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May 3, 2006
Freedom's on the march
In February 1918 the state of Montana passed a law making it a crime to say or publish anything . . .
“disloyal, profane, violent, scurrilous, contemptuous or abusive,”about the U.S. government, U.S. soldiers, or the U.S. flag.
That year prosecutors in Montana used the new law to convict 79 people of sedition.
The Montana law became the template for a federal law that was also enacted 1918.
Today, the governor of Montana granted posthumous pardons to all of the men and women who were convicted under that law.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer; 3 May, 2006; p. A6; ‘Montana governor to pardon WWI ‘ seditionists’’
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Posted by williamfrick at May 3, 2006 10:40 AM
Comments
Perhaps one day we may even live to see Holocaust deniers pardoned in Europe & Canada or even (perish the thought) people who put anti-abortion Doctors pictures on "Wanted Posters" pardoned in the U.S.
No, no I'm just kidding (please don't prosecute me!).
Posted by: Michael at May 4, 2006 2:37 PM