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I see red people... Mr. Rogers.
Bill Cosby. Betty White.
Imagine living in a time when trusted public figures were being lambasted for their political
views...
In mid-20th century America,
That's how things rolled. Senator Joseph McCarthy accused thousands
of Americans of being Communists and painted them as public villains.
Communists were seen as our mortal enemies.
You know the Darth Vader Flavor
This Anti-Communist hysteria infiltrated all parts of American life.
Americans feared that anyone could be the evil hated Communist.
Was he or wasn't he? The mailman?
The neighbors?
The bagel delivery boy?
Anyone who seemed at all un-American,
As McCarthy called it,
Was McCarthy created the House Un-American Activities
Committee and the Hollywood blacklist,
It targeted citizens, politicians and celebrities who he claimed were Communist threats to the
nation. Many of these assertions were pure speculation,
And many people he put on trial were convicted with false evidence.
Alleged Communists were often alienated from their community,
Fired from their jobs,
Or even sent to jail. The FBI was encouraged to illegally tap phones,
Intercept mail
And break into houses in pursuit of the evil Commies.
The thought police The overwhelming majority of these threats
turned out to be untrue.
Congress ultimately criticized McCarthy for his illegal and unconstitutional actions.
And like all simple villains, he just faded away.
So was McCarthy's witch-hunt of Communists wrong or right?
Do some rules have to be broken,
Some lies told,
And some lives ruined,
In order to make sure the country
Is safe?
Or were the Committee's actions illegal and wrong no matter what?
Betty White the *** wants you to Shmoop amongst yourselves,
We promise she's not a Communist spy.