Salem Witch Trials Vs Guantanamo Bay Essay

Innocence As puritans back in 1692 and prisoners at Guantanamo Bay since 2002, there is always going to be changes just as well as similarities. One could say that Guantanamo Bay and the legal process/human rights aspects of the Salem witch trials are insanely similar but very different. They are right-there are many similarities and difference between the two. Guantanamo Bay is a detention camp to keep prisoners that are supposedly linked to terrorism held captive while they are caught during war. Now, for the Salem witch trials puritans were all about God and making sure that if you are not with God you are with the Devil. Although there are many similarities between Guantanamo Bay and the legal process/human rights aspects of the Salem witch trials; there are also differences between the two that are very interesting.

To begin, The Crucible and legal process/human rights aspects of the Salem witch trials are similar because they both wrongly convicted citizens, tortured them, and had judges that just wanted power. Villagers from The Crucible would be accused of witchcraft and be thrown right in jail even if there was no evidence. For example, in The Crucible Abigail
Williams accused Elizabeth Proctor of witchcraft by lying and stating that the doll was hers. The doll had a needle in the stomach and since Abigail already knew that because it was for her, she put a needle in hers and said it was Elizabeth’s voo doo doll. "She thinks to dance with me on my wife's grave! And well she might, for I thought of her softly. God help me, I lusted, and there is a promise in such sweat. But it is a whore's vengeance, and you must see it” (Act 3; Pg 189) is an example of how Elizabeth was falsely accused of Abigail and shows how she was jealous of her and thought John wanted to be with her when he did not. On the other hand, Guantanamo Bay also falsely accused citizens of terrorism and never had to have evidence to show for the accusations. “For seven of them(years), I was held there without explanation or charge…. Five months later, Judge Richard J. Leon, of the Federal District Court in Washington, reviewed all of the reasons offered to justify my imprisonment, including secret information I never saw or heard.”(My Guantanamo Nightmare), this shows that Boumediene was wrongly convicted and should have never gone to jail because he never knew what he was charged with, yet they still imprisoned him. Secondly, both Guantanamo Bay and the legal process/human rights aspects of the Salem witch trials tortured the accused so they would confess. Guantanamo Bay tortured their prisoners and it was much worse than The Crucible as one can see, Rayner states, “He had been abducted by some arm of some government in the United Arab Emirates in January 2003 and subjected to brutal torture, including confinement in a dark cell the size of a grave, prolonged shackling, nudity with cold air blasting, beatings, and sexual abuse”(Captured, Tortured). Just by reading what was done to these poor innocent people, it’s clear that this is unjust. During The Crucible, Giles Corey was accused of witchcraft and he would not confess. With him not confessing that lead to the court making a decision to press him to death unless he confesses during his torture. Even though he is being brutally tortured from the heavy stones on top of him, the only words he speaks is when he says, “More weight”(Act 4; Pg 186). Giles Corey shows that he has a lot of character by that comment; he wants his family to be able to keep their possessions so he had to do what he had to do. Guantanamo Bay tortured prisoners just like in the Salem witch trials for The Crucible. Lastly, the judges in Guantanamo Bay wanted Power just like the judges in The Crucible did. For example, the judges would do anything just have power, and what they do is execute and imprison innocent people. Whether it’s the judges or the government, both will do anything to prove they are the ones in charge.

On the other hand, there are many differences between Guantanamo Bay and the legal process/human rights aspects of the Salem witch trial. The law states that we are all innocent until proven guilty. Well, that is only true for now-a-days during the 21st century - since back then during 1692 in The Crucible when someone was accused of a crime they so called “witnessed”, they did not have to have any real evidence, the evidence they allowed was spectral, such as someone’s word or vision. One could accuse another with no real evidence out of vengeance from personal issues and they would be hung. Prisoners of Guantanamo Bay would also be accused with no evidence but it’s not like The Crucible. While the characters in The Crucible were able to have an actual court trial, Guantanamo Bay prisoners were not. Characters in The Crucible were able to testify and provide a testament to show for evidence why they mustn’t be accused, and the prisoners at Guantanamo weren’t able to prove themselves. As one in The Crucible could have a trial, this shows that the prisoners did not, “Curiously, no court records of the trials themselves have survived, though transcripts of some preliminary hearings, as well as related documents like indictments and confessions, remain”(Madness in Massachusetts). This proves that the government was unlawful and did not give them the trial they deserved-they weren’t even given a chance to prove themselves not guilty. One can see that there were many similarities, but the differences are much more of a big deal even if there isn’t as many. As a result, one can see that there are many similarities and differences between Guantanamo Bay and the legal process/human rights aspects of the Salem witch trials.
They both convey that they are unfair and unlawful. One must see that Guantanamo Bay and the Salem witch trials are very much alike, but also very different. As has been noted, both executed and imprisoned innocent people and that must be looked over and changed. Guantanamo is still a up and running detention camp that must be shut down. There has been presidents stating that they will close it but still to this day they have not. If one can only see how much they are alike and how situations back then still apply to today during the 21st century, they will make it important and be able to prove that this is wrong and
unjust.