For those of you following the recent Colorado Supreme Court decision, here’s a seldom discussed bit of historical background. Other than the Civil War, the 14th amendment of the U.S. constitution was invoked on another occasion, this time to sanction a socialist Congressman who was a vocal critic of World War One. It’s another example of a relevant historical event that gets studiously ignored due to the need for narrative damage control.

When the United States entered the war and passed the Espionage Act of 1917, Berger’s continued opposition made him a target. He and four other Socialists were indicted under the Espionage Act in February 1918. The trial followed on December 9 of that year, and on February 20, 1919, Berger was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.

Berger’s conviction was appealed and was ultimately overturned by the US Supreme Court on January 31, 1921…

…the voters of Milwaukee once again elected him to the House of Representatives in 1918. When he arrived in Washington to claim his seat, Congress….declared the seat vacant, disqualifying him pursuant to Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_L._Berger