Difference between revisions of "Patriotic dissent"
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American history is full of examples of patriotic dissent, from the Founding Fathers to the modern day: | American history is full of examples of patriotic dissent, from the Founding Fathers to the modern day: | ||
#[[George Washington]], [[Thomas Jefferson]], and the other leaders of their generation risked being called traitors and unpatriotic Englishmen to articulate a concept of ''American'' identity. Aside from facing strong opposition from the British, the [[Founding Fathers]] like Washington and Jefferson faced opposition from their fellow colonists, some of whom considered themselves to be Englishmen above all else. | #[[George Washington]], [[Thomas Jefferson]], and the other leaders of their generation risked being called traitors and unpatriotic Englishmen to articulate a concept of ''American'' identity. Aside from facing strong opposition from the British, the [[Founding Fathers]] like Washington and Jefferson faced opposition from their fellow colonists, some of whom considered themselves to be Englishmen above all else. | ||
| − | + | [[File:Warplan.jpg|thumb|400px|Wheeler leaks top sectret US war plan three days before Pearl Harbor]] | |
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| + | # In early December 1941 a military officer gave Senator [[Burton K. Wheeler]] a copy of the top secret American war plan for fighting Germany, and Wheeler gave it to the ''Chicago Tribune'', which published the secrets in a desperate effort to weaken the American military so much that Roosevelt would avoid war. Pearl Harbor came a few days later and Wheeler went quiet. | ||
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[[category:Political Terms]] | [[category:Political Terms]] | ||
Revision as of 08:09, May 15, 2009
Patriotic dissent is the idea that a citizen of a democracy has the right and the duty to not follow the crowd on matters political, but rather to stand up and try to do what's best for the country, even if it's unpopular, difficult, or labeled "unpatriotic."
Elections give every American citizen the chance to either support the current government, or register their own patriotic dissent by suggesting another path for America.
The majority party in elections often tries to label dissenters as unpatriotic, but this goes against the grand tradition of American political involvement.
Examples
American history is full of examples of patriotic dissent, from the Founding Fathers to the modern day:
- George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and the other leaders of their generation risked being called traitors and unpatriotic Englishmen to articulate a concept of American identity. Aside from facing strong opposition from the British, the Founding Fathers like Washington and Jefferson faced opposition from their fellow colonists, some of whom considered themselves to be Englishmen above all else.
- In early December 1941 a military officer gave Senator Burton K. Wheeler a copy of the top secret American war plan for fighting Germany, and Wheeler gave it to the Chicago Tribune, which published the secrets in a desperate effort to weaken the American military so much that Roosevelt would avoid war. Pearl Harbor came a few days later and Wheeler went quiet.