In relation to the title of this article, many of you remember the song Sound of Silence, by Simon and Garfunkel, which peaked at No. 1 in 1966. The warning about silence and the promptings each person receives periodically to speak up are both haunting and timeless.
You can listen to it at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-JQ1q-13Ek
Similarly, who hasn’t heard the term or label “The Silent Majority?” How ironic is it, that such a label includes a “majority” of people, who have chosen to remain “silent” in the midst of the weakening of their society and government, or in any other situation, large or small, when even just one voice might have made a positive difference.
“In legal terms, ‘silence’ refers to the act of not speaking or communicating. This can happen in various situations, such as during a legal proceeding or when someone is expected to share important information. . . . in some cases, silence can be interpreted as an indication of guilt or knowledge of wrongdoing.” (source: https://www.legalbriefai.com/legal-terms/silence) As citizens of this Republic, are we not required to speak up against mistakes and fraud done by our public servants?
Consider reading the book “Silence is Not Golden” (1973)
Many voters go back to sleep when a person is elected to office that aligns with that citizen’s political party affiliation, and usually refuse to hold their elected officials to the ultimate standard of the US Constitution, which each of them swear to uphold, “against all enemies foreign and DOMESTIC” (emphasis added). Thomas Jefferson spoke simply and eloquently to that fallacy with these words: “In questions of power then, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the constitution,” – from the Kentucky Resolutions of 1798.
In the early 20th century Theodore Roosevelt echoed Jefferson’s words by warning: “PATRIOTISM means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the President or any other public official save exactly to the degree in which he himself stands by the country. It is patriotic to support him in so far as he efficiently serves the country. It is unpatriotic not to oppose him to the exact extent that by inefficiency or otherwise, he fails in his duty to stand by the country. In either event, it is unpatriotic not to tell the truth—whether about the President or about anyone else—save in the rare cases where this would make known to the enemy information of military value which would otherwise be unknown to him.” – from an article entitled Lincoln and Free Speech, which was published in the Metropolitan Magazine in May of 1918
Considering when these comments were made by former President Theodore Roosevelt, we can sense that our collective lack of objectivity and silence, in that people will follow certain groups, or individuals causes them to forget the big picture – the long-range effects, of the continuous weakening of our Republic, to what we witness today. The poor performance constitutionally, from many politicians, has existed in most political parties, and some “third” parties, for many decades.
The Preamble to the US Constitution begins with “We the People, . . .” formed the government, so ultimately all sovereignty resides in the citizens. Further evidence is found here: “Strictly speaking, in our republican forms of government the absolute sovereignty of the nation is in the people of the nation; and the residuary sovereignty of each state, not granted to any of its public functionaries, is in the people of the state; Chisholm V. Georgia, 2 Dall. (U. S.) 471, 1 L. Ed. 440. Bovier’s Law Dictionary.
Always treat your public servants with respect, but it’s often necessary to help them remember the proper pecking order. But, you may say, I don’t know enough to speak up. That’s a fair concern, but most people know enough to ask pertinent questions of their government officials. My late father used to tell me, “There are NO dumb questions, only DUMB people who don’t ask questions.”Also, the Apostle Paul wrote, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).
Never doubt the difference you can make as an individual. Edward Everett Hale (1822-1909) wisely said, “I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.”
The pen is ALWAYS mightier than the sword, so please share the above information on various social media platforms and with your government officials.
Leo Lindquist
Vice President