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Should The United States Pass The Espionage Act Of 1917

502 Words3 Pages

As the United States of America entered World War I, the world realized this was a whole different type of conflict, due to the industrialized progress of the time period, weapons, ammunition, and means of transportation were entirely new and more advanced. This made the war one of the bloodiest and darkest the world has ever seen. This caused worry during and even after the conflict concluded, since people have seen the future of warfare. Due partly to fear and suspicion, the United States passed the Espionage Act in 1917, shortly after they entered the war. This has since been criticized as an infringement on civil liberties, though to me it seems like a necessary choice to keep the country from collapsing in on itself. The Espionage Act of 1917 was a federal law that tried to help national security issues during World War I by making it illegal to interfere with military operations or be a part of disloyal acts, and obstruction of recruitment efforts, this was during a period of fears and anxieties of the new nature of warfare during World War I. …show more content…

We need to discuss whether this law violates civil liberties and freedom of speech. The First Amendment protects the rights of the people to speak, write, and assemble. While the Espionage Act was made to protect national security. President Woodrow Wilson warned of disloyalty in his speech in 1915. But the First Amendment’s protection of freedom of speech also implies a balancing act between national security efforts and the severely important protection of individual liberties. For example, it is now illegal to shout "FIRE!" in a public place, like a movie theater. Is this an infringement of free speech? No, at least I strongly believe it isn’t. Your speech puts people at risk of danger and injury. It puts people in a dangerous situation. It’s like conspiring against the government in

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