Political fear mongering. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Here's the story of Gordon Kahn, as told by his son, Tony. Gordon Kahn was an American author and screenwriter who, during the McCarthy era, was investigated by House Committee on Un-American Activities and was blacklisted, faced imprisonment, and was persecuted for years simply for having "the wrong political ideas".
And here's another great story about the House Committee on Un-American Activities and oppression -
ReplyDeleteOn July 10, the historian Natalie Zemon Davis was one of several people awarded a National Humanities Medal by President Barack Obama.
At the award ceremony, the medal winners were asked to reflect on a “turning point” in their lives, and Davis discussed the support of her husband, Chandler Davis, who courageously sought to challenge the constitutionality of the House Committee on Un-American Activities before the Supreme Court in 1959. (The Court refused to take the case.) After the ceremony, however, Davis found she had a further answer to the question put to her. What follows is that answer.
Reda more at: How the FBI Turned Me On to Rare Books