Julian Assange, My Parents and the Espionage Act of 1917 (Robert Meeropol)

[struggle4progress]

Submitted by Robert Meeropol on Thu, 12/23/2010

Rumors are swirling that the United States is preparing to indict Wikileaks leader Julian Assange for conspiring to violate the Espionage Act of 1917 ...

I view the Espionage Act of 1917 as a lifelong nemesis. My parents were charged, tried and ultimately executed after being indicted for Conspiracy to Commit Espionage under that act.

The 1917 Act has a notorious history. It originally served to squelch opposition to World War I. It criminalized criticism of the war effort, and sent hundreds of dissenters to jail just for voicing their opinions. It transformed dissent into treason ...

It appears obvious that the Espionage Act is unconstitutional because it does exactly what the Constitution prohibits. It is, in other words, an effort to make an end run around the Treason Clause of the Constitution. Not surprisingly, however, as we’ve seen in times of political stress, the Supreme Court upheld its validity in a 5-4 decision ...

http://www.rfc.org/blog/article/855

hattip: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/12/espionage-act-threatens-left-wing-activist-son-executed-communists-declares/

[snagglepuss]

1. bkmrd to read later. thanks for posting. nt

[DCKit]

2. "...Criminalized criticism..."

But not the (actual) treasonous actions of the industrialists who supported and traded with Germany and who later conspired to overthrow the U.S. government - otherwise the BFEE would not currently exist.

Funny how that works.