McCarthyism and the Red Scare are quite possibly the most depressing and disappointing times in terms of our political history. In a time fueled by fear of the threat of communism, Republican politicians used this fear to target the Democratic Party by accusing them of being Communist sympathizers and any and all liberal propositions for labor rights or social welfare programs as being Communist and anti-American.
They would blacklist suspects, political rivals or anyone who did not agree with their ideals and forced them to attend congressional hearings that would be publicized on every form of mass communication they had. Papers, radios, movies and the latest technological innovation at the time, television would blast propaganda against communism and the left.
People tried by these hearings would be ruined, their reputation tarnished, and many would lose their business and way of life because they attended these 20th century witch trials.
The famous American author Mark Twain had a saying about history: “History doesn’t always repeat, but it sure does rhyme.”
There is indeed a new modern McCarthyism that has taken the nation by storm, but instead of communism and conservative values, it has been replaced by the Democratic Party and political correctness. Liberals have found there own “magic word” to scare the opposition into silence and hiding.
The word is bigot. Every time I see MSNBC or Democrats like Bill Maher talk about social issues such as race relations, gun control or gay marriage, it is impossible not to notice how they will condemn the people who oppose the Democratic stance with words like intolerant, backward, racist, sexist or even bigot, regardless of their reasoning.
Some go as far to condemn religion, something that people hold dear and helps bring out the best in people, as being intolerant or hateful without even knowing the history behind it.
In a media that is biased towards the Democratic Party and constantly ridicules the opposition with interviews and shows that are slanted to criticize the guest who opposes the left’s viewpoint, such a thing is no different than the congressional trials that occurred little more than 60 years ago.
Indeed, history does rhyme, as the Democratic Party is bullying the opposition into silence just as the Republican Party did less than a century ago.
Now, I am a conservative, but I am not going to condemn the Democrats for something my own party is equally guilty of.
This is an issue that transcends party boundaries and penetrates deep into the human condition, regardless of race, creed, nationality or gender.
All I will say is this: before you listen to some commentator or watch some news program that is known for a fact to be biased, just think, is what they say the truth?
Until man eventually comes to a point where he can respect a differing opinion without name-calling and bullying, man is destined to make this same mistake time and again.
Nick Chavez is an undeclared freshman and a contributing writer for the Daily 49er.