American Dissent
Debs was an essential advocate for labor rights, socialism, and freedom of speech. He was mainly involved with speaking out against the US involvement in World War I. In this speech, Debs says, "They have come to realize, as many of us have, that is extremely dangerous to exercise the constitutional right of free speech in a country fighting to make democracy safe for the world." 1 Debs believed that freedom of speech is essential to democracy and that the government should not play a role in suppressing the voices of citizens even if they oppose the government's position. Deb's dissent towards WWI was considered radical at the time, but today dissenting opinions are regarded as integral to the US political landscape. J. Robert Constantine writes, "These ideas later were considered orthodox and are now viewed as traditional. His career marked an honorable chapter in the history of American dissent, a history significantly enhanced by Debs' willingness to pay a heavy price for holding unpopular views. "2 Debs's outward approach and characterizing himself as a worker and not a political leader had lasting effects on his career. Especially went he was imprisoned for six months for speaking out against WWI. However, the discourse surrounding Debs, socialism, and freedom of speech proved to have lasting effects on the US because it expanded the realm of acceptable political discussion.
1Debs, Eugene V. "The Canton, Ohio Speech, Anti-War Speech." The Canton, Ohio Speech.
2Constantine, J. Robert. "Eugene V. Debs: An American Paradox." Monthly Labor Review 114, no. 8 (1991): 30–33