Cats tend to have more earthy and earthly concerns.

Flippant remarks aside, I was thinking of The Dreyfus Affair, which rocked France a little over 100 years ago.

At some point, it became increasingly impossible to contest that Dreyfus was entirely innocent of all charges against him, and that he was an honorable and brave man to boot. Not only that - his accusers were not merely wrong, they were liars, forgers and in fact had committed many of the crimes that Alfred Dreyfus was wrongly punished and humiliated for. Still, a large segment of French opinionmakers continued to insist that Dreyfus must be punished and his sentence upheld, *even* *though* he was an innocent man. Because army, France, patriotism, God, flag, honor, and all matter of tearjerker stuff.

That after he was finally freed form Devil's Island (no lie!), Dreyfus continued to loyally serve in the French Army through WWI and beyond is a testament to something, but I don't know what.