Common Characteristics

In my opinion, all these witch hunts have three common characteristics:
1. There was a wide spread problem, agrivence, or common gain for the group of accusers.
2. The groups that are first prosecuted are "easy" targets. They can easily be blamed for a problem, and once the hysteria has started, anyone can be a victim.
3. One core leader leads the hysteria.
4. The victims are often publically degraded or physically harmed.

Gay Witch Hunt

This website talks about a recent witch hunt of gay students in a Florida school. The local prinicipal did not allow students to support gay movements, or even to wear rainbows. Read what he thinks it will make kids think of!

Witch Children of Congo

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7304592.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/575178.stm

These two websites outline the details of this real modern day witch hunt. The children of Congo, Africa are being used as scapegoats for their families and countries problems. Over 14, 000 children here have been thrown out of their homes after being accused of socery. Many of these children are often killed or forced to go through horifying exercisms.

These sites provide background information on the congo children's plight:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/15/world/africa/15witches.html

http://www.religionnewsblog.com/14220/dr-congo-children-increasingly-accused-of-sorcery-abused-and-abandoned

Japanese-American Internment Camps

This site goes in-depth into the story of Japanese-Americans that were put into American concentration camps during World War II. The site includes links to a report given to the government that clearly stated Japanese in America were not a significant risk and did not need to be placed in the camps. It also describes how the Japanese were treated in these camps, and has two individual experiences.
Also visit these sites for more information:
http://www.umass.edu/history/institute_dir/internment.html

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/internment1.html

http://americanhistory.si.edu/ourstoryinhistory/tryathome/activities_internment_more.html