Our Difference Throughout History

[haena y.]

The Salem witch trials accused innocent people as witches. The people accused were known to be different and because of their difference they were targeted. The Salem Witch Trials started as rumors and ended with many innocent deaths. The foundation of the trials were because of the difference between the accusers and accused.
Today high schools and junior highs are in a way very similar to the Salem witch trials. In some cases, teens start rumors against the people that they do not like or are just different from them. For example, in my class, the teachers mentioned how the trials related to Mean Girls, a movie that displays how different people and groups of students in high school act toward one another. The Puritans that started the witch rumors are like the four girls that started many rumors regarding their teachers and classmates. The rumors in Mean Girls and the Salem witch trials caused emotional and physical pain against the targeted people.
From a more U.S. history perspective, throughout the decades and millennia, there was segregation among the African Americans and Caucasians. As everyone knows, there was a time period in the United States where African American and Caucasian did not mix. The Caucasians looked down upon the African Americans because their skin tone was different. This part of history caused so much discrimination and pain for the African Americans, just like how the "witches" felt pain for being unjustly killed for their differences.
In all, throughout history, one's difference led to various haunting results. In the Salem witch trials people that were not like Puritans were killed off; in Mean Girls rumors were made to destroy another's reputation because of the cliques they were in; in American history the African American's difference in physical features caused discrimination and took away equality amongst all Americans. What are some ways to stop situations like the Salem witch trials, Mean Girls, or the segregation between different races? What are ways we can join to become one (literally)?

[Meghan Byrne]

I read some of these comments and i agree with a lot of them. It was stupid that people back then could be so inconsiderate and just blame people for no reason at all. They accused them and killed them because of a 'He said, She said' moment. I'm glad that now we have an actual government and a jury that actually has some sense.

[megan bryk]

I agree with Lauren, there really is no way to stop this from happening. There should be more blame on the accusers though because like in the witch trials many people were killed due to a rumor some girls told, and they got no punishment. If they did have consequences other people and the girls would have learned a lesson so they wouldn't want to do this in the future.

[Paula Kroll]

Sorry to throw the "gay card" out in this subject, but I feel as if it's my job to do so especially when talking about being "different"

Throughout Jr. High, I noticed the groups and the clicks. I noticed what was cool and what wasn't cool. I noticed who was the loser, and who was made fun of. As a society, we've been known to point out different groups and with out wrinkly old fingers we all point and stare while chanting "they're not one of us."
Being black, or any race, makes you "different" no matter what. It's fact to have difference EVERYWHERE. If we were all the same, we'd be boring and racist.
I'm pointed at as different for being a homosexual. Liking the same gender in this society is frowned upon and not exactly accepted (yet).

Unforchantly, I wish I could just say everyone get along. Yes, we're all different shapes and sizes with different colors and different voices. SO WHAT. Get over yourself. Your "race" is not better than others because of your color or what you've done in society.

I could go on and on about this subject, it's a very close subject to my heart and I have a lot to do with it I believe. It's a problem today and it has been throughout time. I wish the best for society, but sometimes the things we do are just plain stupid.

[Rachel Freund]

I agree with Bridget in the sense that we can not fix every situation. But then again in the trials if it were not for heroes like John Proctor and the others that died for their beliefs, who knows how long they would have gone on for. So, what we can learn from this in the more typical "mean girls" situation is to stand up for what we believe in, to break the norm and branch out.

[Bridget Babcock]

Wow, Lauren you are on a roll. Well at least I get the second comment. I don't think there's just a way to stop all of these situations from happening. It's more of a process. We have to educate ourselves, break free from following the crowd, and teach others that we are all human and deserve each others respect.

[Lauren Olson]

Great blog, I think we can stop these situations by putting more blame on the accusers. In the witch trials, the girls didn't face any consequences for wrongly accusing the "witches". I think the main way people join in these this segregation is by following the crowd and doing what everyone else is. First to comment, win, again.