Treason or Anti-War?

I've generally tried to stay away from politics in this blog, despite my being a political junkie, but I read something that made me think a bit. A blog I read fairly regularly is GlennReynolds.com. Reynolds calls himself a libertarian and has generally conservative views. He's no ally of Bush but he's far more critical of large Democratic figures and especially the mainstream news media. His most recent post covered the smattering of anti-war protests that went on over the weekend. He breaks it down with supporting blogs (such as L.T.Smash) about how many of the "anti-war" protests are skirting dangerously close to anti-American or treason.

So I wanted to think: what is anti-war and what is treason? Certainly, feeling that we shouldn't have gone to war in Iraq in the first place would be anti-war. Everyone has their own opinions and to say that we shouldn't have gone is quite fair to say. I also think that positions such as Mr. Kucinich have are quite fair, immediate and total pull out. It may not be wise, but no one needs wisdom to have an opinion. To turn the operation totally over to the UN or Europe is also a fair option.

I think it crosses the line when you actively support the other side. To support the killing of your own country's troops and hope that the other side wins does constitute treason in my mind. Treason is actively defined as "Violation of allegiance toward one's country or sovereign, especially the betrayal of one's country by waging war against it or by consciously and purposely acting to aid its enemies." Some might argue that holding demonstrations is not directly acting to aid the enemy. I think the purpose of a protest is to attempt to change public opinion. To change public opinion to a point of total opposition of the government and in full support of its enemies, does constitute a violation of this tenant.

The problem is that for the last 30 years or so, we've been taught that if you oppose a conflict, its okay to root for the other side. Jane Fonda made it very popular with her well published exploits supporting North Vietnam, even to the detriment of US PoWs (see the war experiences of Sen. McCain for further detail). Now, mainstream media sees opposition to the war and active support of the opponent as one and the same. So you push the envelope a little bit more and a little bit more.

Now, am I saying that we should sweep down and arrest all these people for treason? No. Never give any person or organization a chance to martyr themselves for an audience. I do think though that people should look very closely at what a person stands for before you buy into their philosophy. Too many fringe groups (left and right) get lumped into very general reporting. Watch what a person is saying and make sure you have all the facts when you make up your own mind.