Pants On Fire

"Liar, liar, pants on fire, 

Hanging by a telephone wire!"

  

Do you remember this chant from your childhood? Well, it seems that recently in the press, we are finding many who have forgotten as a rule; our society doesn't like liars. We have rules for it when you lie in court, lie on a resume or lie to the IRS.  Maybe they just need a refresher on the chant. I honestly wasn't going to say anything on the subject, when a certain liar came to the front of the line. Then another vied for the spot, I felt I had no choice but to discuss lying and liars.

So let's get this topic going. Mr. George Zimmerman, do I have to say more? This man already has enough to contend with in regards to Trayvon Martin's shooting death, but really when it's a question of your word being your only defense, wouldn't it behoove you to be truthful? No, not for Mr George Zimmerman, who, in collusion with his wife lied to the court about how much money was actually available to them. I knew he was lying when his attorney said the money donated to the website was not accessible to Mr Zimmerman or his family. I had a PayPal account, money is IMMEDIATELY available, it goes directly into your bank account. To quote Mr Benjamin Crump, attorney for Trayvon's parents; "This exposes Mr Zimmerman's lack of credibility and the statements he made that night of self defense." Personally, I do not believe it was his intention to shoot and kill an unarmed teen that night 15 weeks ago, but I do believe he lied to himself when he shot Trayvon. Lied about needing to use deadly force. Lied when he said Trayvon attacked him first. Lied when he claimed he followed Trayvon for no other reason, other than he was a Black kid in his neighborhood. Lying, is not a defense. 

Now to my all time favorite liar of the week; Donald Trump. I have to ask if Donald Trump is as ignorant as he plays on TV. Normally I can excuse his behavior as that of a circus barker, pandering to gain attention to promote his brand. This Birther issue that he keeps regurgitating about the President, is redundant of the ridiculousness of those who are racist in this country. I say this because never in the history of the American presidency has the issue of place of birth drew such question as that of Barack Obama. It can only be indicative of his race, because clearly a Harvard education, or having spent years in government office, is not drawing the negative attention. No one asked for the validity of John McCain's claim to run for office when he made his bid back in 2008. FYI he was born in Panama, granted it was allegedly on a Naval Base, but I suspect had this been President Obama, the legitimacy of his birth would have been brought even under more scrutiny, then it is now. Mind you the Republican Birther Conspiracists are the same ones that were looking into changing the law so that Arnold Schwarzenegger could have made a run for the highest office in the land. Mind you that was when he was the Republican darling, now that his marriage fell apart amidst the illegitimate child he conceived during said marriage, the love from the G.O.P. has gone by the wayside. Seems that the Republicans have a short memory, contrary to that of their mascot. 

What specifically that Trump has lied about is not knowing what is true and untrue, as he alleges about President Obama's own publisher making a claim that he was born in Kenya.(see video) Not true Donald, and you know it as well as I do. The statement was from a publicist, not publisher and they admittedly did not do any fact checking. So, if I give Mr Trump the benefit of the doubt, I can say he was confused with the word publisher and publicist, the two sound alike, but when he ends his statements with "People know me and know I am a smart guy". Well, I have to draw the line and call him what he is; a liar, no less then George Zimmerman. It is feasible to also conclude that Donald Trump is merely delusional, this is a man that for years has been sporting a comb-over, as if he is not going bald. Draw your own conclusions.

Perhaps in life we feel the need to tell lies. To our bosses when we call in sick, or loved ones when we tell them those jeans don't make them look fat; but lying is doing this country more harm then good. In case you all forgot here are a few lies that has gotten us to where we, as a nation, are today. I promise I will only go back a decade, any more and my blog will become another book. 

• The reason we went to war in Iraq; A LIE!
• Bernie Madoff's business acumen; A LIE!
• The financial institutions' (pick any failed bank or investment firm) solvency; ANOTHER LIE!

I believe that this utter lack of ethics is becoming a systemic problem in our society that we have, albeit begrudgingly, accepted as business as usual. There was  time when we valued truth. It was once said; "You are only as good as your word". Have we become so entangled in the web of lies being sold to us that we can no longer discern fact from fiction? Or is it simpler to say that we have become complacent when it comes to lying? This is why we should not be shocked at the SAT scandals of children cheating their way to college. Nor should we be dismayed at the rise of Identity thefts. so people can lie and pose as others, stealing their funds. 

As a mother, I try to teach my children the benefit of honesty and integrity, a job that is becoming increasingly difficult when my now college bound daughter can see for herself that the adults of this world have made their professions and fame through dishonesty.  Isn't it time we started telling the truth? Better yet, how about if we started demanding the truth. It is such a novel idea, I might dare say it may possibly work and lead us in a new direction. 

After all, it can't put us any worse then we already are.

So of course I have a few quotes on the subject for you all to digest;

“I have a higher and grander standard of principle than George Washington. He could not lie; I can, but I won't.” ― Mark Twain

“When truth is replaced by silence,the silence is a lie.” ― Yevgeny Yevtushenko

“Anger at lies lasts forever. Anger at truth can't last.” ― Greg Evans

 Video sited earlier;