As Americans, we have the right to show dissent towards something we disagree with and what is happening in the government or the world around us because of our First Amendment rights. In history, our dissent has taken form in protests, most notably anti-war protests. Americans have protested, demonstrated, marched, boycotted and organized strikes against past wars abroad. Often mainstream media outlets like television and newspapers published these anti-war sentiments. The world has changed so much since 9/11 and the Iraq War. Whereas, families were glued to radios and televisions during the Vietnam War for example, the world wide web and social media are the new ways information reaches people, especially my generation. The internet and social media today has been a platform for protesting and spreading opinions about issues all around the world.
I have found it interesting, however, that we don’t hear much from anti-war opinion-based websites. Many of the news topics today that flood mainstream media include the COVID-19, healthcare issues, systemic racism, and the ongoing criticizing of elected officials. I feel we are basically shown today what we see based on an algorithm. Technology companies like Google, Twitter, and Facebook regulate and monitor what types of news goes up and stays on the internet for the world to see. News is basically censored, especially if it is thought to be a threat to a certain agenda. What most people are looking at determines what popular websites rise to the top in the search feed. Maybe this is why anti-war news websites are difficult to find nowadays. Anti-war protesting is not a topic at the forefront of our minds currently because we are fighting a worldwide pandemic, protesting against systemic racism in our country and have an incredibly important election coming up in November. Anti-war protesters took to the streets to protest a possible war with Iran and then COVID-19 hit. Mainstream news and social media are forcing us to focus on the issues currently plaguing us and that’s what floods our news outlets. Maybe the anti-war dissent is taking the form of protests to fight against the things that are wrong in our own country at the moment instead of fighting problems abroad.
I was interested by the Anti-War websites that broke out news by country. The website is very heavy in article links and opinion-based articles, void of any photos, but took a very strong Libertarian stand on issues going on around the world. Same with a very strong opinion-based website with strong conservative views on world events. Honestly, I had never heard of these websites until now. Anti-war has a Twitter button, but American Conservative did not. Therefore, for someone like myself, who is mainly on Facebook and Instagram, I may never come across them. I certainly will never hear about them on the mainstream news, so that leaves me to Google search. When I Google searched antiwar.com my top result was an Amazon list of books I should order on the topic, whereas americanconservative.com was my top result. Interesting that Google wanted me to form opinions first by having me order books first on the anti-war topic.
We don’t see or hear much about these anti-war websites because I feel mainstream news wants to not seem too liberal or left or too conservative or right. To push an anti-war agenda during this time leading up to the election might seem unpatriotic. Instead issues that are at the forefront of the election are pushed to the forefront. Also, very opinion-based websites can get themselves into hot water for spreading FAKE NEWS and risk being conveniently shut down. I personally like to read all sides and believe the truth often lies in the middle.
Dissent has led to good things happening in history and is a basis of democracy because it allows us to speak up for what we believe in and what we want changed. It is important to be exposed to as many news sources and opinions as we can in my opinion. It is our job as American citizens to formulate our own opinions as to what we choose to believe and what we choose to agree or disagree with in the news. It is a very slippery slope when news begins to get removed from social media platforms because its opinions are thought to be wrong for us to read. Whereas, in the past government censored anti-war protesters, now big technology companies seem to be and I am not sure if that is right. It is important for us to have access to opinionated websites because it shows our First Amendment rights are working. Whether it be anti-war voices or other voices of dissent, all voices should be heard loud as the Liberty bell can ring.
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