Legitimate Evidence
“Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence”- Carl Sagan. The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, is a play based on the injustice of the ‘Red Scare’. Arthur Miller is one of America’s greatest playwrights and is praised for his moral courage for refusing to name names of Communist Party members before the House Unamerican Activities Committee. Another brave man during the time was Herb Block; who made political cartoons such as “I have here in my hands” and “We now have important evidence”. In both Herb Block’s cartoons and Arthur Miller’s play flawed, faulty and unreasonable evidence is used to accuse and convict many innocent people. Evidence that cannot be seen nor proven should not be legitimate in the court of law. In Herb Block’s Cartoon “I have here in my hand” Senator Joseph McCarthy is holding two pieces of evidence in his hands. In his right hand, he is holding a document
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The people were scared of something, because they were told to be scared of it. Everyone backed the hunts and Abigail’s wild accusations and those who did not were accused. Due to this scare everyone focused on clearing him or herself. The innocent were accused and executed for declaring their innocence. “[A]nd, stuck two inches in the flesh of her belly, he draw a needle out. And demandin’ of her how she come to be so stabbed, she testify it were your wife’s familiar spirit pushed it in”(202). Abigail Williams stabs herself with a pin and plants a poppet in Elizabeth Proctors home with a pin stuck in it. She accuses Elizabeth of using witchcraft to stab her. The court sees this spectical evidence and says it is enough to convict Elizabeth. Just like in Block’s cartoon “Important Evidence” just an accusation with no supported evidence can convict the innocent. Unreasonable evidence is used and justice is not served, but injustice