Guilty Until Proven Innocent

House
English 101
24 October 2005
Guilty Until Proven Innocent
During times of crisis, Americans have a tendency of giving up their rights. This giving up makes individuals vulnerable and gullible. In society today, there is a new controversy brought out by the Bush Administration. This controversy is known as the Patriot Act. Many see this as a new phenomenon of assumption and injustice. Throughout history, the courts make people prove their own innocence instead of someone proving them guilty. This same ideology has taken place in American History since settlement back in the 1600’s.
In 1682, the residents of the Salem Village were Puritans. Puritans believed in witchcraft and thought of it as a sin because “it denied God’s superiority, and a crime because the witch could call up the Devil in his/her shape to perform cruel acts against others” (Sutter 1). Being convicted of witchcraft resulted in the death penalty, which at this time was to be hanged. A group of seven, young, teenage girls caused a mass hysteria in the Salem Village during the spring and summer of 1962. They twisted “into grotesque poses, fell down into frozen postures, and complained of biting and pinching sensations” during what is now known as the Salem Witch Trials (Linder 1). At the end of the Salem witch trials, nineteen people were hanged, one was pressed, thirteen died in prison, and a total of one hundred forty people were accused of witchcraft (Sutter 2).
One of the Salem Witch Trial victims was an educated man. He was a 1670 graduate of Harvard College. He was also a generous man. In 1683, he gave one hundred fifty acres of his land back to the city of Wells because of the increasing population. His name: George Burroughs. George Burroughs, a minister from Maine, had moved to Salem Village in 1680. His wife died after only a year of living in Salem. Due to disputes over salary and disputes with residents, Burroughs only lived in Salem for two years before leaving the city. After his departure, many had accused George of being a wizard. On May 4, Burroughs was in the city of Wells when “he was seized, taken from the table while eating, and hauled back to Salem” for his trial (George Burroughs 1). During his trial, he was referred to as the leader of the witches. He was accused of distributing magical dolls, temptation, being Satan’s personal representative, mistreatment of his wives, and of superhuman strength.
Burroughs was left to prove his innocence. On August 7, Burroughs was carted to the gallows. Thirty two respectable residents signed a petition on favor of Burroughs. One accuser “recanted her accusation as groundless and made out of fear” (George Burroughs 1). Perhaps the most surprising and controversial proof of his innocence took place right before he was hanged. What he did as he awaited the noose was known to be impossible for a wizard to do. He proclaimed his innocence and recited “the Lord’s Prayer without hesitation or error” (George Burroughs 1). He was hanged regardless.
Nearly 260 years after the Salem Witch Trials, the Cold War began. The Cold War frightened Americans of communism. Senator Joseph McCarthy led the anti-communism brigade. The HUAC, House of Un-American Activities Committee, investigated people who were suspected of being unpatriotic and was said to “be the best vehicle to discover if people were trying to overthrow the government” (McCarthyism). People who were suspected of being a communist were blacklisted. Blacklisted people were usually fired from their jobs and found it hard to find new jobs. Many celebrities and writers were placed on the list. Being on the list took away many privileges and protections. By June, 1950, Vince Harnett and the FBI published Red Channels. Red Channels was “a pamphlet listing the names of 151 writers, directors and performers” accused of being in the American Communist Party (McCarthyism).
One of the first groups to be accused of un-American activities was known as the “Hollywood Ten”. The Hollywood Ten consisted of: Herbert Biberman, Lester Cole, Albert Maltz, Adrian Scott, Samuel Ornitz, Dalton Trumbo, Edward Dmytryk, Ring Larder Jr., John Howard Lawson and Alvah Bessie. When questioned by the HUAC, they all refused to answer any questions because “they claimed the the 1st Amendment of the United States Constitution gave them the right to do this” (McCarthyism). Each one of the Hollywood Ten was sentenced to six to twelve months for contempt.
Anyone who “refused to name names” was added to the blacklist. In October of 1949, the HUAC decided to use the Alien Registration Act. Due to this, over forty six people were arrested and charged over the next two years. Their crime was “advocating the overthrow of the government.” McCarthy also, eventually, blacklisted 57 State Department people. Most of the people accused of being communists weren’t communists at all. They were actually fascists, alcoholics and sexual deviants... which McCarthy himself could have been guilty of (McCarthyism).
The date was September 11, 2001. The sky was blue and it was the perfect fall temperature. Students had just begun school that week. It was early morning when tragedy struck in New York City. The World Trade Center had been hit by a plane. It was assumed an accident until another plane flew right into the second building of the World Trade Center. America was under attack. Two more planes crashed that day: one into the Pentagon and another into a field in Pennsylvania. The World Trade Center buildings crumbled to the floor, placing New York City under a coat of smoke, dust and debris. Following this attack, President George W. Bush, with the help of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, passed the Patriot Act. Many embraced the Patriot Act because it meant safety. The fact of the matter is, there was an attack on American soil and the American people wanted to be as safe as possible. So if the Patriot Act enforced safety, what could be wrong with it? The answer is that it violates the constitution. All a person has to do is call in and report what they believe to be suspicious acts and the government steps in. Nobody is safe from the Patriot Act.
Steve Kurtz was an Art professor at the Art University at Buffalo. On the morning of May 11, 2004, his wife died of cardiac arrest. The medical team felt suspicious of the death because of age and how it was an unexpected death. They also grew suspicious of the chemical lab, which was obviously visible in the house. Kurtz was actually not only an artist, but a biological artist. Due to their suspicion, they notified the FBI. The FBI closed Kurtz’s street for total evaluation of the premises. Everyone tried to connect Mrs. Kurtz’s death to the biological equipment and also tried to find evidence that Kurtz was planning an attack on America. This was all allowed because of the Patriot Act.
Federal Agents had no probable cause to for a search and Kurtz never committed a crime. The only response the FBI gave was that the death looked suspicious. This was after the autopsy results. The case is still continuing, but if convicted Kurtz could face up to 20 years in prison (Hirsch 1).
Wars and other social events make Americans unite. During the 1600’s, religion united them. In the mid 1900’s, they had successfully won the Second World War but were frightened by the Russians. In the early 2000’s, there was an attack on American soil. All of these events united Americans and continuously made America stronger than before. When the country is strong, leaders can control the minds of the citizens into believing whatever they say. This leads to false accusations and lack of consistent law. People simply end p having to do the nearly impossible… proving their innocence. "The whole history of the world is summed up in the fact that, when nations are strong, they are not always just” stated Winston Churchill (Thinkexist.com).


Works Citied
George Burroughs. University if Missouri-Kansas City School of Law. 17, Oct. 2005
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Hirsch, Robert. “The Strange Case of Steve Kurtz: Critical Art Ensemble & the Price of
Freedom.” Afterimage. May/June 2005, Vol. 32 Issue 6, p22-32. EBSCOhost.
24, Oct. 2005 17218502>.
Linder, Douglas. An Account of Events in Salem. University of Missouri-Kansas City
School of Law. 16, Oct. 2005 /salem/SAL_ACCT.HTM>.
McCarthyism. Spartacus Educational. 19, Oct. 2005 co.uk/USAmccarthyism.htm>.
Sutter, Tom. Salem Witchcraft. The Salem Witch Trials. 15, Oct. 2005 salemwitchtrials.com/salemwitchcraft.html>.
Sutter, Tom. Salem Witch Trials FAQs. The Salem Witch Trials. 18, Oct. 2005
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Thinkexist.com. 24, Oct. 2005 history_of_the_world_is_summed_up_in/15844.html>.