A Dangerous Sort of Patriotism

The patriotism shown around July 4th is largely shallow and emotional, but surely one thing most Americans agree upon, is that it is unpatriotic to expose wrongdoing by the government or by our army. A patriot's duty is to suppress the evil of his country, because when those secrets are exposed, our nation is weakened.

To many Americans, to speak truth that the government disapproves of is the worst form of disloyalty.

The journalist Seymour Hersh was castigated for exposing the My Lai massacre of 450 helpless civilians in Vietnam. Those who expose police misconduct are accused of undermining law and order in our cities.

Abraham Lincoln shut down newspapers and jailed thousands for speaking out against the President's war against the South.

Julian Assange publishes documents exposing mass murder and military atrocities, and respectable American leaders and politicians call for his murder to shut him up.

During World War I, the government jailed citizens for criticizing the war. Movie producer Robert Goldstein was sentenced to 10 years in the federal prison for violating the Espionage Act when he made a patriotic movie about the Revolutionary War and portrayed the British invaders in a bad light.

Vermont Baptist minister Clarence Waldron was imprisoned for espionage after he refused to turn over a Sunday service to promote the war, and passed out a pamphlet that explained his Christian views against war.

Jeremiah told the truth about the Chaldeans sacking Jerusalem, and he tried to save the people's lives. The princes urged that he be put to death for disloyalty.

Jesus was put to death because the leaders falsely claimed He threatened the nation.