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Salzburg Witch Trials

In the years of 1675-1690, a unique witch hunt accrued where the hunt for an accused witch led to the deaths of many people. In the year 1675, a women by the name of Barbara Kollerin was arrested in Salzburg Austria for theft and sorcery. During her trial, she confessed that her son, Paul Jacob Kolle was involved in witch-craft. After her execution, the authorities began to search for Kolle who became known as the Jackl. As the police unsuccessfully searched for the Jackl, they presumed he was dead until they found a 12 year old handicap boy by the name of Feldner Bettlerbub Dionysos. Dionysos claimed that the Jackl was teaching kids and teens in the slums how to preform black magic. After Dionysos's confession, officials arrested many beggars and other young poor people from the slums. Many of the arrested teens told the authorities that the Jackl could turn invisible and could prevent crops from growing. Many people began to fear him and the police started to refuse to pursue Kolle in fear of being killed by his witchcraft. However, poor teens were still being arrested for being followers of the Jackl. Many gang members were targeted by the police for performing witch craft. By 1690, 139 people were either hung, decapitated, or burned alive. Although many were hunted and killed, the Jackl was never found.

Hmmm. . . Another Hysteria?

From learning about the 1692 Salem Witch Trials, this has gotten me thinking that another type of hysteria can happen at any time now.

Since when the movie and predictions of 2012 came out it had made some people realize that the world can end because of global warming, nuclear warfare, and other factors. Not that people were running around having "fits" of some sort of anxiety like back in 1692 people now were worried and concerned and had attention about the world ending in a couple of years.

I wouldn't say that this would be another type of hysteria but it's some type of meaning.

The Real Price to Living in a Ordered Country

What's the deal with airlines these days? We have to go through metal detectors and some of us even , having to be bodily searched.  Well those of minority usually races do. Let me extrapolate on this idea a little bit more.

Minorities hvae been descriminated against for years.  Through decades of hardship, the US citizens might have tried to overcome this problem.  But there are still some exceptions.  When it comes to the protection of other people, freedom takes a back seat to order. 

For example, which is used a lot but its very true, a muslim or person of Arabic descent walks in through an airport, heads will turn.  "Oh he has a suitcase. Its a bomb!", comes to people's minds.  The security stops him and takes him to a back room.  they give him a fullbody search and searches his luggage.  They find nothing but clothes and personal items.  They let him go. 

This may seem like a "routine" check, but its only because of his skin color they stopped and searched him.  After 9/11, people of the Middle East have been discrimnatted against because of the fear of the government and other US citizens.  It isnt fair at all. 

Ive personally expirienced this sometimes when i walk intno a store and get followed be cause of my skin color and they think i might steal something.  How should i feel that I'm being watched and someone that is white could be doing the same thing. 

It doesnt make sense how we have to be judged because minorities are given the stereotypes that appear in everyday media.  Should we really be sacraficing our fought for freedom because some people cant get over the color of thier neighbors skin?

 

Community vs Individual

Rosa Parks was an individual whom broke a law of the community for african americans rights. Rosa Parks got on the bus after work, and sat in the middle of the bus, when blacks were suppose to sit in the back of the bus. Then a white man got on the bus and wanted to sit where she was sitting. He told her to move, but she refused, then the bus driver told Rosa to move to the back of the bus where the other blacks sat and were suppose to sit at this time. She still sat there as if nobody was telling her to move. Then eventually the police came and they arrested her. It was a good thing she did this, somebody had to stand up for that right, and that somebody was Rosa Parks.

     

African Crucible

The African Crucible exist in northern Angola. In 2007 Domingo, 12 years old, was accused by relatives of being a witch. When he was 12 his father died all of a sudden and doctors did not have a answer to what caused his death. Domingo's family tortured him while calling him a witch until he confessed that he was the cause of his fathers death. 432 children have been abused or abandoned after being called witches. 

Also a mother blinded her 14 year old daughter with bleach because she believed that it will help with getting rid of evil visions. A few months later a father made his son drink battery acid because he thought that his son was a witch. 

Another witchcraft hysteria

Could we have another witchcraft hysteria in present-day America -- even if it's not exactly about witchcraft? Yes, we have another witchcraft hysteria. Everything is possible. Let me give an example like economic bubble,finance, insurance, and real estate <<FIRE. This is now the America to be afraid and need to face things. More than a decade of economic and financial-market chaos followed, as the dollar remained the international currency but traded without an absolute measure of value. 

Does religions bring peace

God is most often conceived of as the supernatural creator and overseer of the universe. Theologians have ascribed a variety of attributes to the many different conxeptions of God. The most common among these include omomniscience (infinite knowledge), or (unlimited power). People who believe in the existence of a God always take it to the next level. Those that take the next step are the ones who start fights. Also religions cause other people to fight. If everyone believed in one good or no God at all are world would be at peace. I think that we can make peace togethere without God and those who believe in God should not make one believe in him. Every has a choice so chose peace....

Witch Crap. . .

4. Could we have another witchcraft hysteria in present-day America -- even if it's not exactly about witchcraft?

I honestly feel like we "could" have another witchcraft hysteria in present day america. I feel people got bored with themselves and started this whole thing anyway. Just because it all started in 1692 and its 2010 now there is no change in the way people act. Personally I dont believe that this stuff is real, and im sure there are other people that feel the same as me. It still amazes me that this topic was a HUGE problem back then. I feel humans go over and beyond for anything cause theres crazy people in this world!! If I were to yell "witch" and point at a random lady theres a select few people who would look and laugh, because yet again ill say some people really dont believe that witches, and goblins, and anything else in that nature are real. BUT then there would be the CRAZY people who would go along with me and fall out saying shes hurting them with her eyes.<-- CRAZYY PEOPLE BEING DRAMATIC!!! I strongly feel back 1692 they killed innocent people. I dont believe anyone was a "actual" witch. But this is where humans bring out there acting skills and once you tell yourself something and start to believe it, it becomes real to you and to others. Then people get out of control and start to go over board, and start lieing, and start acting as if something is wrong with them when its really not. No matter how old the world is or the time frame were all going to be the same. 

Future Witchcraft Hysteria?

Could we have another witchcraft hysteria in present day America?

I think that it could even if its not about witches because alot of people think that the world will end in the year 2010 which could lead to a major hysteria and cause peole to start to panic.

Order vs. Freedom Senate Race

In a race for a Senate seat to represent Alabama, Tim James made a controversial add in order vs. freedom. I must state in this post, it might have some statements you disagree with and will appear controversial, I do not mean it to be. In this add, James asks why the state drivers test is given in 12 languages. He claims that this is America, we speak english. But is it correct to give state tests in languages other than the national language?

 

 

I say no, because in America, English is the national language. If you want to live here, or live here already, you need to make an effort to understand the language the majority of America speaks. At the DMV, as we all know, it is hectic already. Making a state test in 12 languages, only complicates the matter. There should only be one language that the test is made of, english.

If you live in America, you will encounter people daily speaking english. If you are an immigrant, you have to take a test about America, so why not learn the language that America speaks. I am speaking for most of America in saying that, if you live hear, attempt to speak the language.

Betty:The Victim of Witchcraft.

    In the play crucible, there is definitely one character that is very interesting compared to the other characters in the play write. Her name is Betty and she is 10 years old. She was caught in the forest with a slave and assumed she was under the witch craft of this particular slave. She was then in a "sick" position where she couldn't really move or even eat.

    She is the most interesting because she was the only one that was effected from that night. It was more than her there but she was the only one that ended up sick in the situation.Her conflicts were that she and her fellow friends were being accused of being apart of witchcraft.

    This particular conflicts reflects conflicts that every human has to face because in life many people are being accused for things that they are not. And when you feel the need to do so, most of the time your accusations are false.

History Doesn't Always Repeat Itself

I don't think it is very possible. Even though, as people say, history repeats itself, I think that this is a situation that can be prevented again. If there were to be another one, it would be looked at as some sort of racism or intolerance type situation and it would cause a lot more problems since it has a lot to do with religion and everyone is entitled to their own views. Also considering the fact that the girls "afflicted" could have been faking, and there were previous conflicts that resulted in the witchcraft hysteria. Also, we have greater knowledge on the causes of abnormalities and we know that everyone is different. I think that overall we know more so that can help us explain a lot of things that were complete mysteries in the past.

Religon Is War.

Religion is a huge part of what America is and what we as a nation stand for. We have the right to practice any religion we want, other countries don't have this amazing attribute. Religion also makes many people very upset because they don't believe in what certain religions practice. What would happen if every country with different practices tried to change other countries into what they believe. An argument between all of the countries would be first, then one would get tired of arguing and go to war with that group of country. The reason this topic is being brought up is because in class someone stated that war and religon are soon to be hand and hand. I brought up that's a good point because the movie The Book of Eliwas based in the future after a nuclear war wiped out the majority of the population and leaving people left to have to survive on their own and rebuild what was once theirs. The reason for the war was because people wanted to delete religion from the way of life. People and governments started to destroy the bible and hide it's messages from people. This is why the war was started, I believe religion it's self causes many problems in the way people think and what they do. It is also the most touchy conversation for people because not everyone believes in the same way.

Puritans

I think puritans values still exist today. Its not with all families though. Some parents make their kids religious. Maybe few are fundementalist too. Some are superstious and witchcrafting, and they follow every word of the bible. And the tensions do exist with these famlies. But i think people these days deal with this more successfully than the Puritans did.

Witchcraft hysteria...in present-day America?

Could we have another witchcraft hysteria in present-day America -- even if it's not exactly about witchcraft? Yes; we could have another hysteria, not necessarily about witchcraft, but about anything that causes a big commotion in our present day. It could be about bigger issues we have today; teen pregnancy, drugs in school, ect. These commotions are big in America just like witchcraft was in Salem at the Purtain's time. Even those these problems don't seem as big as witchcraft was, if it becomes worse, just like their problem did, we could have the same outcome.