U.S. SOLDIERS in Afghanistan (Wikipedia/Department of Defense).

Should you do something illegal and/or even immoral just because someone in authority told you to do it?

This quandary is in the news as a federal grand jury refused last week to indict six members of a group of military and intelligence community members for making a video urging those in the military and spy agencies to refuse to obey and carry out an illegal order.

Some people are surprised that the subject would ever even come up. Some think that if you’re in the Army (Navy, etc.) the word of a superior officer is akin to that of the Almighty.

Well, that’s just not true. Certainly your superior has the right to tell you to do some distasteful things. In my unit, after final formation, the lowest ranking soldier still in the building had to clean the latrines. I soon learned to bolt for the parking lot as soon as the commanding officer said, “Dismissed.”

But we’re talking about larger issues. The treatment of prisoners. Sexual or racial harassment. Hazing. Taking part in an unlawful military operation against another nation or your own country (it’s not impossible).

Folks in many occupations – ranging from school teachers to Green Berets – swear an oath to support and defend the Constitution.

It’s a vow to support your nation, not an obligation to follow the whim of some hooplehead who just happens to have lots of rank.

Granted, it takes a lot of fortitude to take that path. There can be a cost which many people might not be willing to pay.

But – in some cases – the most patriotic thing one can do is to say, is “No … sir.” Or “No … m’am.”