Monday, October 14, 2013

No More Lies

As the clock winds down on the 14th day of the government shutdown and we edge ever closer to defaulting on our country's debt, I find it ironic that my right leaning friends and I are actually, for once, agreeing on something.  We are all thoroughly pissed off at the stalemate and frustrated with the lack of progress being made toward some sort of resolution to this crisis. We are "liking" many of the same postings or comments on Facebook. The irony, however, is that the reasons behind the posting or the "like" are diametrically opposed.

Each side blames the other entirely for the mess. Republicans would like us to believe that everything they are doing is the result of unfair actions of the opposing side; that they are somehow being forced into this outrageous behavior.


In my opinion, the trouble comes when uninformed people choose to believe the lies being told by a few, very vocal individuals. They want to believe in the leaders of their party and blindly trust what they are being told.  The media, for the first time in longer than I can remember, at least seem to be waking up to the danger of letting these leaders just tell whatever lies they want.  But, is it too little, too late? Is this what happens when we let people tell lies and spin stories for the sole purpose of making other people look bad and never stand up and call them out on it?



My sense of justice and fairness is strong.  My son seems to have inherited this trait, and I don't
 know if that pleases me or worries me. There are times when I want to tell him that he needs to be less sensitive and let some things go. I tell him that you can't control what other people say and do. You can only control your own actions. But I understand, only too well, his frustration when he witnesses injustice and hurt caused to innocent people due to one person's lies.  Some people just can't handle accepting that things don't always go their way. And when they don't, these people, even grown adults, will do anything to try to force the outcome they want.  

On The Ed Show the other night I heard a politician express in simple terms why the President is not in a position of power in this situation, despite the fact that the HealthCare Reform Act was legally passed and upheld by the Supreme Court.  The reason was simply, "you can't negotiate with Crazy."  They went on to discuss the warped understanding that the American public has of the Health Care Bill, by playing clips of the Jimmy Fallon show's man on the street interviewing people on whether they were for or against "ObamaCare".  (In case you missed it, no one interviewed knew that "ObamaCare" was the same thing as the Health Care Reform Act, and while they were all in favor of the Health Care Reform Act, and each of the aspects of the Bill that were detailed for them, they all were against "ObamaCare").


It is clear that flat out lies are being told, confusing the public.  Talk of impeachable offenses, and the President being born in Kenya are still accepted by a portion of the public, despite being faced with unrefutable facts otherwise. It infuriates and sickens me and I don't know what can be done about it.


You know the old adage, that if a lie is repeated often enough, people will start to believe it?  Well, it seems that it's true.  Scientific America published an article to that effect, indicating that, not only is it true, but that trying to contradict the lies with truth often may inadvertantly strengthen the lie.


http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-to-stop-misinformation-from-becoming-popular-belief


I don't know about you, but I have a really hard time just accepting that there may not be a way to stop lies from becoming "truths" in the public mind.  I admit I'm pretty idealistic and always look for and expect the best in people.  But, I don't think it's naive to stand up and fight for something that matters, for truth and honor, justice and respect.  The truth is honorable and should win. Period.  Our President is the leader of free world and deserves our respect. Period.


Maybe calling bull-headed politicians who are wreaking havoc in our lives Crazy (with a capital "C") is not helpful.  Maybe calling liars and manipulators in general "Crazy" is not helpful.  But, does that mean letting them get away with it is? I don't think so.

Maybe I've been reading too many comics and watching too may superhero movies (Nah).  It is always a good thing to stand up for what you believe in, regardless of your fears, regardless of how difficult it may be, regardless of the odds against you.  I believe that with all my heart, and I always will.


 Yes, we are fearful of what may happen if the shutdown continues to go on, or if our country is allowed to default on our debt.  But we can't let fear cause us to succumb to this blackmail.    No one should be allowed to hurt others with lies for their own gain or blackmail someone to get their way. This is what I teach my son. This is what I  try to show him by example. This is what I am hoping our President shows us all by standing up to the Republicans holding our country's well-being hostage.


At the end of the day, we all have to do our own research and find out the facts before placing blind trust in statements being put out by people who have a definite agenda.  Usually the most vocal people are the ones with something to hide. They are the ones who have a vested self interest in ensuring that their stories are heard and drown out any opposing views, for fear that that may be all it takes to take down their house of cards.
The truth is quieter and more sure of itself. Seek it out and don't let the liars win just because they make the most noise.