Editor’s note: This SpeakOut was written by Andrew L’Amour of Brookings.
I was recently listening to the smash hit from the 1965 year written by Paul Simon, “The Sounds of Silence.” It immediately drew me to our current political scene for some reason. Hmmmmm? I wonder why.
I pause in amazement over whether our current federal representatives even exist except in some distant memory. If indeed they do exist, do they have any clue about the present state of American domestic and international affairs? Do they consider any reasons about why most members of their constituency are worrying about:
• The high cost of living.
• Overseas entanglements in endless wars.
This is not just here in South Dakota, but across the country. Inflation is rearing its ugly head again, especially since our president has taken it upon himself to disrupt the lifeblood of our and the international economy by engaging in a war with Iran, which experts of the subject said posed no immediate affect to us while at the same time imposing high tariffs across the board — which translates to a tax on we the people.
The war with Iran is not being paid for with just our current budget, but with borrowed money, which the government has to pay out interest.
Your money pays for imported goods and it pays out borrowed money for every bomb dropped on Iran. I know I have heard our representatives in Washington — namely, Johnson, Rounds and Thune — speak.
They often are on the radio or television expounding of this or that farm bill, which are definitely important issues to South Dakotans. But shouldn’t some foreign activity such as war also hit the alarm button? War comes at a price whether it be currency or blood. Well, it won’t be our president’s currency. (Trump’s sons own a drone manufacturer and are hoping to be reaping money the longer the war lasts. The New Republic, March 9, 2026.) Nor any family member’s blood either, I would expect. Though capable, and I am certain that they likely have an opinion, what have any of our representatives said so far about our president’s efforts to make himself king?
One who has been anointed by our SCOTUS as supreme ruler who can do no wrong. I thought only God was of that realm. I daresay that our representatives are afraid of saying anything that would incur the wrath of the Almighty Wizard of Washington. Their silence is deafening, as my mother would have said. But should I lay all the blame at their feet?
Our U.S. Congress has already ceded all power to the executive. They practically bow down and lay prostrate before the Dominant Dominion of the Executive Branch. Foolishly, I was taught in school that the three branches of government were equal and that there were checks and balances so that not any one could dominate over one or both of the other two. Apparently our Royalty-in-Chief and sycophantic obsequious congressional leadership would disagree with my earlier school instruction. Is it any wonder that when I heard the words of “The Sounds of Silence” that I should not have thought of our representatives in Washington? But then I also have thought of many of my fellow citizens who similarly have said nothing, who have taken no non-violent resistant actions.
Write letters, call our representatives, voice your displeasure. March or stand in peace. We do not have to remain silent because others choose to do so.
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