! You’ll only be whipped for dancin’, and the other things!”(I. 1034) In the face of fear, Abby chose the third option, to accuse someone else. Her fear was the spark for the entire witch-hunt. The fuel was the society’s fear of witches and the devil rumored to be inside them. Together, the witch-hunt was unavoidable. Modern day witch-hunts also occur because of fear. Take the Japanese internment camps for example. After Pearl Harbor, the society was frightened by Japanese-Americans because they might be working with the Japanese. People were scared because their Japanese-American neighbor might attack them at any time. They did not know what Japanese-Americans had in mind. T...

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...ts by accusing them of being communists. The hysteria seen in witch-hunts gives the greedy a great opportunity to abuse the values of society for their own personal gain.
Witch-hunts may never leave society. The cause of witch-hunts and therefore the witch-hunts themselves are unavoidable. Societal and personal values will always clash. Things such as fear, beliefs, and greed cannot be eradicated from our society. As much as we try, there will always be a witch-hunt. The trick is learning how to stand up against witch-hunts. If enough people stand up against witch-hunts, they can be subdued. For example, Martin Luther King took a stand against racial discrimination and he stopped a witch-hunt. The Crucible is a reminder of what our society tries to prevent and people who take a stand will be forever remembered as the hero who prevented or subdued a witch-hunt.

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