“Yes, your Majesty!”

My Sierra County neighbors,

There is an old dictum that states, “Silence gives consent”. We are watching that play out in real time in this country.

The Oval Office dictator declares global tariffs, in direct violation of the Constitution. The response from Representative Kevin Kiley: silence.

The dictator declares that birthright citizenship no longer exists — even though the Fourteen Amendment says it does. Kiley’s response: silence.

The dictator decides whether Congressionally-appropriated money should be spent as Congress determined — although the Constitution says that power belongs to Congress. The response from Kiley: silence.

The dictator brags about the murders he is committing on international waters because he has decided that we are in a war — though the power to declare war rests solely with Congress. Kiley’s response: silence.

The dictator demands that Republican states redistrict to give him more Congressional sets that he “deserves”. Kiley’s response: silence. (It should be noted that Kiley only spoke out on this issue after California took measures to counter the dictator’s power-grab — which, subsequently, threatened Kiley’s seat in Congress.)

The dictator has from day one of this term, and continues, to usurp powers that the Constitution gives to Congress. Congressional Representative Kiley’s response: silence.

Yes, silence gives consent. But, it also speaks volumes. With every instance of silence in the face of dictatorial power-grabs, Kiley’s silence screams loudly, “Yes, your majesty!”

Paul Guffin

Downieville