Should I be Silenced

    The first amendment of the Constitution reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."This amendment has been the backbone of American society, and you can see that with the people today. If you ask anyone to name the first 10 amendments, people will consistently get the first and second's right. This is because the first amendment has a significant impact on our lives, and someone who learned about this impact was Edward Murrow and the people affected by the Red Scare. Edward Murrow was a broadcast journalist for CBS; he was most known for his coverage of World War ll, and his show See It Now. This show gained prominence during the red scare years when Murrow and his team consistently call out McCarthy for his blatant violation of civil liberties. This moment in time was so monumental that they made a movie about it in 2005 called Good Night and Good Luck. I will walk you through this movie and show ho
w McCarthy and the government tried to shut up people like Murrow. Around 5 minutes into the film Murrow and his team are sitting in a room trying to figure out a story for the week. During the meeting, they discussed Milo Radulovich, now Milo was a lieutenant in the Air Force, and it came out that Milo's father and sister were suspected communists. During this time, if anyone you were affiliated with was a suspected communist, you were also thought to be one. Since the Air Force did not want to employ a communist, they cut his commission and discharged him from the military Milo had no fair trial. The Air Force constantly talked about a manilla folder that held all of the evidence against Milo.

    Still, no one was permitted to see the contents, not even the board members reducing over his trial. Once Murrow heard this story, he decided to run with it. At this point in time, Murrow was already firmly against the Red Scare and McCarathy this strong opposition led to many people thinking he was a communist himself. While Murrow and his team were working on the Milo story, the Air Force strong-armed and even threatened the studio to not run the story. This moment is huge because it is the film's first sign of government intervention. Also, it makes you think how many reporters have our military threatened or even physically harmed into not running a story. Our military is supposed to be protecting us from the supposed bad guys, not threatening us for exposing their faults. Moving on, Murrow decided to air the story, which was met with a positive reception from the public. Throughout the movie, McCarthy makes many moves to discredit Murrow's reputation. We see this early on when Joseph Wershba was working in DC. One of McCarthy's "employees" hands him an envelope containing evidence that Murrow used to interact with the Soviets. He used to be on their payroll. The absurd thing about all of this was people were being persecuted for an ideology; anyone that challenged McCarthy or slightly questioned him was seen as unpatriotic and communist. Murrow would eventually invite McCarthy onto the show to explain his side of the story. Still, instead of explaining his rationale, he attacks Murrow and accuses him of being a communist again. Throughout the whole film, McCarthy is seen as the big bad villain. In my opinion, however, McCarthy is another victim of the US government too. While McCarthy did jail countless people, he could not have done it on his own McCarthy did not have the power to hand out sentences; he did not appoint himself to committee positions; it is not talked about enough how much the US government really trusted this man. They gave him so much power, and as soon as they realized their mistake, they blamed him and ruined his reputation. John McCarthy, in all essence of the words, was an ignorant and egotistical man, and without the help of the US government, that is all he would ever amount to but as soon as you give a man like him some power, they will run with it. Just keep in mind people will more often try to treat the illness instead of figuring out what is causing the illness.

Considering the Bigger Picture

    Throughout the history of the United States, there have been various instances where the government has attempted to restrict free speech, a fundamental right of every citizen. Some of the most notable examples include Lincoln's arrest of journalists who spoke out against him or the Union during the Civil War and the passing of the Sedition Acts, which made it illegal to criticize the government. These events demonstrate that the government has always sought to control the narrative and limit dissenting voices, especially during times of war.

    Also, as seen in the movie, the concept of being "American" is constantly evolving, and its meaning changes based on the political and social climate of the time. During the Red Scare, individuals who supported communism or did not embrace democracy were considered un-American. In the 1800s, those who opposed slavery were not regarded as true Americans by many Southerners. Even in recent years, individuals who did not support the invasion of Iraq were deemed unpatriotic and disloyal. Such instances reveal the ever-changing nature of the term "American" and how it can exclude and marginalize those who do not conform to the majority's views.

    In recent years, there has been a growing concern about the government's attempts to control the media and limit the public's access to information. During Trump's presidency, he frequently attacked the press, going over 300 days without holding a formal press conference. By banning news outlets like CNN and the Guardian from his briefings, Trump created a chilling effect that prevented alternative viewpoints from being heard. The Obama administration also censored the media including many whistleblowers, with the most prominent one being Edward Snowden, were prosecuted. These attempts to control the narrative are dangerous as they undermine democracy and freedom of speech.

    I've also noticed a modern media trend for this era, and it deserves a name: the Partisan era. Nowadays, every article you read has a clear agenda to push. With the advent of the internet, it's become even more accessible for anyone with extreme views to create a website and publish whatever they consider "newsworthy." It's become increasingly more work to find unbiased reporting these days. Gone are the days when news organizations were known for their credibility and commitment to unbiased truth. Today, all that matters to these companies are generating clicks, and there's nothing like controversy to make you famous

I    n conclusion, it's important to note that not everything the government does is evil. To be fair, the government does much good for the general public. However, it's crucial to open your eyes and not let the good blind you to the bad. Sadly, many atrocities on our civil liberties are being done in broad daylight, and we're not vigilant enough to see it. As the great Edward Murrow said, "Good night and good luck."