Allegiance is sworn to the Constitution, not any officer or commander. Judgement is, as always, for the individual. Unfortunately, we do not educate individuals sufficiently to understand such responsibility.
As for the rebellion that called itself the Confederacy, any action against it was in...
Separate, but equal could be a reality. It depends upon the context. For instance, men's and women's sports could and should be separate and equal. The reality as it applied to schools was that it was entirely discriminatory based upon race and was very far from equal.
The "source" of "rights", as with all concepts and language, is intellect. Humans conceived of "rights" long before the US was formed. The Constitution sought to clarify and confirm certain points. This has had mixed results, especially due to various intellectual biases.
After all the problems we have had with supplies and prices of oil, driving the oversized vehicles that everyone insists upon is its own punishment. Of course, such egoists blame someone or something their than their own egoism.
One thing "artificial intelligence" is, by definition, is artificial ignorance. Whatever it might artificially "know", there is everything else it, artificially" ignores.
So, the original laws were to protect state employees from threats or danger. OK, that has nothing to do with the public right and even obligation to oversee the expenditures of public funds. Prohibiting reporting is, thus, contradictory to democratic function.