The Crucible: Witch Hunts Still Exist

When Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible he wanted to teach America a lesson. He wanted to show that bad things can occur when people let fear control them. He wrote, "The witch-hunt was a perverse manifestation of the panic which set in among all classes when the balance began to turn toward greater individual freedom." (Miller 7) Miller is warning Americans that they tend to persecute others when they are afraid. Unfortunately, America did not learn the lesson portrayed by Miller. After the events of September 11, 2001, negative attitudes were heavily directed to people of Middle Eastern background. This helps to show how "witch hunts," like those of colonial Salem, still exist in the modern world.

The attacks of 9/11 resulted in thousands of deaths and struck fear into the American population. People have the right to be afraid but once it was discovered that the attackers were of Islamic background, the fear was not of terrorism, but of all Muslims. A witch hunt to demonize Muslims was launched in America. Professor Michel Chossudovsky writes, “The objective is to sustain the illusion that America is under attack and that Muslims across the land are complicit and supportive of ‘Islamic terrorism’. The demonization of Muslims sustains a global military agenda. Under the American Inquisition, Washington has a self-proclaimed holy mandate to extirpate Islam and ‘spread democracy’ throughout the world.” (Ross) Demonizing Muslims is making Muslims seem "unhuman" and that they are only evil beings that must be eliminated. Anyone of Middle Eastern background may be instantly labeled as a terrorist. What happened was mass stereotyping of the entire Muslim population. The professor also says, "Muslims are… considered a potential threat to national security. The threat is said to be ‘much closer to home’, ‘within your neighborhood’. In other words what is unfolding is an all-out witch-hunt reminiscent of the Spanish Inquisition.” (Ross) Considering Muslims as threats to security helps to show how innocent people were easily targeted. Some believe that Muslims should no longer be allowed to enter the country. Charlie Marzka says, "I think that we should definitely disallow any Muslims from coming in. Any of them. The reason is simple: we can't identify what their attitude is." (Diamond) People were scared for their security after 9/11 and innocent Muslims were targeted by the American public and labeled as threats. This practice still manifests today.

Not everyone believes that Muslims were "witch-hunted" by the American public, however. Creating a stereotype does not necessarily cause harm to someone physically. Americans are innocent in being afraid after the deaths of thousands. The problem with this statement is that these innocent fears evolved into insidious acts of violence. Rosalyn Schroeder writes, "Last year’s massacre of six people participating