History Repeating Witch Trials 2.025
On November 19, 2024, I had the opportunity to visit the Salem Witch Museum and the surrounding area in Salem and Danvers, Massachusetts (MA). The cover image was taken inside of the Salem Witch Museum. I have always been interested in what happened during the Salem Witch Trials where men, women, and children were falsely accused of being witches and murdered under the auspices of a corrupt legal system.
In my personal opinion, other crimes that have been committed against these people who were murdered include “Groupthink” and “Scapegoating”. This coupled with the ongoing glorification of these people as “witches” and the fact that the judges were never held accountable for their participation in the crimes that were committed in the name of falsely accusing people of whatever the flavor of the day is…in this example…the chosen flavor was accusing people of being “witches” and doing the work of the devil.
Unfortunately both Hollywood films and urban legends have turned this very tragic event and crimes against these people…into a blur of reality for many people, especially young people who look to “witches” for guidance. The fact is what happened in Salem, MA over 300 years ago is still very much having an impact on how people view the murders that occurred during that time period, as well as what that level of corruption did to the legal system in the United States and elsewhere around the world.
I believe it would serve people well to review the history of the Salem Witch Trials and try to understand how such an event happened…and how so many parallels within our own current legal system is using similar tactics. I have personally been subjected to very similar treatment by the corrupt and unethical legal system within Cayuga County, NY and others, and have documented and wrote about that situation at length despite the odds and groupthink I have been up against, including the ongoing violations of my Constitutional rights and civil liberties.
Given the current direction the world is heading, if we are all not already there…I would encourage anyone who is interested to check out this video as well as these links to gain a better understanding of what really happened during the Salem Witch Trials.
What really happened during the Salem Witch Trials - Brian A. Pavlac
I really enjoyed visiting the Salem Witch Museum and the Peabody Essex Museum as well and would highly recommend visiting both places and the surrounding areas such as the Charter Street Cemetery and a drive around Danvers, MA. While the actual location for Proctor’s Ledge Memorial is small and easy to drive by, I would strongly encourage people to park their vehicle and walk over to the memorial and just stand there in a moment of silence and feel the energy that still very much resides there. Going to the spot where those falsely accused were murdered by a corrupt legal system was indeed very powerful.
While I have not ever wanted to live in a Victorian House for a variety of reasons, I have been in love with that style of house since I was a child and still to this day get excited when I see them in the New England states. There are a number of cool streets to drive around and see these old beautiful Victorian houses. I actually parked my vehicle and was just walking along some of the streets admiring the houses and the work people were putting into keeping these houses so beautiful.
Salem Witch Museum 50th Anniversary Celebration Highlights
Virtual Tour of The Salem Witch Trials, 1692
While driving around Salem and Danvers and stopping at various places, I was really inspired by many of the people in those two communities. They seemed to have achieved a nice balance between capitalizing on the touristy side of their history with the Salem Witch Trials, and a respect for what really happened there. I also ran into and spoke with a number of local people who were very knowledgeable about what happened during those troubled times. What I was most impressed with was both their knowledge of the local area and history, and more important for me, was what seemed a universal acknowledgement about what happened there was wrong and should never happen again…even though we all know it happens all of the time in the U.S. legal system. The precedent has been fine-tuned over the last 300 years and the system is pretty much ready to be on autopilot.
I personally really appreciated the unvarnished story of the murders that took place there. I had a similar appreciation when my father and I visited the Dachau Concentration Camp in Germany. I had an appreciation from the standpoint of what happened there was at one of humanity’s lowest points in history (soon to be repeated), yet, the courage was there to serve as a reminder to never let something like that happen again. It’s always a good start to think positively despite being fully aware of reality and of human nature.
Besides the obvious corruption within the legal system, one of the main justifications for the murder of these people falsely accused of being “witches” was “spectral evidence”. I could make a pretty strong argument based on the Netflix nightmare that I continue to endure that spectral evidence and similarly used legal gymnastics are alive and well in our country…and I predict it is only going to get funnier with each passing day. At the very least, here are a few more links to highlight what we still face today within our legal system.
Another interesting read…or in my case an interesting listen…is the “Malleus Maleficarum: Hammer of Witches”…which outlines the thinking during that time period in relation to personal and religious beliefs of the people at the time. I found it very interesting how a quick read of a summary of this book may cause people to think it’s fiction, but it is not…it represents how people thought back then about certain topics and the actions they took as justification of their beliefs and value system. The audiobook that I listened to while traveling was well done by the narrator and despite some of the topics discussed, I actually found the book very entertaining and funny as well because I could come up with so many modern day examples just from what I, and other people, have been experiencing in New York State. Despite the fact that over 300 years has gone by…the world at large has been dying to take a U-turn back into the personal and religious beliefs and values system that allowed what occurred at the Salem Witch Trials and in other places around the world…to still occur to this very day.
Malleus Maleficarum: Hammer of Witches by Heinrich Kramer and narrated by Deedee Ash (audiobook).
Witchcraft - Malleus Maleficarum - The Hammer of Witches - History and Analysis of the Inquisition
At the end of the day, my hope by writing this article is to help raise awareness of some resources for further research into the murder of these people who were falsely accused of being “witches”. More importantly, I hope to convey the understanding and importance of a fair and ethical legal system based on a fair interpretation by a jury of peers…if such a species or creatures even exist. Please stop rolling around and laughing, but that is what we should be striving for as opposed to rolling our eyes and just accepting the corrupt legal system as it is. People don’t seem to care nor pay attention too much when these things are happening to other people, especially to those who are friends and family…until it catches up with you and you lose your freedoms, civil liberties, and Constitutional rights too while being caught up in an endless cycle of legal pain and suffering upon which there is no escape. Don’t think it can’t happen in the United States these days…yeah right…it has been going on for over 300 years depending on what the flavor of the day is…but the root cause is always the same…corruption and everything that goes with it.
The reality is that I am not under any false illusions that we will ever have a fair and just legal system, at least within the United States. However, I continue to keep the faith and remain hopeful that:
People remember the past of what really happened during this troubling time period of the Salem Witch Trials…as the core issues that allowed this to occur continue to be present in today’s world.
People should stop the glorification of these men, women, and children as “witches” and be more respectful of what they were subjected to including having to sacrifice their lives for something they believed in. This includes maintaining their innocence right up to the point where the hangman’s noose broke their necks or the flames from being burned at the stake vaporized their skin, flesh, and bones in front of the blood-thirsty onlookers to justify their willful and knowing participation in that circus. I can truly relate to much of what these people were feeling because that will be my intention as well when my time comes to reckon with the corrupt legal system that has kept me in chains.
People recognize the responsibility the lawyers and judges involved in these crimes they inflicted upon these people who they “lawfully” murdered in order to protect themselves and the values and beliefs they held to justify their abuse of power and corruption that resulted in these murders.
While these judges and lawyers escaped their own legal system and have benefitted from many people in today’s world having not only forgotten about the true story, yet still continue with the glorification of what happened at the Salem Witch Trials. The fact these men, women, and children who were murdered by the legal system are still being referred to as “witches” is a crime unto itself. While I have no authority to hold those corrupt legal professionals and judges accountable, at the very least, I will remind people to take a closer look at what happened during the Salem Witch Trials now…so you will be better prepared when the same situation that to those people and the situation that has been happening to me…happens to you too. The groundwork has been laid down for a very long time and is finally coming to its full fruition.
It is also my hope that besides the recognition these people were murdered by a “legal system”, is for those people who are still searching for their own faith, beliefs, and values…to be more open-eyed and aware of what really happened during the Salem Witch Trials. Not just the physical act of murder that was inflicted on these people, but all of the pain and suffering that was inflicted on their friends, families, and the whole community as a result and the fact this dark cloud will hang over them for eternity…as it should be for what was allowed to happen.
What happened at the Salem Witch Trials was a complete meltdown of any sort of real justice and should not be glorified, however, the situation must be both respected for what occurred and remembered. It must be respected from the standpoint of having an understanding of the various pieces and parts that were in play to allow these murders to occur. There is no question in my mind that history will once again repeat itself, and I would state that it is mainly a failure to remember the past..as always.
Here are some other articles that could give some other ideas on faith, beliefs, and values outside of what happened at the Salem Witch Trials.
