* Politely Confronting Bigots with Reality

The Crucible, Arthur Miller's play about the Salem witch trials, suggests that there is something in human beings that tends to make them  go on a witch hunt when they feel anxiety (Freud might call this 'projection').

I have had the opportunity in my life to intervene  and challenge two witch hunts, one in the 1970's against "those long-haired pinko hippie student protestors at Kent State" and another in the 1980's at Yale and in America-at-large against "those fags who spread AIDS"  (link)  when American society believed AIDS could not be acquired and transmitted heterosexually.

See the televised segments below.

Paul Keane


0 to 4 min and 41 seconds: 

Christmas Story on CBS Evening News, 1972: Challenging the witch hunt against  Kent State students.

4 min 42 seconds to end: 

60 Minutes segment: Challenging the witch hunt against people with AIDS. 








PROSTITUTE BELIEVED TO HAVE AIDS SURRENDERS, IS JAILED *
The Miami Herald - Feb 28, 1984

THE REGION; Escapee Gives Up*
nytimes.com - Feb 28, 1984

http://www.nytimes.com/1984/02/28/nyregion/the-region-escapee-gives-up.html

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1320&dat=19840222&id=kS0gAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xekDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5673,2522996

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=861&dat=19640221&id=NhFQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TlYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4907,5090822