Reference no: EM131701111

In 2003, with the United States already involved in a violent conflict in Afghanistan, President George W. Bush initiated what would become known as the Second Iraq War, sparking nationwide protests. Supporters of the President claimed that his detractors and other anti-war advocates were being unpatriotic and dividing the country. Some even called for these opponents of the President to be imprisoned.

The issue of outlawing criticism during war or other difficult times is nothing new. During World War I, Congress, with President Woodrow Wilson's approval, passed the Sedition Act (1918), which made it a crime punishable by jail time to criticize the government, including the President. As some asked what had happened to freedom of speech and freedom of the press, Wilson and his supporters in Congress argued that during wartime the country simply couldn't afford people saying or writing negative things about their government. Such criticism, they said, was likely to undercut the loyalty of many toward the U.S. and could lead to disunity. How did the U.S. expect to win the war if it wasn't united in spirit?

Where do you stand on this issue? Are there ever times when freedom of speech and freedom of the press should be limited? Explain.