Guilty until proven Guilty until proven innocent?innocent?

By:By:

The Salem Witch TrialsThe Salem Witch Trials

CausesCauses Unexplainable Unexplainable

events lead people events lead people to feel God is to feel God is punishing them.punishing them.

People begin using People begin using the witch trials as a the witch trials as a scapegoat for scapegoat for vengeance.vengeance.

EffectsEffects People begin to People begin to

think of witchcraft think of witchcraft as a reason for as a reason for God’s wrathGod’s wrath

Many people are Many people are tried in the courts tried in the courts due to the vengeful due to the vengeful accusations. accusations.

Steps Of PreventionSteps Of Prevention(Salem Witch Trials)(Salem Witch Trials)

The people of Salem should not have The people of Salem should not have been so hasty as to the reasons to been so hasty as to the reasons to small pox and other things that small pox and other things that created the town’s anxietycreated the town’s anxiety

Left more room for people to prove Left more room for people to prove innocence and not let it get to a point innocence and not let it get to a point where accusations were vengeful and where accusations were vengeful and not gestures safety and concernnot gestures safety and concern

McCarthyismMcCarthyism

CausesCauses During WWII During WWII

people began to people began to fear Communist fear Communist expansion.expansion.

EffectsEffects Gave McCarthy the Gave McCarthy the

ability to feed off of ability to feed off of peoples fears.peoples fears.

Steps Of PreventionSteps Of Prevention(McCarthyism)(McCarthyism)

Control the strength and ideas of Control the strength and ideas of politicians during a time of war.politicians during a time of war.

Control the state of alarm within the Control the state of alarm within the country and control public panic.country and control public panic.

Stick to original rights, established in Stick to original rights, established in The Constitution, of citizens no The Constitution, of citizens no matter what the circumstances (ex. If matter what the circumstances (ex. If you are at war with a country, don’t you are at war with a country, don’t discriminate people of that descent).discriminate people of that descent).

Related Accusations Related Accusations And EventsAnd Events

1)The Holocaust 1)The HolocaustCausesCauses Adolph Hitler Adolph Hitler

attacks Jewish attacks Jewish peoples and other peoples and other Non-Aryan peoples.Non-Aryan peoples.

A fire is set that A fire is set that elects Hitler into elects Hitler into power with power with emergency powers.emergency powers.

EffectsEffects Aryan peoples Aryan peoples

began to feel began to feel superiority over superiority over other races.other races.

Nazis gain power in Nazis gain power in the German the German govern-mentgovern-ment

Steps Of PreventionSteps Of Prevention(The Holocaust)(The Holocaust)

Maintained a state of Governmental Maintained a state of Governmental awareness in the country.awareness in the country.

Take more than one candidate for Take more than one candidate for election of emergency powers. election of emergency powers.

Related Accusations Related Accusations And EventsAnd Events 2) Iraqi War 2) Iraqi War

CausesCauses 9/11 causes 9/11 causes

American panic.American panic.

Iraq is said to have Iraq is said to have “Weapons of Mass “Weapons of Mass Destruction.”Destruction.”

EffectsEffects America goes to America goes to

Afghanistan in Afghanistan in response to response to terrorist attack.terrorist attack.

War begins in Iraq War begins in Iraq when no weapons when no weapons are proved to exist.are proved to exist.

America still in America still in Iraq.Iraq.

Steps Of PreventionSteps Of Prevention(The Iraqi War)(The Iraqi War)

Have hard proof of your accusations Have hard proof of your accusations before you act on them.before you act on them.

Do not act against a country under Do not act against a country under pressure due to, for example, a pressure due to, for example, a terrorist attack.terrorist attack.

EditorialEditorial

Throughout history people have been persecuted Throughout history people have been persecuted and accused of committing crimes without necessarily and accused of committing crimes without necessarily being guilty. For Example, In the Salem witch trials innocent being guilty. For Example, In the Salem witch trials innocent people were accused of witchcraft, during the period of people were accused of witchcraft, during the period of McCarthyism people were accused of being communists, McCarthyism people were accused of being communists, and during World War II people of the Jewish religion and and during World War II people of the Jewish religion and others were oppressed and tormented by Hitler and many others were oppressed and tormented by Hitler and many Germans. Also, The U.S. declared war on Iraq because of Germans. Also, The U.S. declared war on Iraq because of weapons of mass destruction. The result of all these events weapons of mass destruction. The result of all these events ended with the persecution of many people. Though many ended with the persecution of many people. Though many of them might have been innocent, because of religious of them might have been innocent, because of religious morals, laws and the form of government in each of these morals, laws and the form of government in each of these places, not much could have been done to save them and places, not much could have been done to save them and protect them from such harm, but something could have protect them from such harm, but something could have been done nonetheless.    been done nonetheless.    

Editorial (Continued)Editorial (Continued)The Salem witch trials took place in Salem, Massachusetts.

During the late 1600’s the Puritan religion was dominant. Puritanism established a government based on strict religious morals. People were expected to attend church regularly and had to follow a certain lifestyle. Puritans believed that all sins from sleeping in a church to stealing food should be punished and that God would punish such sinful behavior. Witchcraft was one of the greatest crimes a person could commit, punishable by death. Certain factors such as conflict between Salem town and Salem village, surviving the small pox epidemic, and having fear of being attacked by Native Americans caused chaos, confusion and fear amongst the Salem people. The suspicions of witchcraft began when the Reverends daughter became very ill. Because there was no cure for her sickness people began to say that she was possessed. A group of girls then began to act in a bizarre behavior and blamed others for their actions. As time proceeded things in Salem became nonsensical and more people were accused of doing witchcraft and having associations with the devil. People who were blamed were known to be “social outcasts” and it made it easier to accuse them without strict evidence. These people were taken to trial and if they did not confess they were hung in front of the towns’ people.

Editorial (Continued)Editorial (Continued)McCarthyism was a time in history when the government McCarthyism was a time in history when the government

resorted to extreme measures to suppress Americans who had resorted to extreme measures to suppress Americans who had different political ideas. McCarthy and his followers created fear different political ideas. McCarthy and his followers created fear and suspicion, conducting “witch hunts” and accusing people of and suspicion, conducting “witch hunts” and accusing people of being communists. Like the Salem witch trials many people were being communists. Like the Salem witch trials many people were blacklisted without proper evidence. Due to communist expansion blacklisted without proper evidence. Due to communist expansion in places such as Russia, Americans feared the spread of in places such as Russia, Americans feared the spread of communism on their own front lawns. This only feed McCarthy’s communism on their own front lawns. This only feed McCarthy’s claims against people being accused of being a communist or a claims against people being accused of being a communist or a communist sympathizer. That’s the thing though; you didn’t have communist sympathizer. That’s the thing though; you didn’t have to be a communist to get targeted. It was all just simple relations to be a communist to get targeted. It was all just simple relations and hollow accusations that gave fuel to McCarthyism. and hollow accusations that gave fuel to McCarthyism.

Other things that happened during WWII other than Other things that happened during WWII other than McCarthyism was the massacre of the Jewish people during the McCarthyism was the massacre of the Jewish people during the Holocaust. German peoples persecuted Jews for “blending” with Holocaust. German peoples persecuted Jews for “blending” with those of “pure race.” To the Germans, pure race was the Aryan those of “pure race.” To the Germans, pure race was the Aryan peoples. Anything that was not completely Aryan was not peoples. Anything that was not completely Aryan was not considered “pure”. The relation between the Salem Witch Trials considered “pure”. The relation between the Salem Witch Trials and the Holocaust is the fact that both involve the death of people and the Holocaust is the fact that both involve the death of people for stupid reasons for stupid reasons

Editorial (Continued)Editorial (Continued)

There is also another current event that has There is also another current event that has to deal with the basis of false accusations; The to deal with the basis of false accusations; The Iraqi war. The U.S. claimed that Iraq had Weapons Iraqi war. The U.S. claimed that Iraq had Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). But did what happen of Mass Destruction (WMD). But did what happen first effect how these false accusations seemed so first effect how these false accusations seemed so true? Think back to September 11th (9/11), when true? Think back to September 11th (9/11), when America went straight to Afghanistan to fight America went straight to Afghanistan to fight against terrorism. For as long as we, the U.S. have against terrorism. For as long as we, the U.S. have been in Afghanistan, we have come up empty been in Afghanistan, we have come up empty handed. Most Americans believed that Iraq had handed. Most Americans believed that Iraq had WMD because it was fighting against terrorism and WMD because it was fighting against terrorism and the universal state of patriotism that was felt and the universal state of patriotism that was felt and shard by most Americans wanted to see something shard by most Americans wanted to see something happen to the ones responsible. We attacked Iraq happen to the ones responsible. We attacked Iraq out of vengeance, just as people did during the out of vengeance, just as people did during the Salem Witch Trials. Salem Witch Trials.

Editorial (Continued)Editorial (Continued) The question still stands unanswered, however. How can we The question still stands unanswered, however. How can we

prevent this from happening ever again? One thing that is prevent this from happening ever again? One thing that is common between all is the way that people are treated guilty until common between all is the way that people are treated guilty until proven innocent. Another way in which this could have been proven innocent. Another way in which this could have been prevented would be in the way that each event opened a window prevented would be in the way that each event opened a window for vengeance against one another. If the window wasn’t so open, for vengeance against one another. If the window wasn’t so open, then there could be less and less false accusations. Another thing then there could be less and less false accusations. Another thing is that every time, there is a state of anxiety among the peoples. is that every time, there is a state of anxiety among the peoples. This causes people to turn to the first answer that popped into This causes people to turn to the first answer that popped into their head to help explain the anxiety. People then will believe their head to help explain the anxiety. People then will believe false accusations if it brings any kind of order to the table. false accusations if it brings any kind of order to the table.

In all, there are very few things that could have been done In all, there are very few things that could have been done to prevent the Salem Witch Trials and other “witch-hunts.” One to prevent the Salem Witch Trials and other “witch-hunts.” One would be following the constitution of the United States, in which would be following the constitution of the United States, in which people are given their rights and are innocent until proven guilty. people are given their rights and are innocent until proven guilty. For the sum of all events, thousands of people died during these For the sum of all events, thousands of people died during these horrid events. Some died due to their race; others died standing horrid events. Some died due to their race; others died standing for what they believe in. for what they believe in.