Red Scare Essay
Civil rights in the United States were limited in some ways during World War I, mainly because of the government’s attitude toward the war. As stated by President Wilson, “American involvement in the World War I as a crusade not for national aggrandizement, but to ‘make the world safe for democracy.’” (1) However, the democracy in American home land seemed not to be well protected. As one of the most controversial law in the American history, The Espionage Act of 1917 “prohibited not only spying and interfering with the draft but also ‘false statements’ that might impede military success.” (2) This act grants the government power to limit the freedom of speech, preventing individuals from saying negative opinions toward America’s involvement
…show more content…
Thousands of innocent people were arrested without warrants because of some imaginary “worldwide communist conspiracy.” The Palmer Raids were parts of the Red Scare. In 1919 and 1920, led by Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer, federal agents “raided the office of radical and labor organizations throughout the country.” (4) The main targets of these acts were socialists and immigrant labor organizations. The Red Scare ended quickly as Palmer took criticism from Congress and public, however, the damage to the labor unions was repairable. (5) A country should always have the ability to lead public opinion and preserve social stability. In today’s world, the United States government still holds certain level of control over media and flow of information- in a more insidious way. Similar to those who doubted “safe for democracy” during World War I, Edward Snowden “has revealed a broken system of our Constitution, and he’s given us the opportunity to get it back, to retrieve our civil liberties, but more than that, to retrieve the separation of powers here on which our democracy depends.” (6)
In conclusion, American’s involvement in the World War I was successful at gaining international reputation as a world power, but the country’s policy during the war failed its people for not respecting their rights and
Thousands of innocent people were arrested without warrants because of some imaginary “worldwide communist conspiracy.” The Palmer Raids were parts of the Red Scare. In 1919 and 1920, led by Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer, federal agents “raided the office of radical and labor organizations throughout the country.” (4) The main targets of these acts were socialists and immigrant labor organizations. The Red Scare ended quickly as Palmer took criticism from Congress and public, however, the damage to the labor unions was repairable. (5) A country should always have the ability to lead public opinion and preserve social stability. In today’s world, the United States government still holds certain level of control over media and flow of information- in a more insidious way. Similar to those who doubted “safe for democracy” during World War I, Edward Snowden “has revealed a broken system of our Constitution, and he’s given us the opportunity to get it back, to retrieve our civil liberties, but more than that, to retrieve the separation of powers here on which our democracy depends.” (6)
In conclusion, American’s involvement in the World War I was successful at gaining international reputation as a world power, but the country’s policy during the war failed its people for not respecting their rights and