Colonial Williamsburg Connect Weekly Discussions
During the Revolution, the American cause depended on volunteers, even if many of them, like Williamsburg carpenter Alexander Hoy, felt they had no choice but to enlist. During the Civil War, both North and South depended on a draft, and that was also the case during World War I, World War II, and the Korean and Vietnam Wars. We required citizens to risk their private wealth—their safety, and for many their very life—in service of the nation’s common wealth.
For the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, America has relied on volunteers, and some have argued that as a result the burdens of the war have been borne primarily by too small a segment of the nation’s population. The arrest of Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, who is accused of killing 16 civilians in Afghanistan, has brought to the forefront doubts about depending on a comparatively small number of people to do all the fighting.
Supporters of a draft argue that Bales, who was in the midst of his fourth deployment to a war zone when the killings took place, would not have been placed under such strain had a larger number of Americans shared the burdens of fighting the war. America’s freedom and security is an important part of our common wealth. How should we ensure that all of us commit some portion of our private wealth—in terms of taxes, service, or any other support—to defend the nation?
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During the American Revolution, a company of volunteers seized Joshua Hardcastle, a Williamsburg, Virginia, resident accused of speaking ill of the soldiers and their cause, and gave him a choice: apologize or be tarred and feathered and ridden through town on a fence rail.
Like Hardcastle, dissenters have often faced trouble during wartime—part of Americans’ continuing struggle to balance the values of unity and diversity. In 1798, with war with France seemingly looming, Congress passed the Alien and Sedition Acts, designed in part to squelch opposition to the war. During the Civil War, Lincoln suspended the writ of habeas corpus.
More recently, WikiLeaks became the focus of controversy after the organization released military reports and diplomatic correspondence pertaining to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Government officials here and abroad condemned WikiLeaks for endangering the lives of soldiers and civilians. Bradley Manning, the Army intelligence analyst who allegedly leaked many of the documents to the organization, has been charged with aiding the enemy as well as theft.
The Obama administration has aggressively prosecuted leakers, bringing six criminal cases against officials who allegedly passed secret information to the media. Does this unify Americans by keeping legitimate secrets safe? Or does it do more harm than good by silencing legitimate diversity of opinion?
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In April 1775, American colonists were outraged by British attempts to seize their muskets and powder. In Massachusetts, minutemen defied British authority with armed resistance. In Virginia, the royal governor fled to the safety of a British warship.
Today’s protesters must also decide how far to go on behalf of what they believe. Supporters of the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street have generally used different tactics to make their voices heard.
The Tea Party first emerged in 2009 to protest what its supporters perceived as government overstepping its bounds. Very few Tea Partiers have been arrested. In fact, they have taken pride in making their protests orderly and lawful.
Supporters of Occupy Wall Street, by contrast, have engaged in civil disobedience to make their voices heard. Many have been arrested. The Occupy movement first emerged in September 2011 to protest economic inequality on behalf of what they called the 99 percent. After a quiet winter, protesters returned to public parks and streets this spring, prompting new arrests and claims of excessive force by police.
At what point would a higher ethical purpose make you willing to break the law?
Resources:
Watch Colonial Williamsburg's LIVE WEBCAST on protests in the Revolutionary City, Saturday, April 14, 3:00 p.m. EDT
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