Anti-War Hush

    Dissent is to have an opinion that opposes the ideas of an official position. One of the most influential first amendment dissents was by Justice Holmes. He made known the ideas that had been swirling around by John Milton and John Stewart. They both were thought leaders in need of an open marketplace of ideas. Justice Homles dissent is the first major statement on what the first amendment should be used for and how it should protect. In his dissent, he talks about we want freedom of speech so everyone can share their ideas good and bad, so individuals by their own judgment can seek the truth. If someone has an idea that goes against the media of the government the idea should be allowed to be spoken so that way if it is untruth the individual will be made to look foolish, and if it's the truth others can benefit. It is essential for everyone to be able to share ideas, most importantly when they may be different than the government officials. The idea of the open marketplace is one of the most important tools the supreme court uses to decide on first amendment cases.

    This idea of dissent is extremely important when we refer to the sedition act of 1918, in which people were fined and imprisoned for speaking against the government in a time of war. The idea behind this is jingoism, it is an extreme nationalism in the form of aggressive foreign policy. This idea puts thoughts of war as a must to protect a country's supposed best interest. It is in my opinion, like that of the great Socrates "that all wars are fought for of money". All wars should have been avoided and can be avoided. 

    When there is a problem we want as many ideas and thoughts as we can get to find the best solution. Being Anti-War is not being Anti-America. there are many reasons people have Anti-war beliefs, some may stem from trying to preserve life, others may be from an entirely different point of view like those supporting socialism. Regardless of the case, there should be a freedom to express ideas to filter through to find the truth. 

    The sedition act of 1918 was repealed in 1920 though many of its ideas still linger in our legislation. Preceding the sedition act was the espionage act of 1917 which was passed two months after America joined WWII. This act was left intact, however over the years it has been amended. One of the most notable parts of the act, determined by president Wilson, was that written materials noted to be dissent about the war should be reported by the postmasters to the government. The espionage act of today has been mainly used against government officials. 

    Today not much has changed when it comes to the suppression of Anti-war voices all that is different are just the outlets that help suppress those voices. Now, various media outlets like Facebook, Twitter, Google have been censoring Anti-war voices. A most recent example is the current Ukraine/Russian conflict. It will be interesting to see how everything plays out, in the most optimistic outlook the US would not meddle in other countries politics, however, when has the government ever done that?