Recently, members of Congress who previously served in the military and the intelligence community issued a joint statement reminding those currently serving that they do not have to and should not follow illegal orders. These comments on the need to protect the American people against foreign and domestic enemies were met with accusations of sedition and death threats.

Our country has seen a drastic increase in political violence, on all sides of the ideological spectrum. It is one thing to question the legality of orders issued, especially with the amount of recent legal actions taken against executive orders and newly implemented policy directives. However, these should not be met with threats against members of the legislature and the executive office.

Every member of the National Postal Mail Handlers Union, along with every employee of the United States Postal Service, took the same oath upon hire that those in the military do. We swore to defend the Constitution of the United States and against all enemies, as well as bear allegiance to our country. It is from this oath that the public derives trust in the institution that is the Postal Service and the dedicated men and women who work for it.

Mail Handlers and all postal employees are seen as a guardian of basic lines of communication to every American household and business. We will not commit illegal actions and will continue to uphold our oath. It is not treason – it’s patriotism.