Veracity

 

 

 

"I do solemnly swear to tell the truth so help me....whatever..."

I don't want to sound like I have been chastened, but what is it with politics and veracity, or should I say the lack thereof? We have done down the road less traveled, from expecting truth, to accepting sophism, deceit and out and out lies. In fact, some have lauded praises on our 42nd President saying he was an "accomplished liar".

We have come a long way from when a person's word was his or her bond. I remember a couple years ago, the owner of a tree cutting company came out to give me a bid on taking out six trees. Once we agreed on price, he held out his hand. I asked him, "Don't you need me to sign something?" He replied no need - we shook hands and that is all he needed. In other words, he trusted me to be honest, not to lie to him about my obligations in the deal.

I actively working on only one campaign this year. It is for a person who lives another district. I have known her for a while, and like I really like her views and the way she thinks. However, the thing about her campaign which touched me the most was her view on truth. She has a passion for truth and an intolerance for those who ignore it. Why? Because without truth, we have no foundation. Without truth, our world, our views, become nothing more than fantasy. Truth is what keeps grounded to reality.

Yesterday, we heard the opposite of truth describe the ACA sign up numbers. The numbers were phony, and most of us knew it. Today, we also had more hearings on the Benghazi massacre. On Benghazi, we have had different people on the witness stand, however we also need the truth sitting along side of them.

Our Republic was started on truth and justice. Our founding documents reflected those values. One of my friends always talks about "truth to power". I would modify that just a bit - "truth IS power". To lie to the people who hired you is lower than low. Tell the truth - be honest. It will serve you well along with the electorate.