The canvas of Kansas is painted with fields of golden wheat, sometimes as far as the eyes can see.
Children who have chosen paths in life that have taken them away from their rural upbringings return to help with the harvest. While the pace is hectic, there is a peacefulness that prevails as we realize the fruits of our labors. From that peacefulness, perspectives often emerge, whether about one’s own life or the bigger picture of which each of us is just a speck.
In the course of a life and career that has taken me to several corners of the world — and that has allowed me to cross paths with folks from all walks of life — a basis for reflection on America’s situation has emerged. I have seen the best and the worst of humanity. But not even Webster could have imagined the words for his dictionary that would be apt to describe the current state of these United States of America.
I had the opportunity, perhaps I should say the privilege, to listen to remarks made at the dedication of former President Obama’s presidential center. Those remarks reminded me that governing means bringing people together, not tearing them apart. My thought was echoed in a couple of the songs that were performed at the dedication: “Higher Ground” and “Land of Hope and Dreams.”
On many occasions during the months since January of 2025, I have thought of the famous words uttered during the McCarthy era of the 1950s. “Have you no sense of decency?”
While the context then was different than now, those words are applicable every day — in fact, multiple times every day — as more pronouncements flow from President Donald Trump’s administration. We also need to amend the quote to include “no sense of decency or truth.”
Just when one thinks that Republican officials trawling through the barrel have found a bottom, we realize that that is not the case.
Sadly, our Kansas Republican congress folks have no backbone to speak out. All of them are old enough to know better. Cruelty and incompetence are more and more apparent as the days pass. Those who behave in that manner are given a free pass — time and time again.
During the wheat harvest, I find the time to be alone with my thoughts. I can spend time to, shall we say, contemplate the universe. I say to myself—this cannot be. Yet, it is.
I also ask myself how any decent person can continue to support a man whose only agenda is enriching himself and his family, at the expense of America’s standing in the world. Forget the labels — Republican, Democrat, Independent, whatever — and ask the Make America Great Again disciples why they have left truth and decency at the door.
There has never been a period in my lifetime when I have had serious doubts about the future of America. Up until now.
The foundation of our democracy is being destroyed, one day, one act, at a time. Yet so many stand silent. In the heat and dust of a Kansas wheat field, it is all so crystal clear. We must look in the mirror; we must speak out. And we must do the right thing. We owe that to future generations.
Ben Palen is a Kansas native and a fifth-generation farmer and agriculture consultant in Colorado and Kansas. Through its opinion section, Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary, here.
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