Rep. Sam Zager is in his third term serving part of Portland in the Maine House of Representatives. He is a Secretary of the Navy Distinguished Graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and served as an intelligence officer in Operation Enduring Freedom.

Fellow veterans, we chose something greater than ourselves when we joined the United States Armed Forces. We affirmed values like honor, courage, commitment, duty and integrity; we swore loyalty to the U.S. Constitution.    

The late Sen. John McCain, the Republican nominee for president in 2008, was a prisoner of war in the Hoa Lo Prison, the infamous “Hanoi Hilton,” from 1967 to 1973.  He wrote that America’s causes are liberty, equal justice and respect for the dignity of all people.

Indeed, our military has repeatedly fought against regimes that suppressed freedom and tormented their people:

• In World War II, the U.S. and our allies defeated regimes that had trampled civil liberties of vulnerable populations.  
• The U.S. sent troops to the Korean Peninsula in the 1950s largely to support free and fair elections. 
• Our Republican and Democratic presidents said in the 1960s and 1970s that the Vietnam War would help preserve democracy and freedom. 
• President Ronald Reagan said at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate in 1987 that through the Cold War efforts and sacrifices of the U.S. and our allies, “Democracy has been given a rebirth,” and that “Freedom is the victor!”
• At the start of Operation Desert Storm in 1991, President George H.W. Bush addressed the nation, “We have before us the opportunity to forge for ourselves and for future generations a new world order — a world where the rule of law … governs the conduct of nations.” 
• After the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, President George W. Bush said in the U.S. Capitol: “Americans are asking, why do they hate us? They hate what we see right here in this chamber — a democratically elected government. Their leaders are self-appointed. They hate our freedoms — our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech, our freedom to vote and assemble and disagree with each other.”  

In our lifetimes, hundreds of thousands of U.S. servicemembers have sacrificed their lives in wars based on American values. Now, however, the United States is retreating from those values and sliding toward authoritarianism. This year, the Trump administration has threatened:  

• Freedom of speech, by arresting people without any evidence of criminal activity and without warrants. 
• Freedom of the press, by pressuring media outlets and journalists. 
• Due process and the rule of law, by trying to intimidate judges who rule against the administration. Even federal judges appointed by President Trump have rebuked his administration, including for failing to provide adequate due process. 
• Separation of powers, by failing to carry out appropriations and laws duly passed by Congress, which threatens the “checks and balances” that have prevented a slide into tyranny since the founding.
• Free and fair elections, by floating the idea of suspending the 2028 election. 

Actions such as these were not acceptable to the Founders, as spelled out in the Declaration of Independence, and they are not acceptable now. When our government backtracks on our imperfect journey, we the people must peacefully and assertively defend our rights. 

We veterans have a particular responsibility — and far more latitude than active duty members — to perform this duty.

Some veterans have told me they do not think the above actions cross a red line. I respect that, but I urge each of us to write down where our own red line is. Let’s listen and talk with each other about it. If we don’t have a red line, how can we claim to be defending what’s behind it? And if we aren’t defending the rights we’ve inherited, then we are failing both those who came before us, and those who will come after.

I’d be happy to join conversations about red lines at VFW, American Legion and AmVets posts. The first round is on me.