While I am not a scholar of history, the last time I checked, one of the rights of being an American citizen was the freedom of speech and the right to disagree with governmental policy within the scope of the law. Politically, this falls under the right of revolution (the tame, 21st century version where we blog about it) and is spelled out in the Declaration of Independence:
That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, - That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.
In this paragraph, the citizenry is told to think, to check, and to balance. It also points out that the power of the government draws its powers from the consent of the governed. This very suggestion gives credence to the opinion of the citizenry.
This article, written by a marine, however, tells us that it’s disingenuous for us to have these opinions once boots are on the ground; and that you cannot support the soldier and disagree with his cause. The soldier uses the buzz word “undermine” and insinuates that any controversy is detrimental to the success of the mission. The trouble with this, of course, is that it doesn’t leave any room for discussion or change, even when the battle itself changes – to send more troops, to withdraw troops, or in light of new intelligence information.Further, if we’re going to use the term “undermine,” this marine’s comments undermine some of the very tenets of this country that this marine has sworn to protect and defend. Freedom of speech and protest is our way of life, as long as we respectfully contain it within the scope of the law.
This article, written by a marine, however, tells us that it’s disingenuous for us to have these opinions once boots are on the ground; and that you cannot support the soldier and disagree with his cause. The soldier uses the buzz word “undermine” and insinuates that any controversy is detrimental to the success of the mission. The trouble with this, of course, is that it doesn’t leave any room for discussion or change, even when the battle itself changes – to send more troops, to withdraw troops, or in light of new intelligence information.Further, if we’re going to use the term “undermine,” this marine’s comments undermine some of the very tenets of this country that this marine has sworn to protect and defend. Freedom of speech and protest is our way of life, as long as we respectfully contain it within the scope of the law.
We as citizens are responsible to understand, as best we can, the choices and decisions of our government, because they are supposed to answer to us. We are responsible for becoming educated, for consideration, and to apply our thoughts by voting appropriately. We are responsible for voting our opinion, because we are told that it matters - as one commentator put it, the constitutional responsibility for oversight rests in our democratic process.
We are not told to blindly agree with the decisions of the government and military once boots are on the ground – in fact, that is inherently discouraged, for there is no room for despotism in a democracy.
We are not told to blindly agree with the decisions of the government and military once boots are on the ground – in fact, that is inherently discouraged, for there is no room for despotism in a democracy.
I would like to think that a thinking citizenry that takes these responsibilities seriously - and one who applies them with care and consideration to improve the country to its very best abilities – is the very definition of supporting the troops.
