One great similarity between the two trials is the fact that judgments upon people were made based upon faith. For, in many ways, there are similarities between chauvinistic patriotism and religious faith. Both draw upon the fear of protecting one's beliefs.
While both of these issues have been resolved, there remain vestiges of the threat to faiths that these trials engendered. There is yet in this country a fearful need to protect certain beliefs. Witness the prohibition of evolution being taught as scientifically based to this day in schools in states such as Alabama, for instance, where it is presented briefly as theory only. In Texas some years ago, Mel and Norma Gabler and their organization, Educational Research Analysts, campaigned to have any mention of evolution expunged from state textbooks. To this day, large publishing companies issue texts that have been reviewed by liberal states such as California and conservative states such as Texas.
Likewise, to this day, also, there are long lists of people considered as suspicious by the FBI. In fact, only a couple of days ago, a major network that has a morning show had one of the prominent journalists mention the large number of suspects on the FBI's list of possible terrorists. Are these people really a threat? Who knows, just as who knew for sure whether certain people were communists, or whether they posed a threat to the safety of others in this country.
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