The Salem Witch Trials: An Analysis

“About 139 people have been falsely accused in 2014, and the numbers have increased since,” according to the Huffington Post. When people are thrown into jail, their lives change and they become a different person; additionally, the ones around them also see them differently. Of the many falsely accused people, Brian Banks was a victim of a modern day witch-hunt that changed his life.
Brian Banks was just a normal Long Beach Polytechnic student who had the ability to play football in college (Lowery). Banks was receiving scholarships to go anywhere he pleased because of his size and athletic abilities (Myers). Even though he was receiving numerous scholarships, Southern Cal was his targeted college (Myers). However, everything changed when
Wanetta Gibson, a friend of Banks, accused him of sexual assault (Myers). Banks was sentenced to more than five years in prison and five more on parole for sexual assault (Lowery). Also, all of Banks’s scholarships went out the window when he was transported to prison. While Banks was in prison, Gibson was given $1.5 million by the school district for being sexually assaulted (Lowery). As time went by, Banks served his five years in prison, and eventually was on parole. While on parole, Banks was able to catch Gibson confessing on tape that she never sexually assaulted(Lowrey). Brian Banks was later released and was still able to play in the NFL for the Atlanta Falcons (Myers). As for Gibson, she was sued by the county for all the money she was given, but was not transported to prison (Mellen). “According to the school district, the judgment recoups a $750,000 settlement paid to Gibson and also includes attorney's fees, interest and $1 million in punitive damages,” Greg Mellen, Staff Writer. As for Banks, he was able finally live out his life in peace.
A modern day witch-hunt is when a person is falsely accused of a crime; for example, Brian Banks was falsely accused of sexual assault.
When Banks arrived in court, the judge would not to listen to a word he would have to say because of his appearance (Personal interview with Brian Banks May 25, 2012 ). This modern day witch-hunt is similar to the Salem Witch Trials in the late 1600s. For example, when someone is falsely accused of a crime during the Salem Witch Trials and this particular witch-hunt, nobody is going to listen to a word they have to say; therefore, the accused are going to have to pay the consequences. The Salem Witch Trials also has the accused go to court and plead for their life, and so does this modern-day witch-hunt. These similarities show that the Salem Witch Trials and this particular modern day witch-hunt are similar, because they both demonstrate how they accuse people with no real evidence, and do not listen to a word they have say. In a modern day witch-hunt, there are also many ways that media or technology can have a big impact on the case. For example, when Brian Banks was in jail for sexual assault, a police officer video taped Wanetta Gibson confessing she was never sexually assaulted. This form of technology helped Banks in a tremendous way by releasing him out of
prison.
Modern day witch-hunts affect a person’s life in a big way. They have the people around see them differently, and they can change one’s perspective on life. Brian Banks was a victim of a modern day witch-hunt that changed his life. When Banks was released from prison, he grew into a different person. He started to seeing and appreciating things differently in his life. Many people have been falsely accused, and when they go to prison, they cannot do anything about it. Banks once said that “we live in a world where small minded people have been given big platforms to project toxic into the world (BrianBanksFREE).”People need start giving others a chance to plead for their case, and see both sides of the story before they start judging.