Blog #8 The Progressive Era

 Should Americans be allowed to voice their opinions on war?  Let’s rewind….think of living during WWI…when innocent people were persecuted for voicing their antiwar opinions. What are we seeing today?  Let’s explore further.

     The mainstream news sometimes seems gung-ho on promoting war and silencing the voices of antiwar promoters.  Digging deeper, why do you think the mainstream media fosters the idea of war? Overall, the world does depend on America for promoting safety and the wellbeing of everyone. Sometimes war is needed to save a particular group of people or to avoid a terrorist group from overtaking a territory.  If the government promotes war or some type of military intervention, then the media more than likely will side with war as well.

     There are some sites such as ANTIWAR.COM and American Conservative that publicize a differing opinion, sometimes even giving antiwar views.  They are able to do this because the First Amendment gives them the freedom of speech and the freedom of press. Most people haven’t heard of these sites because they aren’t the norm. These sites are a little more hidden, probably because they don’t want retaliation or backlash. The majority of Americans believe in using military force when necessary. Furthermore, they believe there should be a concise plan with an end in sight to war.  However, Americans do worry about the United States engaging in a major war that could last for years. Our country just experienced this with the war in Afghanistan. There are always ongoing military operations worldwide as well, the American people typically support the military activity as long as the goal is achieved.

     Overall, any American is entitled to view war favorably or unfavorably, thanks to the First Amendment.  The mainstream media typically supports war.  For those with anti-war views, there are other platforms or sites that can be explored further, without fearing persecution!