The world never seems to learn from its mistakes. Experiences that humanity never wanted to see again are surprisingly still present in today's society. The Salem witch trials of 1693 are one such experience. Witch hunts usually involve moral panic or mass hysteria and, in the case of Salem, the hanging of 19 people (Notes). Unfortunately the witch hunt continues to this day. They target large masses of innocent people, often because they fit a certain stereotype. Most of society does not want witch hunts, but personal values ​​and society's values ​​clash creating a witch hunt full of hysteria. The Crucible truly embodies the atmosphere and origin of the witch hunt. It shows that fear, strong beliefs, and greed cause both ancient and modern witch hunts. Fear is one of the greatest motives in life. It brings us to a point that otherwise would not have been reached. The witch hunt begins and is fueled by fear. Fear can be seen both in the individual and in society. In the Crucible, the individual feels fear when accused with no good options. We have to tell the truth, Abby! You will be whipped just for dancing and other things!” (I. 1034) Faced with fear, Abby chose the third option, to accuse someone else. His fear was the spark of the entire witch hunt. The fuel was society's fear of witches and the devil said to be within them. Together, the witch hunt was inevitable. Modern witch hunts also happen because of fear. Take the Japanese internment camps for example. After Pearl Harbor, society was scared of Japanese-Americans because they might work with the Japanese. People were afraid because their Japanese-American neighbor could attack them at any time. They didn't know what the Japanese Americans had in mind. T... in the middle of the newspaper... is accusing them of being communists. The hysteria seen in witch hunts provides a great opportunity for the greedy to abuse society's values ​​for their own personal gain. Witch hunts may never leave society. The cause of the witch hunt and therefore the witch hunt itself is inevitable. Social and personal values ​​will always be in conflict. Things like fear, beliefs and greed cannot be eradicated from our society. No matter how hard we try, there will always be a witch hunt. The trick is to learn to oppose witch hunts. If enough people oppose witch hunts, it will be possible to tame them. Martin Luther King, for example, took a stand against racial discrimination and stopped the witch hunts. The Crucible is a reminder of what our society seeks to prevent, and the people who take a stand will forever be remembered as the hero who prevented or quelled a witch hunt.