Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798

To the Editor: 
Now the self-born neo-conservative Trump attacks a group of people and their religion. What he calls for is a resurrection on the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798.
The acts were passed by John Adams and the Federalists to block the rise of Jefferson supporters who later became the Democratic Party. These four acts: “The Naturalization Act raising the length of residency to become a citizen; the Alien Act allowing expelling aliens deemed dangerous; the Enemies Act allowing the expulsion and/or imprisonment of aliens deemed dangerous; finally, the Sedition Act allowing fines for criticizing the government, Congress or the president.
These laws were aimed at banning Irish and French immigrants who voted opposite the Federalist supporters of the Acts. In fact, campaign posters read, “Call Republicans to turn out and save our country from ruin.” Do these words sound familiar?
The Acts had a sunset date and were allowed to expire in the next presidency of Thomas Jefferson, but the ideas never die. They rose up during Sen. Joe McCarthy’s Select Committee of un-American Activities Hearings of the 1950s.
It is time to put these ideas of fear and hate into the past as well as any fear mongers who promote them for political gain.