in Civil Rights, Government, Society 475 Words

Bring Back HUAC!

About now there is a wealth of readers going…HUH?

The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), a committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, investigated allegations of communist activity in the U.S. during the early years of the Cold War (1945-91). Established in 1938, the committee wielded its subpoena power as a weapon and called citizens to testify in high-profile hearings before Congress. This intimidating atmosphere often produced dramatic but questionable revelations about Communists infiltrating American institutions and subversive actions by well-known citizens. HUAC’s controversial tactics contributed to the fear, distrust and repression that existed during the anticommunist hysteria of the 1950s. By the late 1950s and early 1960s, HUAC’s influence was in decline, and in 1969 it was renamed the Committee on Internal Security. Although it ceased issuing subpoenas that year, its operations continued until 1975.

Me?  I was born too late to suffer through stupidity of HUAC…I was unfortunate enough to be troubled by COINTELPRO…..but I have already covered that assault on my civil liberties….but since I was a radical it was all so much good from the point of view of the micro-brains on the Right…..I was in great company….H. Rap Brown, Huey Newton, Berrigan and many other radicals of the day.

I bring up HUAC because that “great” American mouthpiece, Newt Gingrich, seems to think we need that intrusion into our privacy…..yet again….

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich proposed the creation of a new version of the controversial House Un-American Activities Committee to root out American citizens who plan to commit terrorist attacks in the U.S.

“We originally created the House Un-American Activities Committee to go after Nazis. We passed several laws in 1938 and 1939 to go after Nazis and we made it illegal to help the Nazis. We’re going to presently have to go take the similar steps here,” Gingrich said in a Monday appearance on “Fox and Friends.”

Originally founded in 1938, the committee investigated suspected threats of Nazi subversion and anti-government propaganda. During the Cold War, its activities sprawled, leading to the blacklist of Hollywood stars and left-wing activists, writers, and academics accused of having Communist ties.

In 1959, former President Harry Truman infamously called the committee “the most un-American thing in the country today.”

Gingrich also suggested that the U.S. will inevitably “declare a war on Islamic supremacists” living here due to the number of terrorist attacks that have been committed by American citizens, such as those in San Bernardino, California and at the Fort Hood military base.

“We’re going to say, if you pledge allegiance to ISIS, you are a traitor and you have lost your citizenship,” Gingrich said.

Under current law, the U.S. cannot revoke the citizenship of natural-born U.S. citizens against their will.

(talkingpointsmemo.com)

Just another assault on your civil liberties……but who cares….right?

28 thoughts on “Bring Back HUAC!”

  2. And when people declare their allegiance to ISIS and shoot 49 people – that’s okay because it was his right ????? IMO, we need some checks and balances or things like this will never be stopped. We’re so scared of stepping on someone’s rights or being politically correct – they’re getting away with murder.
    I’m not saying a witch hunt is the answer, but jeez…..

    Reply

    1. When you start stepping on rights where will it end? HUAC and COINTELPRO were witch hunts….they did nothing to protect this country….either we all have rights or none of us do….

      Reply

      1. It’s impossible to protect everyone, just as it is impossible to please everyone – no matter how hard you try.
        PS. I said – witch hunts were NOT the answer.

      3. What do you think is the answer? Let everyone have their own way, no matter how violent? Exactly what will you do if some ISIS nut comes for your family? Blame who for not knowing ahead of time?

      4. Hey CP:

        If I had the answer…I’d be shouting it from rooftops.. I only know what the answer is NOT. It is NOT letting everyone have their own way. It is NOT taking away non-criminals’ rights…and it is NOT a resurrection of HUAC or other like government organizations of the same ilk.

        I will cry, wail and bemoan if my family and friends are are murdered, hurt, or abused by anyone but I still would not support such organization and I’d BLAME THE PERPETRATOR. I’m not saying I wouldn’t have the same thoughts as some but I would not act on any that required violating the rights of non-criminals or racial, political, or religious groups.

        Now I don’t believe advocating illegal acts; such as murder, mayhem, and destruction, leaves a person in the non-criminal group and I surely don’t believe actual criminals have all the same rights as non-criminals but I still believe in our Constitution and Human Rights. I try very hard not to “tar everyone with the same brush” AND AS I SAID, I DON’T HAVE AN ANSWER. DEAL WITH IT! ~~dru~~

      5. I would say you have the definite problem with dealing with things. You rant, call names and contradict yourself — so conversation over.

      7. Did you know that questions like you pose here were asked at people in the past during WWI and WWII and I suspect after in us McCarthy era.
        People posing those type of questions used them to force people in to make a choice. The choice to agree with actions that did go against their believes and/or convictions, or be called un-American, traitor, spy etc. and suffer the consequences of being ostracized

        In my opinion Americans have a tendency to let politicians scare them into readily giving up their rights for a false sense of security. A security that damages the country not by terrorists but by the loss of rights. Rights are lost in a wink of an eye, to regain them is a hard and long struggle.

      8. A choice HAS to be made or better yet, a compromise. Giving everyone free rights can be just as dangerous as a controlled state. How about letting the states decide, then we can move where it is best suited for us. (oops, a little tongue-in-cheek there).

      9. I know but there are some basic rights that should apply to everyone….I realize you did I just wanted to reiterate….you see I was a target for one of them…

      11. I had a big mouth in those days and was targeted for my writings….I got over it…but never want to see that type of witch hunt again….chuq

  3. I remember from history-lessons in secondary school. But also from documentaries on the subject.
    The committee interrogating those accused of un-American activities.
    Did those witch-hunts not do enough damage than. Ruining peoples lives, careers enz.

    Why do Americans always get in to overdrive, take actions that does damage to the nation as a hole, to the laws of the land.

    You know what is to me un-American activities?
    Those witch-hunts!

    Reply

    2. So you want to go through the stupid waste of time that was HUAC? BTW, the Communist Party was never made illegal….

      Reply

      1. I want whatever it takes to collar traitors and enemies of the country and I don’t care a bit about the “Waste of Time” it might take to protect our citizens. We spend a lot more money than that on things that are a lot less important like feeding and medicating illegal aliens for one thing. The message should be sent loud and clear that if you are going to screw around with the safety and freedom of The American People there is going to be a price to pay.

      2. Maybe the FBI should do their job and we would not have to resort to rights violations….just a silly thought.

  5. “Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich proposed the creation of a new version of the controversial House Un-American Activities Committee to root out American citizens who plan to commit terrorist attacks in the U.S.”
    Hahaha….just who are the terrorists?

    Reply

  6. While such a thing can’t be anything BUT a witch-hunt, I’m fine with HUAC…with a couple of provisions. First, I’m the one who gets to determine what is/isn’t, “Un-American”. Second, I get to punish those I find guilty of Un-American activity however I see fit.

    1) Communists? If the 50’s & 60’s were anything to go by, communists wrote the best movies & TV shows. So Commies are fine. Raygun however, betrayed the members of his union by spying on them. He’s guilty and his punishment is that his rotting corpse gets dug up and put in the monkey cage at the LA Zoo.

    2) Libertarians? Guilty of undermining America. Punishment? They become my property to do with as I please without the “tyranny” of government intervention. I will put most of them to work in my marijuana fields…which is a punishment they may even enjoy. But the cute ones…I got another job for them in the house. Hey, the Founding Fathers did it! And what’s more un-Un-American than that?

    3) Newt Gingrinch? Guilty of attacking America. Not only did he set the stage for the paralysis & strangulation of American Democracy, this fucker turned Congress into a partisan witch hunt. So, “Live by the sword. Die by the sword.” Punishment? A sword up his asshole seems fitting!

    4) ISIS? They are American heroes! http://archer.wikia.com/wiki/ISIS Lincoln-sized statues of all of them to be erected the entire length & width (Phrasing!) of the National Mall. Even for agents like Brett Bunsen. Especially Brett Bunsen. He took more bullets for illegal black-ops than half the CIA combined!

    5) The Kardashians? Those human tumours are the worst thing to come out of the OJ trial. And that’s saying something. Guilty! Their punishment is to watch every single book, film and picture of the Armenian genocide on a tape-loop until they off themselves in shame.

    I don’t care how Unfair, Undemocratic, or Unconstitutional declaring people/things “Un-American” is. As long as I’m in charge, this will be more fun than I ever imagined!!!

    Reply

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