The Alien Enemies Act of 1798 is sweeping the headlines, but what’s been missed? The Sedition Act, its little brother (i.e., with a complex) will activate if The Alien Enemies Act is reinstated. Now, why should you care? Well, if you consider yourself vocal, if you’re the one at family gatherings everyone is hoping doesn’t say what’s on their mind, or if you work in the media – this article is for you. This thing’s a free speech killer, and if it got dusted off today, it could go after journalists, media outlets, you name it.
The Sedition Act—part of that same 1798 package—says it’s a crime to “print, utter, or publish any false, scandalous, and malicious writing” about the Government (p.s., that’s %50 of the internet). Back in the day, the Federalists pushed it because they were paranoid about war with France and didn’t like the Democratic-Republicans criticizing the Government. Archives.gov lays it out: they went after editors of Democratic-Republican newspapers—only those guys got prosecuted. Suppose you wrote something they didn’t like, boom, fined up to $2,000 and jailed for two years. That’s $50,000 in 2025!
The language is so vague it’s ridiculous. “False”? “Scandalous”? “Malicious”? What is that, an OnlyFans model? Next up, who gets to define that? Well, the Government and those in power are right. Imagine me saying, “Hey, this policy’s garbage,” and some Bro in the Government be like, “Charles, off to jail!” Yes, I know some would be grateful, but it’s not exactly the nicest thing. And yes, life would be easier if all the people I don’t like would go to jail, but sadly, I’m not the one in power, and most likely, you aren’t either, so we should stray away from this.
Now, it’s modern-day 2025. We’ve got President Trump talking up the Alien Enemies Act (Presidential Proclamation here). The media’s already under fire—labeled “fake news.” If this law came back, they could hit outlets or journalists with fines and jail time for “alternative perspectives.” Remember Kellyanne Conway’s “alternative facts”? Hilarious but brilliant!
Furthermore, consider how this will affect public discourse and critical thinking. If we disparage the act of questioning under threat of harm, we are more likely to stay silent and conform. It’s peer pressure on a whole other scale. This is about every person, artist, blogger, podcaster, writer, or reporter who may disagree with the powers that be.
History backs this up. Those Sedition Act trials angered people so much that the Federalists lost in 1800, and the law expired. But today? With social media and 24/7 news, it’d be a weapon. The Sedition Act is about control, not safety.
The law’s historical use remains a notable example of government efforts to regulate public expression. That scares me—how about you?
Written by: Charles L Randolph
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