Eugene V Debs 'Voices Of Freedom'
Drake Thomas
History 17B
Voices of Freedom Assignment – Chapter 19
1. Eugene V Debs relates the history of wartime dissent by first talking about past influential leaders, public figures, and people, that have strayed from the majority opinion. Debs mentions George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Franklin, and Paine as “rebels” during their days. Throughout the past people have spoken their opinions during wartime, such as the war of 1812 or the Mexican American War. Though these people spoke out against the war, as Debs said, “They were not indicted; they were not charged with treason…” Debs relates this because it seems rather hypocritical to charge people with crimes to speak out against a war. Especially when this right is also one of the fundamental principles on which the United States was founded on, that being the first amendment. …show more content…
W.E.B. Du Bois draws the connection of blacks fighting overseas in World War 1 with fighting at home in a blunt fashion. Du Bois explains that while tens of thousands of black men fight for democracy, fight for America, overseas… once they return the oppression is still evident. As described by Du Bois, “It lynches…Yet for fifty years we have lynched two Negroes a week, and we have kept this up right through the war. The word “it” preceding “lynches” refers to the very country thousands of black men are risking their lives fighting for. A countless number of lynches are riddles through the United States and is a fight the blacks must fight. Other connections drawn between fighting abroad and the fight at home are the battles against disfranchisement, or the prevention of voting rights, encouragement of ignorance towards specifically educating the Negro, and insults towards the blacks as a race. Insults include, “defamation of black blood wherever
History 17B
Voices of Freedom Assignment – Chapter 19
1. Eugene V Debs relates the history of wartime dissent by first talking about past influential leaders, public figures, and people, that have strayed from the majority opinion. Debs mentions George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Franklin, and Paine as “rebels” during their days. Throughout the past people have spoken their opinions during wartime, such as the war of 1812 or the Mexican American War. Though these people spoke out against the war, as Debs said, “They were not indicted; they were not charged with treason…” Debs relates this because it seems rather hypocritical to charge people with crimes to speak out against a war. Especially when this right is also one of the fundamental principles on which the United States was founded on, that being the first amendment. …show more content…
W.E.B. Du Bois draws the connection of blacks fighting overseas in World War 1 with fighting at home in a blunt fashion. Du Bois explains that while tens of thousands of black men fight for democracy, fight for America, overseas… once they return the oppression is still evident. As described by Du Bois, “It lynches…Yet for fifty years we have lynched two Negroes a week, and we have kept this up right through the war. The word “it” preceding “lynches” refers to the very country thousands of black men are risking their lives fighting for. A countless number of lynches are riddles through the United States and is a fight the blacks must fight. Other connections drawn between fighting abroad and the fight at home are the battles against disfranchisement, or the prevention of voting rights, encouragement of ignorance towards specifically educating the Negro, and insults towards the blacks as a race. Insults include, “defamation of black blood wherever