Why Censorship Is Dangerous (Part 2)

     After Wethram's book Seduction of the Innocent  in April 1954 there was a national hysteria against comics led by local civic and religous leaders.  Church leaders gave sermons against comics and the industry who made them.  There also mass destruction of comic books and bonfires accross America of comiic books. This led to a senate hearing on comic books led by the Senate Chairmen on Un-American Activites Senator Joseph McCarthy.   Fredrick Wethram testified for the commitee against Comics and gave his arguments Comics were bad for the youth.  Again Wonder Woman was a peverted,sadistic woman and Batman gay. Superman a facist created by Un-Americans and Communists like Siegal and Shuster. The industry defended itself. It's testemony was led by publishers and those who made them.For the most part although the industry defended itself and the hearing ended eventually it had it's effect.Wethram's argument worked alot and the industry suffered.Many of the top companies like Marvel and DC reduced there staff and publication lines. Comics like Captain Marvel were canceled and some companies dissapeared. Monster and gangster comics suffered the most based Wethram's argument against violence and children being influnced by violence.The fifties were also bad for RocknRoll and personal freedoms as well.  The point of the example is how Dr.Wethram's seducing case is dangerous and a risk. Today the Comic Book Industry has recovered. But the same thing could happen again.Perhaps the past is the future and the future is the past.