American literature is important today because it helps us learn from the mistakes of the past. For example, in Sarah Good's story we see how people were wrongly accused of something so ridiculous, that many lost their lives because of it. Sarah Good was convicted in 1692 by two young women, Abigail Williams and Elizabeth Parris, for causing them to act in strange ways. Here's how the story goes for more than 200 people. They were all accused with little or no evidence and were subsequently murdered for no reason. After all this, many would think that the government would change course, but this still happens today. A study conducted by Samuel Gross and his colleagues shows that there is a 4.1% error rate for those sentenced to death. If these people are lucky their sentence is reduced to life imprisonment, but for others they die knowing they should be free and that is simply wrong. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay During the Salem witch trials there were only a few things you could do to be completely proven innocent. One of them was that the accused person would have to read the Scriptures aloud and if he couldn't, he was a witch. Sarah Good, not being educated at all and not knowing how to read, was put to the test. Because she had no reading ability, Sarah Good was unable to read the Scriptures and was found guilty on the spot. All this shows that the government was too easily influenced and persuaded by those who accused innocent people without cause. During the witch trials the government was given little to no evidence and it always seemed like they would always side with those who accused someone of something so ridiculous. All they relied on was what the kids and other unreliable sources said. Today the government examines cases more carefully. If this hadn't happened then, perhaps our government today would care much less about certain types of cases that come before it. At the time the government didn't bother looking into cases that had to do with witches because they were all so scared and convinced that witches were real that they would believe anyone was a witch. Their families and friends turned on each other so as not to be accused of being witches. Sarah's husband even testified against Sarah saying that she had a mole on her back that interpreted as the mark of a witch. Many have had to watch their family and friends die because they were falsely accused of something that wasn't true. In the past the government had too much power and many argue that the government still has it today. According to Gallup's annual governance survey conducted Sept. 6-10, between 51% and 60% of people believe government is too powerful. The government is the main deciding factor when it comes to major events, including the death sentence. In Sarah Good's trial, the government had the opportunity to save her and pursue her case. Instead they took what others said and decided it would be easier to put her to death. All they did was accuse her of being a witch saying, “Sarah Good, don't you see now what you've done? Why don't you tell us the truth? Why do you torment these poor children like this?”. It was their laziness and idiocy that led to the death of Sarah and 200 other innocent lives. Even though the government hasn't been the best, it has changed a lot in recent years. Without government today the world would most likely be more divided than it already is. The government helps ensure the safety of most.