Document Analysis 3

Eugene V. Debs and W.E.B. Du Bois were fighting to be heard about the
same exact thing, although the circumstances were very different. They were
fighting for freedom. Eugene Debs was addressing freedom of speech and Du
Bois was addressing freedom from social oppression. Its interesting that one
man is speaking of dissent in wartime and the other man is supporting
soldiers of the same war.
During World War I, African American men were volunteering and being
drafted into the war. The support and manpower was well received and much
appreciated. After returning home from the war the men were not being
honored and treated as the veterans they were, they returned to the same
oppression they were feeling before they left to serve. African American
citizens were being subjected to segregation and hate mobs, like the kkk
coming after them.
As World War I was taking place there were people who were angry
that the war was going on as well as being angry that American had decided
to get involved. They held rallies and peaceful protests of the participation in
the war. Eugene V. Debs was one of those people, he was not happy with the
war. He spoke out on this and was convicted of violating the Espionage Act
for interfering with foreign relations. Espionage is defined as the act of
spying. I understand the governments frustration with some of the American
people in not supporting the war, but charging them under the espionage act

seems to be a little bit of overkill. They are not spying, just voicing their
opinion which here in the United States is one of our civil rights, allowing us
not to be punished for speaking our peace.
W.E.B. Du Bois states It has never really tried to educate the Negro. A
dominate minority does not want Negroes educated. It wants servants
That statement was really intriguing to me, not wanting to educate people,
any people seems uncharacteristic of the United States that we know here
today. Education is such a huge part of who we are as a country now, it is
crazy to think that we were once so oppressive toward certain people to be
allowed the same rights in education. This integration was not a forced law
until the 1950s with Brown v. Board of Education. Its shocking that the
African American people of our country were allowed/ encouraged to serve
our country but were not given the same respect as any other serviceman
was.
I found it interesting that Du Bois was so for the continuation of
fighting even after the war had ended and the soldiers were home. I cant
imagine coming home a war hero and being treated like scum. If you were in
the south you may have feared for your life because of the kkk. Coming
home feeling safe just to realize that you have a new enemy to fight against
to keep yourself alive. He says It was right for us to fight We return
fighting. That would be so hard, and yet so empowering. Serving your
country, standing up for what you believe in is so noble. Having done that
must have made them feel strong, and given them the momentum to

continue fighting for what they believed in, their rights; freedom. Reading
that also makes me feel horrible that people could subject other people to
that kind of oppression. We would love to think that no longer takes place,
but it does. What about American Muslims? Where is their freedom?