George,

These are intriguing and difficult questions, on which the courts have never really given us much guidance. My own view is that, though I would be loath publicly to criticize the administration during a time of war, I would certainly be prepared to defend someone else's right to do so.

What troubled me about Vietnam was that those who vigorously opposed the war (including those who insisted, as one cannot fairly do today, that Congress never authorized our presence in Vietnam) extended their opposition to the armed forces and returning veterans in unconscionable measure.

While domestic dissent may in certain ways complicate the pursuit of military objectives, the ability to dissent even at such times also attests to the health of a democracy and the vitality of its free speech safeguards.

Bob O'Neil (electronic mail, March 25, 2003)

Editor's Note: Bob O'Neil is the Director for the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression.