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The U.S. Sedition Act
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1918/usspy.html ^

Posted on 10/19/2004 11:51:04 PM PDT by freestyle

16 May, 1918
The U.S. Sedition Act


United States, Statutes at Large, Washington, D.C., 1918, Vol. XL, pp 553 ff.
A portion of the amendment to Section 3 of the Espionage Act of June 15, 1917.

SECTION 3. Whoever, when the United States is at war, shall willfully make or convey false reports or false statements with intent to interfere with the operation or success of the military or naval forces of the United States, or to promote the success of its enemies, or shall willfully make or convey false reports, or false statements, . . . or incite insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of duty, in the military or naval forces of the United States, or shall willfully obstruct . . . the recruiting or enlistment service of the United States, or . . . shall willfully utter, print, write, or publish any disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language about the form of government of the United States, or the Constitution of the United States, or the military or naval forces of the United States . . . or shall willfully display the flag of any foreign enemy, or shall willfully . . . urge, incite, or advocate any curtailment of production . . . or advocate, teach, defend, or suggest the doing of any of the acts or things in this section enumerated and whoever shall by word or act support or favor the cause of any country with which the United States is at war or by word or act oppose the cause of the United States therein, shall be punished by a fine of not more than $10,000 or imprisonment for not more than twenty years, or both....



(Excerpt) Read more at lib.byu.edu ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Government; Philosophy; Politics/Elections; US: District of Columbia; War on Terror
KEYWORDS:
History?
1 posted on 10/19/2004 11:51:04 PM PDT by freestyle
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To: freestyle

This was Democrat Woodrow Wilson's law that outlawed any dissent from Democrat Woodrow Wilson's war. Republicans used to revile Wilson for such tyranny. Are you suggesting the Republican Party should now emulate the authoritarian Democrats of old?


2 posted on 10/19/2004 11:53:48 PM PDT by churchillbuff
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To: freestyle

I know Kerry and his cronies displayed the North Vietnamese flag during the war....


3 posted on 10/19/2004 11:54:35 PM PDT by AbramsGunnerE5
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To: freestyle

Al Gore sounded pretty seditious the other day , I think a straight jacket is more in order for him though.


4 posted on 10/19/2004 11:56:55 PM PDT by Freesofar (The "F" in John F stands for Fool)
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To: freestyle
Sedition laws come and go. There have been several of them.

The House Committee On UnAmerican Activities was probably the last group to focus on such investigations (at least publicly).

Anarchist-socialists make no bones about seeking to overthrow the America government. Some muslim groups cast no doubt over that goal either.

Treason is a crime if committed during wartime. Even then, there is little will to prosecute now.

The American born "Axis Sally" served Nazi Germany as a radio propaganda broadcaster. She was convicted on one charge from one broadcast. She "upped with the enemy" and did her most to sour the morale of troops and people in America while boosting the morale of German Nazis.

If that does not automatically count for "aid and comfort" then what does?
5 posted on 10/19/2004 11:57:41 PM PDT by weegee (Jean Kerry: "Je suis un singe qui mange le fromage de la rédition")
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To: freestyle

Problem is, I think it has to be a declared war before the act goes into force, althought with the bunch of political pansy*ss*s we have in charge now, it is evident that people like John F'n Kerry could probably loudly proclaim public support for terrorism, being absolutely confident that there would be no consequences.


6 posted on 10/19/2004 11:57:47 PM PDT by sweetliberty (Proud member of the Pajama Posse!)
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To: freestyle

At the time of the Vietnam war I believe that the collaborators on the left hid behind the fact that it was NOT a declared war. No declared war = no sedition.


7 posted on 10/19/2004 11:58:06 PM PDT by the_Watchman
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To: churchillbuff

Absolutely not!

However, I just wanted to see how fast I heard "Al Gore". Because that was the first thing I thought of when I read this (after I noted the odd grammatical structure of the thing).


8 posted on 10/20/2004 12:10:37 AM PDT by freestyle
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To: weegee
Thanks for pointing that out. Treason is when it gets a little scary.
9 posted on 10/20/2004 12:16:43 AM PDT by freestyle
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To: freestyle

Kerry and Hanoi Jane should still be scrubbing latrines in prison. Where did we go so far wrong as to not enforce the laws of the United States?


10 posted on 10/20/2004 12:24:18 AM PDT by ETERNAL WARMING (He is faithful!)
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To: freestyle
Kerry may be a candidate also, according to this excerpt from a News Max article

John Kerry Visits China
The Bush administration has resisted the powerful aerospace lobby to restart space exports to China. The main reason is because of the continuing Chinese proliferation of advanced missile and nuclear weapons technology to Iran, Pakistan and North Korea. Loral CEO Bernard Schwartz backs the Kerry campaign. Since 2000, Schwartz has donated over $4 million to Democrats including Kerry. Kerry also has a secret relationship with Beijing. During the late 1990s, John Kerry traveled to Beijing on behalf of a firm associated with the Chinese military and today he does not want to talk about it.

Secret kerry-chinagate

11 posted on 10/20/2004 12:26:57 AM PDT by Freesofar (The "F" in John F stands for Fool)
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To: the_Watchman
"..No declared war = no sedition..."

Generally, I agree, but there is an exception that I found.

Smith Act of 1940

Link

"..Smith Act—1940

· The Smith Act was the first peacetime anti-sedition law since 1798. It banned any advocacy of the violent overthrow of the government. In 1949 eleven leaders of the American Communist party were convicted under the Smith Act. The Supreme Court upheld the convictions in Dennis v. US, ruling that communism presented a clear and present danger to the US..."

As a practical matter, nothing happens with a "peacetime" sedition charge. The government could not convict the Racist leader, Louis Beam and 13 others, of sedition in 1987, although he was indicted and prosecuted, a jury acquitted him. Beam has a LOT smaller following and support than the Vietnam era protesters like Kerry.

12 posted on 10/20/2004 12:27:01 AM PDT by Anti-Bubba182
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To: churchillbuff

And it (Thankfully) was repealed in 1921.


13 posted on 10/20/2004 12:38:16 AM PDT by Strategerist
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To: freestyle

Repealed.


14 posted on 10/20/2004 6:03:47 AM PDT by MineralMan (godless atheist)
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To: freestyle

it was repealled(sic)but others took hold,,there were many 1 during the civil war (lincoln) etc etc


15 posted on 06/19/2005 7:52:13 AM PDT by rang1995 (They will love us when we win)
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