During the Cold War, people were afraid of communists, both outside and inside the United States. The Red Scare and McCarthyism
that grew out of these fears was damaging to the American way of life. During the McCarthy years, many of the freedoms guaranteed in the Bill of Rights were limited. Write a paragraph explaining what lessons can be learned from the McCarthy era about what U.S. citizens need to protect in order to preserve the democratic political system and American way of life.
The lessons that can be learned from the McCarthy era have to do mainly with freedom of speech and the rights that people should have when they are being accused of something.
Joseph McCarthy was an American senator who prosecuted many individuals because of their supposed ties with communists, spying for the Russians or any other kind of danger they could represent for USA and its people during the Cold War.
Because of this, many people were unfairly imprisoned, questioned, and their lives ruined. It's very important to avoid repeating these mistakes, as all citizens should be able to express themselves freely and have the right to defend themselves from false accusations.
Following World War 2, as the Cold War developed and the Soviet Union was gathering allies, there was much fear -- and fear-mongering -- in the United States about the threat of communism. This time period, from the late 1940s to late 1950s, is known as the Second Red Scare. This was when the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) was created and when Senator Joseph McCarthy began a campaign of accusations against suspected communists in various sectors of American life. During the Second Red Scare, many people were targeted -- including especially those in the entertainment industry, journalism, and in government and the military. The lessons learned from the McCarthy era showed that the freedoms guaranteed in the Bill of Rights must be vigorously defended. If individual's rights to freedom of speech and freedom of association are called into question, and due process of law is not followed, everything America stands for can come under attack.
A good film you might look for on the subject of McCarthy's fear campaign and how it was overcome is the 2005 movie, "Good Night and Good Luck." The film shows the efforts of journalist Edward R. Murrow to battle against McCarthy's excesses and unfounded accusations. It was especially through the efforts of Murrow that McCarthy's excessive actions were stopped.
