Salem Witch Trials and BDSM

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Like practitioners of BDSM, which is an acronym for the sexual practices of bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, and sadism and masochism, the people accused of witchcraft in the Salem witchcraft trials were viewed as sinners and were looked at with reproach. I decided to write about kinksters, which are people who engage in unusual sexual behavior, because of the unwarranted criticism they face. It is comparable to being homosexual in that people with kinks may feel the need to hide this part of themselves from their family and friends because they fear being judged. People should not have to hide a fundamental part of who they are to the people closest to them because of widespread misinformation and misconception. Every person should be able to share the entirety of themselves with those that they are close to without fear of being judged. BDSM and the Salem witch trials have a number of parallels including the fact that there’s more to them than what is on the surface. Additionally, both groups were inclined to lie about their situation for fear of repercussions. Furthermore, BDSM is seen as sinful behavior and those accused of witchcraft were thought to have committed a biblical sin. Like the practice of BDSM, the Salem witch trials were not what they seemed to be. The initial perception of what both are does not leave a good impression, but there is an unseen depth to each in their own respects. When people think about the Salem witch trials, they see the myth that people were executed in mass and on a whim for no other reason than the fear of the Devil. However, this is far from the truth. Only a relatively small number of 19 people were executed during the course of the trials; though, it is true that far more... ... middle of paper ... ... that people perceived what was being done as wrong had consequences for those involved. For the accused ‘witches’ in The Crucible, the consequences ranged from a loss of reputation to a death sentence. For BDSM practitioners, the consequences could range from low self-esteem to a lifetime of self denial. Works Cited Miller, A. The Crucible. (Penguin Classics, New York: 2003). Reich, Ashley. "Want To Enhance Your Marriage? An Erotica Author Suggests BDSM." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 04 Dec. 2013. Web. 01 Jan. 2014. . Lumpkin, Jincey. "50 Shades of Submission: An Interview with a Real-Life Submissive, Madison Young." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 30 Mar. 2012. Web. 01 Nov. 2014. .

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