A witch-hunt targets a specific group of people for contradicting a certain way of life that is the accepted belief and leads to the harassment and persecution of those who are accused usually with a lack of evidence, for example, the HIV witch hunt in Greece. The Grecian authorities are taking prostitutes, druggies, and homeless into custody and forcing HIV tests on them without their consent. (Huff Post Live) These people are marked just because of the way they live which doesn’t fit into the norm of their society. They are being arrested with no real evidence to convict them. Men can report women of being prostitutes by saying that they slept with them and the authorities detain them because of that one testimony. (Julie Tomlin) In witch hunts evidence is not considered because people are so paranoid and are just focused on finding the culprits. This search, starting off as a way to lower HIV rates, has become a vindictive way for the authorities to abuse their power. The Grecian government is not helping the situation but making it worse. Like in other cases of witch hunts, the people and government are ruled by paranoia and fear just like in this situation.
Sources Cited
Tomlin, Julie. "A Modern Day Witch Hunt That Marked a New Phase in the Greek Market | Julie Tomlin." The Huffington Post UK. N.p., 24 Sept. 2013. Web. 30 Mar. 2014. <http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/julie-tomlin/a-modern-day-witch-hunt- t_b_3979981.html>.
Shihab-Eldin, Ahmed . "HuffPost Live." HuffPost Live. N.p., 25 July 2013. Web. 30 Mar. 2014. <http://live.huffingtonpost.com/r/segment/greece-reintroduces-forced-hiv- tests/51f034cd2b8c2a5c5700029f>.
Sources Cited
Tomlin, Julie. "A Modern Day Witch Hunt That Marked a New Phase in the Greek Market | Julie Tomlin." The Huffington Post UK. N.p., 24 Sept. 2013. Web. 30 Mar. 2014. <http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/julie-tomlin/a-modern-day-witch-hunt- t_b_3979981.html>.
Shihab-Eldin, Ahmed . "HuffPost Live." HuffPost Live. N.p., 25 July 2013. Web. 30 Mar. 2014. <http://live.huffingtonpost.com/r/segment/greece-reintroduces-forced-hiv- tests/51f034cd2b8c2a5c5700029f>.