To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we 
are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and 
servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. (1918)

But as Theodore Roosevelt so aptly informed the American people in an 1899 
speech in which he outlined his philosophy of life and his attitude toward 
U.S. expansionism, loyalty to one’s country has very little to do with 
unquestioning faith in our political leaders. In fact, declared Roosevelt:

Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the 
president or any other public official, save exactly to the degree in which 
he himself stands by the country. It is patriotic to support him insofar as 
he efficiently serves the country. It is unpatriotic not to oppose him to 
the exact extent that by inefficiently or otherwise he fails in his duty to 
stand by the country. In either event, it is unpatriotic not to tell the 
truth, whether about the president or anyone else.

Thus, it is vitally important that good citizens, good Americans, and 
therefore true patriots not only safeguard but consider a moral duty the 
right to question policies of their government and leaders with whom they 
might disagree. 

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