Their duty is to Americans

People appointed to serve in our government such as Gen. (James) Mattis must realize they serve at the will of the president but their loyalty must be to the American people. I consider Mr. Mattis to be an honorable person. Perhaps as a career military officer, chain of command is most imperative to him. He – just as Gen. Colin Powell earlier – showed their defiance in the way each deemed appropriate. This may not be the only way nor the best way.

Sally Yates as attorney general refused to defend President Trump’s executive order banning the admission of people from Muslim-majority countries. She believed it to be inconsistent with our Constitution. She acted knowing she would be dismissed by President Trump.

Earlier in this country we had the “Saturday Night Massacre” – the name popularly applied to the events that took place on the evening of Saturday, Oct. 20, 1973, during the Watergate scandal. President Richard Nixon ordered Attorney General Elliot Richardson to fire independent special prosecutor Archibald Cox; Richardson refused and resigned effective immediately. Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus likewise refused, and also resigned.

Perhaps the distinction relates to having a civilian vs a military background. This is not a judgment call, just my personal opinion. If you see an action by any president which you believe is wrong, your options should be to defy or resign. The job of all government officials is first and foremost to serve the American people.

Phil Ward

Coeur d’Alene