Witch Trials in the 21st Century - Essay Example

Witch Trials in the 21st Century Witch trials in the new colonies of America were not a unique phenomenon in world history but the events of 1692 in Salem Massachusetts differed in scope and circumstances from in Europe, the origin of the practice. As compared to the thousands of executions that occurred in 16th through 18th century Europe, the trials in Salem resulted in 146 arrests and 19 people being put to death.  The death toll included 18 women, one man and two dogs that were “hanged for giving young girls the ‘evil eye.’” (Schensu, 1992). This brief and distasteful period of American history was initiated when a group of girls started to act peculiarly. Whether they were somehow ill or the group of friends had decided to play a prank is not confirmable but their convulsive, seemingly synchronized actions sent a wave of panic through the overtly religious citizens of Salem who thought their town was being influenced by evil supernatural forces. In many ways, the concepts of hyper-surveillance, restriction of speech, protection from seizure and the right to a fair trial are being repeated today under the banner of the PATRIOT Act, particularly when it comes to a question of people of Arab descent. In the case of the Salem trials, environmental and religious factors acted as the match that lit the fuse of lawlessness that existed in the colonies at that time. The citizens of New England had previously abided by the rule of law according to the Massachusetts Magna Charta. In 1684, the charter was voided by the English Court at Chancery thereby dissolving the government in Massachusetts (Hilkey, 1910: 160). Additionally, an epidemic of small pox had infiltrated the region and its citizens were in constant conflict with Native American tribes. These conditions along with social transformations regarding Puritan principles exacerbated the existing sentiments of suspicion and fear. The eruption of hysteria concerning witches was brought about by these varying factors in combination with each other although none of which taken separately would have caused this action which became justified when couched in religious terms. Puritans were very fervent in their objective of creating and maintaining a spiritually uncontaminated commonwealth and they responded unsympathetically against whatever would, in their perspective, threaten this objective. In this quest for spiritual righteousness and spiritual purity, they exhibited no tolerance for those believed to be witches (Godbeer, 1994: 30). The depth of which the hysteria that infected Salem citizens enough to kill innocent people shows the depth of supernatural belief that permeated the collective conscience of the Puritan colonists. “The religion of the colonists was infused with ancient attitudes and practices, some indeed so old as to antedate the rise of Christianity” (Hall, 1989: 99). Paranoia was the order of the day especially amongst the women. Neighbors were constantly on the alert for unusual or less than Christian behaviors. Most of these people had known each other all their lives and tensions ran high when one accused another of witchcraft. In general terms, however, several similar characteristics applied to most suspects (Demos, 1982: 93). Women comprised 80 percent of those believed to be witches, several of them either older widows, strong personalities or herbal healers. The accused men were somehow related to those women who had been accused whether a relative or the defender of the supposed witch (Gragg, 1992: 25). Moving into the modern era and the official separation of church and state, the PATRIOT Act has replaced Salem’s courts. As many citizens and legal experts alike have argued, this act violates the fundamental rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution’s first ten amendments, the Bill of Rights (Savage, 2006). This includes the freedom of speech and assembly (First Amendment); the freedom from unreasonable search and seizure (Fourth Amendment); the right to due process of law (Fifth Amendment); the right to a speedy, public and fair trial along with the right to counsel and to confront the accuser, (Sixth Amendment), the freedom from cruel and unusual punishment (Eighth Amendment) and freedom from punishment without conviction (13th Amendment). In other words, it reduces the accused to the level of the defenseless women of late-1600s Salem. One of the most obvious tactics in the ‘War on Terror’ and the PATRIOT Act is the widespread use of racial profiling regarding people of Arab descent. Racial profiling is described as the use of race, ethnicity, religion and even color of skin by law enforcement officials to determine which persons are more probable to commit a crime such as terrorism. The term ‘War on Terror’ has been continually invoked to justify breaches of the Constitution as well as the basic civil liberties of citizens and foreigners alike. The invocation of this phrase has repeatedly prohibited rational discussions regarding civil injustices such as profiling individuals based on their race. Therefore racial profiling has continued unabated since September 11, 2001. The not-so-subtle insinuation is that “one cannot condemn racial profiling because to do so will hinder the war on terrorism and undermine national security” (McDonald, 2001). The popularly stated position is that racial profiling is necessary because not using this tool of law enforcement would compromise the effort against terrorism thus sacrificing national security. This argument is fundamentally flawed because it erroneously presupposes that racial profiling an essential element of this emotion-evoking endeavor. However, the reverse is accurate. Profiling, as a tactic employed by law enforcement, redirects important assets, estranges and enrages prospective allies and, most importantly, is contradictory with the uniquely American concept of equality and freedom. “Racial profiling in any manifestation is a flawed law enforcement tactic that is in direct conflict with constitutional values” (McDonald, 2001). It is important at this point to note that feelings of mistrust and suspicion aimed at Arabs or Muslims as well as blacks or Hispanics with regard to racial profiling by law enforcement officials is infrequently motivated because of blatant racism. Instead, the motivation stems from the anxiety and uncertainty surrounding the 9/11 attacks and the fear of future terrorist actions, a widespread phobia which has been fueled by a federal government so as to further its own agenda. Though congressmen did not fully realize what they were passing in the rush to give the appearance of action in the wake of the 2001 terrorist attacks, they have had ample opportunity to examine the law since that time. These legislators and those in the Bush Administration which initially proposed the Act certainly must realize that, though they justify it in the name of national security, the Act impedes the freedoms that many have sacrificed their lives to protect. This is clear in the way in which the act has served to reintroduce the kind of ‘justice’ prevalent in the nation’s early history. However, many citizens have been scared by the threat of terrorism to the point that they are willing to give up liberty for security, a sad testament to the legacy of the founding fathers. References Demos, John. (1982). Entertaining Satan. Witchcraft and the Culture of Early New England. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Godbeer, Richard. (1994). The Devil’s Dominion: Magic and Religion in Early New England. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Gragg, Larry. (1992). The Salem Witch Crisis. New York; Westport, Connecticut; London: Praeger. Hall, David H. (1989). Worlds of Wonders, Days of Judgment: Popular Religious Belief in Early New England. New York: Knopf. Hilkey, Charles, J. (1910). “Legal Development in Colonial Massachusetts 1630-1686.” Columbia Universities Studies in History, Economics, and Public Law. Vol. 37, No. 160. MacDonald, Heather. (December 31, 2001). “The War on the Police … and How it Harms the War on Terrorism.” Supra. Vol. 7, I. 16. Available December 10, 2009 from Savage, Charlie. (April 30, 2006). “Bush Challenges Hundreds of Laws.” The Boston Globe. Retrieved December 10, 2009 from Schensul, Jill. (August 30, 1992). “New England’s Old Witches, Old Riches.” The Record. Bergen County, NJ. Read More