Opinion: Conservatives in Hollywood think they have it bad. It was much worse for liberals in the 1950s

To the editor: Let’s remember that in the 1950s, during the McCarthyist freak-out over communists in the United States, it was the liberals who were “keeping quiet” in Hollywood. Even some who did keep quiet ended up facing accusations that they harbored unacceptably leftist political views. (“In liberal Hollywood, a conservative minority faces backlash in the age of Trump,” March 11)

Those people lost their lost their jobs and their earning power. Members of Congress even held hearings to ferret out these Hollywood leftists.

In 2017, possessing conservative beliefs doesn’t mean the end of your career or being subjected to a witch hunt conducted by lawmakers.

In both times, there was the same antipathy to a particular political belief, but the consequences were very different based on which side of the political spectrum you fell.

Bob Aronoff, Pasadena

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To the editor: Your article on conservatives staying in the closet in Hollywood omits one important fact: The intolerance and narrow-mindedness of the Hollywood left is not caused by President Trump, as it long precedes his candidacy.

For years conservatives have been afraid to express any dissenting view, knowing that to do so would be a professional death sentence. Trump simply was a signal to the bigots who have always reigned in the world of entertainment to express their views with greater hatred.

David Goodwin, Los Angeles

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