Abuse of Power in The Crucible and Current Issues

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The Crucible
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Abuse of Power in the Crucible and Current Issues
Deputy Governor Danforth and Judge Hawthorne. The scope and independence of organizations, arms of government such as the judiciary and the influence of political leaders have heightened concerns about power administration. In most cases, these leaders tend to abuse their power, and The Crucible by Arthur Miller depicts this well. Courts are corrupt, the Deputy Governor Danforth and Judge Hawthorne are unwilling to disclose how courts are unfair, and they abuse their power. Danforth abuses his authority when he refuses to defer the hangings of John Proctor despite pleas from Reverend Hale in act four of the play. The Deputy Governor permits to proceed for hangings despite the shaky condition as the town is near rebellion over the wrongness of the trials. He says that postponement will speak foundering on his part. He adds that pardon or reprieve will not be fair as it will cast doubt on those who have been killed up to that date (Miller 129). The governor would rather hang innocent souls rather than undermine his authority, and his concern is just to retain his power.
Thomas Putnam. Thomas Putnam abuses his power to increase his ill-gotten wealth. Putnam is the wealthiest man in Salem community and takes advantage of corrupt courts to get revenge for those who close his way. In act three, Giles Corey stands up to represent visible evidence on how Thomas abuses his power as the father of one of the accuser.

Giles says that it is the law for Jacob to hang for a witch whom he forfeits up his property. Corey adds that it only Putman who has the coins to buy such a great piece and he is willing to kill his neighbors for their land! (Miller 96). Therefore, abuse of power is evident.
Abigail Williams. Abigail Williams also abuses her power through the play by threatening other girls and continually accusing innocent citizens of witchcraft. Williams realized that the girls caught in the forest dancing were timid and afraid of results. She forced them to talk and reveal all the information and said how she saw her parents get killed by Indians to make them scarier. Additionally, Abigail accuses Elizabeth of sending out her “Familiar Spirits” into her stomach after she saw Mary Warren placing a needle into a Poppet’s belly for safekeeping (Miller 115). She is successful in this framing and Elizabeth was finally convicted.
Donald Trump. Abuse of power is still evident in the real world. The current United States president, Donald Trump, abused his power during his political campaign in Burlington, Vermont as he was interrupted by series of protestors against him. He asked his security to remove the disruptive audience members, asserting legitimate power for him to continue with his remarks. Additionally, he ordered his personnel to seize the coats of the protestors and let them freeze into the cold (Friedersdorf 1). President Trump abused his extraordinary power over his minors despite that; protesting is a right of every citizen.
Mike Fuller, a District Judge in Alabama. Another current instance of abuse of power is by a district judge Mike Fuller who had a judicial bias. The American constitution grants every citizen the right to a free and fair court hearing. However, the district judge deprived Americans these rights for his gain. Political as well as financial interests were his driving forces in most case supervisions. According to Chris (2013), Court rulings are based on evidence provided and not the judge’s opinion and going contrary to this is an abuse of power.

Works Cited
BIBLIOGRAPHY Chris. Top 10 Cases of abuse of Power in the Criminal Justice System. 2013 March 2013. <https://www.criminaljusticedegreehub.com/top-abuses-of-power-in-the-criminal-justice-system/>.
Friedersdorf, Conor. Donald Trump’s Abuse of Power. 11 January 2016. <TheAtlantic.com/Donald Trump’s Abuse of Power Vermont Rally >.
Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. Massachusetts: Viking Press, 1953.