Anti-antiwar?

 "Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all." I stumbled across this quote while looking into this blog assignment. Who do you think first said it? Maybe a historical beacon of peace like Gandhi, or possibly a world-famous activist like MLKJ. Nope. Both of those answers would be wrong; it was said by George Washington. I thought it was kind of Ironic at first, but Washington established more peace than he did war. 

Looking back at our history, we have had a past filled with war, and by extension a past of pro and anti-war voices. the Progressive Era during World War I was fueled by antiwar voices that spoke out against America's involvement in the conflict. However, these voices were persecuted and many were even imprisoned for expressing their opinions. Fast forward to today, and the United States government is engaged in military operations all around the world. Now we have different channels of establishing our opinions: websites like ANTIWAR.COM and The American Conservative, are home to strong antiwar voices that are rarely heard in mainstream news.

It's no secret that dissenting voices, especially those critical of war, often face backlash and suppression. Those who challenge the status quo and question the government's actions are often labeled as unpatriotic or even traitors. However, as a country founded on the principles of democracy and freedom of speech, dissent should be valued and protected as an essential part of the democratic process.

The First Amendment of the Constitution guarantees the freedom of speech, including the right to dissent and express unpopular opinions. It is a cornerstone of democracy and serves as a check on government power. The suppression of dissenting voices goes against the very values that our country was built upon.