“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."
-- Theodore Roosevelt

            Theodore Roosevelt at first seems an odd person to make a statement supporting critics of the President—he was, after all, President himself for a number of years.  That he himself would call censorship of presidential critics “unpatriotic,” “servile,” and “morally treasonable” speaks volumes about his own feelings on democracy and the importance of free speech.  In the past few years, the idea has sprung up again that the President’s policies should not be criticized or questioned.  But such an attitude is not only patently un-democratic, it is also dangerous to the system of representative government.  Roosevelt’s quote is relevant today because it represents a clash of two attitudes about government which are still at odds: one that smacks of authoritarianism and another based on the principles of democracy.

            The authoritarian attitude on government looks to government authority figures for the last word on any subject.  While the people have rights, these rights are given to them by the government.  The people may go about their lives with a reasonable amount of liberty and freedom of opinion, but ultimately their duty is to the government, and in certain situations no dissent is acceptable. 

            The democratic attitude differs from the authoritarian even in its basic assumption: it assumes that, instead of the government handing out rights to its people, the people already have rights.  Rights are a natural part of being human, and government must simply preserve them.  Thomas Jefferson expresses this attitude in the Declaration of Independence when he writes, “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”  According to the democratic attitude, citizens do not have an obligation to follow the government’s lead; the government should respond to the citizens’ wishes.  This attitude is more open to free expression, especially that which criticizes the government and its officials.  Roosevelt makes clear his adherence to the democratic philosophy over the “morally treasonable” authoritarian.

            However, Roosevelt goes beyond calling the authoritarian philosophy incorrect.  It is interesting to note his choice of language: calling for no criticism of the President is not only “treasonable” but “servile” as well.  The very idea, in Roosevelt’s mind, screams weakness.  He speaks to the fact that it is often easier to live within an authoritarian atmosphere than within a democratic one, paradoxical though that idea might appear.  For when no criticism of the President is allowed, the President never has to defend himself against political enemies.  Members of the government never have to weigh the evidence in favor of any policy over another; it’s all up to the President.  The President becomes in effect a dictator, if the authoritarians have their wish.

            Dictatorships are efficient, neat, and organized.  Dictatorships are tranquil, at least in comparison with free societies.  When no criticism is allowed, difficult questions can’t be posed to trouble the dictator’s (or the individual citizen’s) mind.  In the end, it takes a lot more hard thinking and intellectual courage to live in a democracy than in a dictatorship.  Roosevelt, famous for his exploits during the Spanish-American War, displays a soldier’s contempt toward authoritarians, effectively calling them cowards for their unwillingness to face criticism.

            Today, on the other hand, the polar opposite of Roosevelt’s opinion has become the norm: it is criticizing the President that is seen as “unpatriotic” and weak.  Since the advent of the War on Terror, many members of President Bush’s administration—especially Attorney General Ashcroft—have voiced the opinion that anyone disagreeing with the way the President and his administration have handled homeland security questions at home and the war abroad is playing into the hands of the terrorists—they are, effectively, traitors to the United States.  Across the nation, critics of Bush’s policies are often met with hostility, especially in the war atmosphere of the past few years.  Many times, critics are ridiculed as being weak and indecisive in the face of a national crisis—when in truth, most critics of Bush are only offering their own solutions to that very crisis. 

            Unfortunately, this new stereotype is invading the political discourse of the nation, and many people are afraid to offer more than a quiet reproach to the President’s policies.  It is the pervasiveness of this authoritarian attitude, coupled with a state of open-ended war (how does one declare victory against something as general as “terrorism”?), that presents a major threat to the American system of government.  It is for this reason that we must remember Roosevelt’s warning today and not allow the President a dictatorial free reign.

            If the United States was founded on the ideal of representative government, its citizens must be vigilant to make sure that they are truly being represented.  This involves making the citizenry’s wishes known to the government, which often takes the form of criticizing existing governmental and presidential policies.  Critics cannot approach the President quietly and apologetically, however unpopular their views may be.  All citizens have a right to their own opinions, whether they agree with the President in all respects or not.  The country needs to realize this fact, and it also needs to realize the danger of allowing censorship of criticism: a step in the authoritarian direction can easily be a permanent step away from democracy.  Roosevelt’s quote is a timely reminder of both our heritage of freedom and our responsibility to preserve it.

A/N: This is one of my college essays…it was a fun topic to write on...opinions welcome.