The Freedom to Question

I grew up believing that questioning was simply something Americans did.

We questioned things. We disagreed. We argued. We complained about presidents, made jokes about politicians, read different newspapers, voted, protested, and changed our minds.

I never thought of that as an extraordinary privilege.

I thought it was simply part of being American.

The freedom to question.

Lately, I've found myself thinking about that freedom differently.

Because what happens when questioning becomes a form of disloyalty?

What happens when disagreeing with a leader is portrayed as being against the country?

Something important begins to shift.

The question is no longer:

Is this true?

It becomes:

Are you with us?

And those are very different questions.