Auto-da-Fe
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
The American public is obsessed with the courtroom. They love to see a juicy trial. As of today, there are at least four Court-TV shows on the air, including "Judge Mills" and, of course, "Judge Judy." And that's just on free TV. Cable devotes entire channels to the stuff.
People also like the real-life trials. Remember OJ Simpson? Jean-Benet Ramsey? President Clinton's scandals, including Whitewater, Paula Jones and Monica Lewinsky? There are scores of them; some almost forgotten in the mists of time. Do you remember that British nanny? It seems that trials are the trend in family entertainment.
This is nothing new about watching trials for fun. Unfortunately, people sometimes get out of hand when administering justice. For example:
The Spanish Inquisition
A band of fanatics rode the length of Europe looking for heretics and usually found them guilty without question. Subjects were submitted to gruesome tortures in order to obtain a "confession", and those who refused to make one up were invariably found guilty and excuted. Leonard Berstein's song, "Auto-da-Fe" (from the musical "Candide"), tells a fairly accurate story:
"CHORUS: What a Day! What a day
for an Auto-da-Fe!
What a lovely day
for drinking and
for watching people die!
~~~
JUDGE: Shall we let the sinners go or try them?
CHORUS: Try them.
JUDGE: Are the culprits innocent or guilty?
CHORUS: Guilty.
JUDGE: Shall we pardon them or hang them?
CHORUS: Hang them!
...
JUDGE: Are our methods legal or illegal?
CHORUS: Legal!
JUDGE: Are we judges of the law or laymen?
CHORUS: AMEN.
JUDGE: Shall we burn this vile transgressor?
CHORUS: YES SIR!"
You can't argue with that kind of logic. Well, you can, but they'll put you on the rack.
The French Revolution
A band of fanatics decided to overthrow the King, but get out of hand in their search for justice.
At the beginning of the Revolution, the council was seated accordingly:
__________________________________________________________________________________
--------------Conservatives-------------------------------Moderates---------------------------------------------Radicals---------
--------------:-) :-) :-) :-) :-)-----------------------:-P :-P :-P :-P-------------------------------------8-) 8-) 8-) 8-) 8-)
____________________________________________________________________________
Now watch what happens as time passes.
_______________________________________________________________________________
----------------------------------------------------------------Moderates-------------------------------------Radicals----
---------------------------------------------------------------------:-P :-P :-P :-P--------------------------8-) 8-) 8-) 8-) 8-)
_______________________________________________________________________________
And more time:
______________________________________________________________________________
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Extremists
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------8-) 8-) 8-)
_____________________________________________________________________________
At the end of the Revolution:
______________________________________________________________________
____________________________Napoleon_________________________________
______________________________;-)_____________________________________
Get my point?
Fanatacism doesn't make very many people (besides the fanatics) happy.
Need more proof?
Salem, Mass.
I read in a history text that as the first Congress was being held, there was a woman on trial for witchcraft.
Enough said.
Why do people have this morbid obsession with trials? I think we really all have a little bit of Crusader in our psyche; that is, that humanity just really wants right to prevail. All of these people were just searching for justice: The Holy Church of the Inquisition and the witch trials, social equality of the Revolution, and yes, even the common sense of Judge Judy.
But don't let it get out of hand. People get hurt; people like Bill Clinton and King Louis XVI. And the girl who left her keys with her boyfriend and is now suing for $786.34 for a telephone bill.
There's nothing wrong with a good trial if that's your cup of tea, but I'm afraid that this is not a day for an Auto-da-Fe.
People also like the real-life trials. Remember OJ Simpson? Jean-Benet Ramsey? President Clinton's scandals, including Whitewater, Paula Jones and Monica Lewinsky? There are scores of them; some almost forgotten in the mists of time. Do you remember that British nanny? It seems that trials are the trend in family entertainment.
This is nothing new about watching trials for fun. Unfortunately, people sometimes get out of hand when administering justice. For example:
The Spanish Inquisition
A band of fanatics rode the length of Europe looking for heretics and usually found them guilty without question. Subjects were submitted to gruesome tortures in order to obtain a "confession", and those who refused to make one up were invariably found guilty and excuted. Leonard Berstein's song, "Auto-da-Fe" (from the musical "Candide"), tells a fairly accurate story:
"CHORUS: What a Day! What a day
for an Auto-da-Fe!
What a lovely day
for drinking and
for watching people die!
~~~
JUDGE: Shall we let the sinners go or try them?
CHORUS: Try them.
JUDGE: Are the culprits innocent or guilty?
CHORUS: Guilty.
JUDGE: Shall we pardon them or hang them?
CHORUS: Hang them!
...
JUDGE: Are our methods legal or illegal?
CHORUS: Legal!
JUDGE: Are we judges of the law or laymen?
CHORUS: AMEN.
JUDGE: Shall we burn this vile transgressor?
CHORUS: YES SIR!"
You can't argue with that kind of logic. Well, you can, but they'll put you on the rack.
The French Revolution
A band of fanatics decided to overthrow the King, but get out of hand in their search for justice.
At the beginning of the Revolution, the council was seated accordingly:
__________________________________________________________________________________
--------------Conservatives-------------------------------Moderates---------------------------------------------Radicals---------
--------------:-) :-) :-) :-) :-)-----------------------:-P :-P :-P :-P-------------------------------------8-) 8-) 8-) 8-) 8-)
____________________________________________________________________________
Now watch what happens as time passes.
_______________________________________________________________________________
----------------------------------------------------------------Moderates-------------------------------------Radicals----
---------------------------------------------------------------------:-P :-P :-P :-P--------------------------8-) 8-) 8-) 8-) 8-)
_______________________________________________________________________________
And more time:
______________________________________________________________________________
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Extremists
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------8-) 8-) 8-)
_____________________________________________________________________________
At the end of the Revolution:
______________________________________________________________________
____________________________Napoleon_________________________________
______________________________;-)_____________________________________
Get my point?
Fanatacism doesn't make very many people (besides the fanatics) happy.
Need more proof?
Salem, Mass.
I read in a history text that as the first Congress was being held, there was a woman on trial for witchcraft.
Enough said.
Why do people have this morbid obsession with trials? I think we really all have a little bit of Crusader in our psyche; that is, that humanity just really wants right to prevail. All of these people were just searching for justice: The Holy Church of the Inquisition and the witch trials, social equality of the Revolution, and yes, even the common sense of Judge Judy.
But don't let it get out of hand. People get hurt; people like Bill Clinton and King Louis XVI. And the girl who left her keys with her boyfriend and is now suing for $786.34 for a telephone bill.
There's nothing wrong with a good trial if that's your cup of tea, but I'm afraid that this is not a day for an Auto-da-Fe.
