Some believe dissent is equivalent to treason as it encourages the enemy. Because the United States is a representative democracy, policymakers must respect the will of the people, or else be voted out. Knowing this, enemies could intensify their attacks to force Americans to rise up and force a withdrawal from combat. By protesting against American policy, dissenters commit treason by showing that the country is divided, and thus give “comfort and aid” to the enemy. The Vietnam protests are an example of this, as cases where protestors waved North Vietnam flags and chanted “Ho Chi Minh” did not help troop morale. In fact, the protests seemed to make the war worse. The North Vietnamese launched the Tet Offensive for this reason – while it was militarily ineffective, it turned the American public against the war. But while those protestors disagreed with the government’s reason for war, they weren’t deliberately supplying the enemy with tactical details or strategies that could have helped the enemy kill more soldiers. This is true with modern day protestors, who try to make the distinction between supporting the troops and disagreeing with government policy. While protestors may be “unpatriotic” for disagreeing with the government in time of war, they aren’t traitors.

In other countries where dissent is considered treason, liberty is restricted. In China, the repressive government prevents people from disagreeing with state policy, and punishes those who do. A classic example of this is the Chinese government’s suppression of pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square in 1989. By putting a halt to these dissenters, China’s leaders held onto power but stifled attempts at democracy. Even in the Internet age, China still limits the people’s ability to speak out. According to the BBC News article, “Google censors itself for China,” Google prevents searchers from finding links to the Tiananmen Square massacre on the Chinese version of the search engine. With an authoritative government, China’s leaders can act unchecked, allowing for human rights’ abuses and extreme poverty in the country. Accusing protestors of treason would put the United States in the same league as China – a government that restricts personal liberty and the freedom of speech.

Americans have the right to disagree with their government without being accused as traitors. No matter what political rhetoric may be thrown at protestors, dissent is legal and should remain that way. For those who do protest, they should take heart that some consider dissent not treason, but the highest form of patriotism.