#6

 Antiwar Sentiments: Why We Never Hear of Them

In a society that pushes for free speech and the welcoming of different ideas, I'm surprised that we never hear about antiwar sentiments in the mainstream media. After taking a look at the two websites provided, I can make an educated guess as to why this is the case.

Many of the features on the websites criticize the current President, Biden. For instance, on ANTIWAR.COM, one of the spotlights is entitled, "Biden Makes Americans Targets in the Middle East, Then Campaign on Their Deaths." I can think of perhaps two reasons why content such as this would fail to make popular headlines. One is that those who are writing such articles may be worried about speaking against the government. Clearly, some of these headlines are directed strongly towards political figures themselves, not just their policies. Maybe the writers are fearful of what the government may do if they speak out so boldly. The only caveat with this is - as we learned in class - the government can't do anything unless the writer's content has the potential to threaten or harm someone. The second reason that came to mind is the government may be discreetly preventing such content from going past obscure websites. Especially with it being an election year, many politicians, including current ones in office hoping to keep office, are working to push their individual agendas and frame themselves in a positive light.

These websites also take a clear political standing. One of them is even called theamericanconservative.com. I feel that most mainstream media doesn't vocally lean left or right. Take Fox News for example: while it's common knowledge that the news channel has conservative biases, the anchors and its website never outright claim a conservative viewpoint. I think popular media avoid claiming a political side because putting out biased content could decrease credibility in the public's eyes. Perhaps it would be the same in regards to taking a strong antiwar stance. Since an antiwar stance goes against the current administration's actions, it could hold implications for whether the public views these opinions as credible or not.

Regardless of why we rarely hear of strong antiwar sentiments, I think it's important that these voices start being heard more prominently. It is not a light subject, as it quite frankly involves life and death. Thankfully, some people are speaking their opinion. Although they are publishing their work on more obscure platforms, they are still making way for other people to possibly feel more comfortable sharing their own opinions. As we've reiterated in class, speaking our thoughts on government action is a responsibility we all have. I commend those who strive to do so.