It was an interesting discussion during dinner among like-minded friends. The issue was — Lying — a deadly sin parents begin harping on the instant Junior learns the art of covering up his wicked deeds. But this discussion had nothing to do with two-year-old Tommy putting Tabby in the oven and blaming it on his four-year-old brother and role model. No, this pow-wow had everything to do with lying on a much grander scale — specifically, the Biden-Ryan debate. One school of thought suggested there’s no place for using the L word with people of high standing — people who occupy the highest offices in the land. Somehow, uttering the L word isn’t seemly, somehow in bad taste. Besmirching the integrity of elected leaders somehow casts an uneasy shadow over the fruited plain. The other school of thought? Lying is epidemic. The former Arkansas Governor and U.S. President lied repeatedly and he still strolls across the national landscape like a rock star to his adoring fans. The current U.S. Attorney General, under oath, lied to Congress repeatedly and he remains untouchable on his lofty perch, the alleged guardian of U. S. justice. And most recently, the Vice President, his pearly whites glistening under theatrical lighting, lied repeatedly as if lying were a skill that would make him a first round draft choice. Meanwhile, the vaunted Fourth Estate, guardian of Liberty, lost interest in facts, preferring to engage in the practice of political prejudice than in the advancement of ethics, honor, principle and truth. Face it, you won’t hear the L word as opponents square off. Instead, you’ll hear terms like “inaccurate, misleading, exaggeration, dishonest,” etc. — because, as one school of thought suggests — you just can’t call a lie a lie. Within the bounds of political decorum, you may assert, “That’s not true.” Or, as Biden so cleverly proclaimed, “What a bunch of “malarkey.” Malarkey — does anyone under the age of 65 know the word? You appreciate the idea of civil discourse, respect and etiquette, but you appreciate something else more — the lives of Americans who gave everything to uphold the tenets of our founding freedom — the lives of Americans who gave everything to preserve an exceptional system that celebrates a moral value, like Truth. No, your school of thought can’t stomach a politician who tramples on the nation’s trust. If good people fail to expose lies at the very moment they’re spoken, they become willing accomplices to those very lies. And that failure leads to decline and dishonor. In 1642, Hester Prynne wore a scarlet A to symbolize her shame as an adulteress. Now, 370 years later, you think this concept should be put to good use. Substitute the red letter A with the red letter L and tattoo it on the forehead of Mr. Biden or any other lying pol, regardless of party or persuasion. You guessed it — there’s a marketing idea here — hand signs with the a big letter L for debate audiences to flash — billboards, yard signs, internet traffic, etc. If the L word fits, wear it.
