Haac Pros And Cons

Free speech, more than any other of America’s values, has been the touchstone of American democracy dating back to the Bill of Rights. The First Amendment, created in 1791, is so important because “without our basic and essential rights established by that first amendment, the others amendments would have little to no meaning and hardly any force.” It shows the creativity and innovativeness of American democracy. The Amendment states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” However, almost from the moment the
There were many committee that helped mold HUAC into the committee that it was during the 1940s and 1950, such as: the Fish Committee and the Over-Man Committee, which investigated communist and Nazi propaganda during 1918 through the 1930s. The response to HUAC’s investigation of Hollywood was different for many people, and the spectrum of supporters was a large range. There were many supporters of HUAC’s investigation of Hollywood, including many famous celebrities: John Wayne, Walt Disney, Sam Wood, Ronald Reagan, and many more. Famous actor and future President of The United States, Ronald Reagan, also served as president of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG). During his presidency of SAG he refused the request of assistance from a member who had received a HUAC subpoena. These prominent Hollywood members created The Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideas, in 1944, as a response to combat the visibly increase in communist influence in the movie industry. Members of the Motion Picture Alliance, along with other Hollywood members, became some of the most prominent and influential “friendly witness.” “Friendly witness” were “Hollywood
The most influential and well known of the “un-friendly witness” are the Hollywood Ten. These ten men were “members of the motion picture industry accused of association with communist organization in 1947.” The Hollywood Ten included members who were among the most talented screenwriters, producers, and directors in Hollywood at the time. In October of 1947, the Hollywood ten were called to testify in court. This court hearing was very unfair and biased towards members of the Hollywood Ten. “The Witness enjoyed none of the safeguard guaranteed them in American court of law, including the right to confront one’s accusers, evidentiary rules, and cross-examination.” The result of these biased cases was that members of the Hollywood Ten “invoked the Fifth Amendment, a move that quickly led to the label “Fifth Amendment communist.” What makes the Hollywood Ten so important and influential “un-friendly” witness is that they refused to answer any of the courts question pertaining to if they were communist or not. They believed that being convicted for assumed members of the Communist party was against the rights of the First Amendment, and also goes against rights that every American has by being a citizen. The court ignored their arguments, and they were