Mccarthism Essay, Research Paper
Poli Sci 2304
Prof. Linehan
What Senator Joseph McCarthy has taught me about Politics, America and Myself.
Senator Joseph McCarthy was one of the most relentless, ambitious, and strongest anti-Communist Americans America has ever seen. America in the state of panic it was in formed the House Un-American Activities Committee, which was overshadowed by McCarthy alone. His Allegations cost people their job, families, lively hood, and anything that mean anything to them.
Joseph loved his country and the people in it. He viewed communism as a serious threat to Federalism and Capitalism. He used his power in congress to make sure that his way of life did not evaporate over night. His strengths in the political mainstream were unbelievable. For instance McCarthy had the most of the support of both houses that gave him the means and the power to attack and expose the Communist Americans in the country. His list of 200 communists put America in a state of panic. This gave him the power to gain the trust of Americans. They feared him, he could destroy them, because America was scared and he showed them leadership, strength and determination. He was disgusted at the fact that Americans would allow the thought of a communist take over. McCarthy altered the way people thought and showed extreme patriotism. People would think twice of who they could trust and who not to. He really got the ball rolling and got HUAC to really start looking for communist activities. They would check out the people he claimed to be a communist and report their findings. It did not matter if he was right or wrong that person he claimed to have been a communist life was completely ruined for ever.
One of the many ways McCarthy changed America is he told you which citizens were communist or had wanted to have communism in America. Joseph considered citizens disloyal and traitors if they had any affiliation with a communist, communist party, or somebody that has already been labeled as one.
In America he’s taught me that you can do anything if you can change the way the public feels about it and gain their support. There were a lot of the top officials who were communist and may have been on a communist take over for the US. He did not stand just to take the little guy down he went for the people that would had power in America to actually get something done. For instance McCarthy blacklisted Alger Hiss (Former State Official) and claimed he was a communist. HUAC investigated him immediately and he was later convicted for perjury under oath. HUAC did not take a long time when investigating un-American activities. They acted very quick and harshly to those accused. The saying goes in America that your Innocent until proven guilty; however, with McCarthy you were guilty until proven innocent and even if your found innocent the public still considered you were guilty. If found guilty you could not find a decent job to have, let alone threats on your life. You were basically a man with out a country once blacklisted.
The accusations he made had Americans panicking all over the country. He added instability, tension, and nervousness to a situation that already had way to much. He scared so many people they called it the Red Scare. People prayed that he would not call their name or even know it for that matter. America citizens were so terrified of communism and communists that, instead of looking for a robber when you got home you would look for a communist.
I have learned from McCarthy the true meaning of a patriot. He has taught me leadership on a level unparalleled to who we now would consider a leader. Even though McCarthy destroyed himself in the process of eradicating the Communist belief he did so with courage and bravery. His life goal was to ensure the American way of life and not let that dream diminish, because it means so much to us. He has taught me that one person can, will, and does make a difference, it just depends on how bad the change needed. He had so much power that he actually became the 2nd most powerful man in the country under the President.
McCarthy has taught me that everybody has limits that should not be crossed. He has shown us what the US Govt. does when those boundaries are crossed. When he confronted America and told us we were living amongst communists we accepted it. When he told us who some of them where we accepted it. However we could not in good taste accept that our own govt. were teaching its soldiers to be communists. After McCarthy made that speech he lost all support. He went over the edge when he accused the US of training it soldiers to be communist. When he went this far he support when south like a duck in winter. The senate censured him and he lost his seat.
McCarthy left a scar on America which will never heal. He gave us the one thing the president and most of all the other elected officials did not . He gave us hope and he will always be remembered for that.