Some things in American society haven't changed much since our parents were born in the 1950s.

People and homes still look better on television than they do in real life, whether it's on The OC or Leave it to Beaver. Children still play with hula hoops, training their hips to move like those of Elvis or Britney Spears.

And, apparently, a few people still want to ruin the lives of others with the House Committee on un-American Activities. Commonly referred to as "HUAC" (pronounceable acronyms, like the USA Patriot Act and Penn State's own ANGEL, have long been a way to make things palatable), this witch-hunt congressional committee sought to "out" influential members of the entertainment world as present or former communists in the early 1950s.

Witnesses admitting to communist activity would not even satisfy the Committee, which operated in a manner similar to that of the infamous Senate Committee on Government Operations, headed by Joseph McCarthy.

Many of them had to name friends, family members and coworkers to "purge" themselves, much like the Salem Witch Trials.

Even after that, many were blacklisted and could not find work for up to 20 years. Those on the blacklist included such democracy-threatening characters as E. Y. Harburg, who is best known for having written the song "Somewhere over the Rainbow."

Famous playwright Arthur Miller was also accused of communist ties. The much-venerated Ronald Reagan appeared as a "friendly witness" who testified that communists had corrupted Hollywood.

Lives were ruined, and some people even committed suicide, all because they were accused of being communists. Some of them were or had been communists in the past, especially during the Great Depression.

Of course, though, that's not illegal in this country where we have the freedom to associate with whomever we choose.

Given the sheer awfulness of HUAC and the amount that I had assumed our society had progressed in the intervening years, I was surprised to learn that there is a movement among some of the more stringent conservatives to "bring back HUAC," as the rallying cry goes.

A petition to that effect is even circulating around the Internet, claiming the committee is necessary to prevent seditious and treasonous acts in a time of war. It suggests that Michael Moore might be someone to bring in front of the committee. Besides the fact that conservatives clearly need to find a new whipping boy (Moore is so passé), this movement suggests something very troubling about our nation.

Whether sincere or in jest, it shows a staggering unwillingness to accept political beliefs that run contrary to the mainstream thinking.

"Think like us or you're heading to jail!" says this line of thought. But sedition and treason are already illegal in this country, making the committee unnecessary for the purposes stated in the petition.

What such a committee would do, if it followed the heritage of the 1930s-1960s version, is further divide an already shaky nation. The petition and the move for HUAC show that Americans are quick to write off anything they disagree with as "un-American."

But what is American, anyway?

Our country is the cliché melting pot of ideas and people. There is no single American character, but lots of different people who share the same land.

I've been writing for the Collegian for two semesters now, and many of my opinions are of the liberal variety.

In response to that, rather than simply engage in intelligent debate with me, several students started a "Send Torie Bosch Back to Communist Russia" group on www.thefacebook.com. Besides the fact that they initially spelled my name incorrectly (they obviously read my work well before they jumped to conclusions, didn't they?), this group is further evidence that many Americans want to look at things in black and white.

They see views and ideas that are unfamiliar to them as un-American, communist or fascist, regardless of the substance. I'm not a communist. I may have socialist ideas, but that does not make me a communist.

And "Communist Russia" isn't a place, anyway. Russia's democratic now. Get over it. Attempts to bring back HUAC and the persistent manner in which many people label something "communist" show that some American conservatives are living up to their reputation of being paranoid and close-minded, thus giving the others a bad name.

The "stop talking or I'll call you a communist" vein threatens to chill free speech. Being a communist is not illegal, nor is it necessarily a bad thing.

What is a bad thing, and far more fascist, is convincing the American public by either social or legal means that they are not free to believe in what they want. And that's what's bringing back HUAC, and even suggesting its reemergence, does.

Instead of terrifying people into thinking like you do -- try talking to them. This may just be a crazy pinko-commie idea of mine, but I'm willing to take that risk.