Loyalty: What Does It Mean to You

We hear the term loyalty a lot regarding our nation, the war, partisan politics, friendship, church, marriage, family, self, values, etc.

But, how is it measured? When is it best to put loyalty to values over loyalty to persons and things? When do we place loyalty to others above our loyalty to ourselves and our values?

These are all good questions for us to discuss here on Social Issues and most of us could come up with many abstract and concrete examples of what loyalty means and how we expect it to be exhibited to ourselves and others.

In the Why Haven't You Enlisted? thread, we talk a lot about loyalty to one's nation and its ideals under difficult conditions and we have there a remarkable analysis of just where people's loyalties lie in difficult time.

In Alaska, winter conditions are setting in and there the poor find themselves struggling to pay to heat their homes. There, the Venezuelan-owned oil company has offered free heating oil and many are turning it down on the matter of principle.

"As a citizen of this country, you can have your own opinion of our president and our country. But I don't want a foreigner coming in here and bashing us," said Justine Gunderson, administrator for the tribal council in the Aleut village of Nelson Lagoon. "Even thought [sic] we're in economically dire straits, it was the right choice to make."

The Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association, a native nonprofit organization that would have handled the heating oil donation on behalf of 291 households in Nelson Lagoon, Atka, St. Paul and St. George, rejected the offer because of the insults Chavez has hurled at Bush.

Maine Gov. John Baldacci, who approved an agreement last winter to buy discounted oil, said he had no plans this year to seek a similar arrangement. In Boston, a City Council member wants a landmark Citgo sign near Fenway Park taken down and replaced with an American flag. In Florida, a lawmaker asked the state to cancel Citgo's exclusive contract to sell fuel at turnpike service stations.

www.breitbart.com...

So, we see that all over the nation, from Alaska to Florida, Americans are just saying no, to borrow a phrase, to a scoundrel whose ''generosity" is predicated on the exploitation of the poor for his own benefit.

This is one example of what I call loyalty and I love it. It speaks highly of who we are and what we believe in.


[edit on 2006/10/10 by GradyPhilpott]

Loyalty, like respect, has to be earned.

I am loyal to my friends and family and, to some extent, my employer. My government shows respect for nobody, especially those who they expect to put/keep them in office and pay their wages. I have no particular loyalty to the state or the flag beyond abiding by the laws of the land, whether I think they are right or wrong.
I don't feel I owe anyone anything but approach everything I do, and people I meet with honesty and integrity, something the state is sorely lacking.

Loyalty is like respect it has to be earned.
Loyalty means that you stand by someone when they are going thou a rough patch. However Loyalty dosnt mean that you follow a person or government blindly. If a government or person is steering towards an incompant course of action a part of Loyalty is pointing out the flaws in a person or governments actions.

Loyalty to an government and country isnt the same thing nor is loyalty to a person and an organization .

Instead of showing loyalty the American right has followed the Bush admin blindly this has let to a situation where much of the american right is far removed from reality. An good example is this is when the Iraqi insurgency first appeared people like me said that the occupation of Iraq had been bungled. The response of Bush supporters was to label me a traitor and aniti American. Well it turned out that I and many other people were right.

One person who follows another person/government blindly is dangerous little alone millons of people who support an government blindly.

I dont want another debate concerning Iraq I was just getting my point across the best I could.



[edit on 11-10-2006 by xpert11]

[edit on 11-10-2006 by xpert11]

Loyalty is the defining measurement of our charachter. And well our charachter defines who we are as people. I think if you are in need and somebody is offering help, accepting the help is not a knock against your charachter. In life we all need help at one time or another, and I see this too as a credit to our charachter if were willing to accept help when it is required.

I have been injected with a serious dose of optimism so when I meet new people, I can be quick to trust and offer my loyalty. It is my view that they have not crossed me, so why would I take the impression they would. My loyalty is free for the taking, from whomever would want it. Often I am loyal to people that I know would not be loyal to me if the tables were turned, but if we are in a position to help why not lend a hand?

So on an interpersonal level, members have been saying loyaly has to be earned. Well it is my thought that loyalty is yours to lose. This is a formula to get yourself hurt from time to time, but sometimes you'll find the best in people when you go looking for it rather than letting it find you.

I don't see how citizens are loyal to their government. Loyalty to a government can be measured by voting for a constituent at the time of an election, or posting a sign in your yard to show support. Loyalty extends past the government in my opinion, and rests with the nation itself. I am not loyal to my government, however I am loyal to my nation and what it stands for.

The government itself and our nation are apples and oranges in my opinion. Administrations do not always stand for what the nation stands for.

I think the government of a country should be loyal to it's citizens. Not the other way around.
A government should always put it's people first. After all we vote them in and pay their salaries.
We are THEIR employers. And as our EMPLOYEES they owe us some loyalty for that. I think alot of people forget this sometimes.

Oh and I don't think the government should only be loyal to a certain class or type of people in the population.


[edit on 21-10-2006 by elaine]

[edit on 21-10-2006 by elaine]

[edit on 21-10-2006 by elaine]