Witch hunts in the modern world

A witch hunt is nothing more than the forcing of one’s ideal on another and persecuting those who are not willing to succumb to that ideal. Modern society is filled with examples of persecution for being different from societal norms. A common form of societal finger pointing is what we have come to know as stereotyping. By stereotyping, we automatically assume that the descriptions of what is right is correct, as well as the construct for what is wrong, for a few built the mold for all. In schools, we see the art of stereotyping all too often. The kid with the earring in both ears and not just one is a homosexual. The girls with the hair, nails and clothes done just right are totally sure of themselves and should be emulated. Setting the flashbacks to high school aside, in adulthood, the stereotypes do not get much better. The person that gets ahead must be cheating or sleeping their way to the top. There are numerous other examples in today’s society. For example, all Middle Easterners are terrorists, all fat people are lazy, and all unemployed people are on welfare. Not to mention the age old tale of religious persecution which is really the basis of the trails in The Crucible. For ages, that which is foreign or unknown, especially when it comes to faith, has been a subject regarded with terror and hysteria. Society continues today with the finger pointing and the certainty that those who are different are surely to be damned to hell.