The Clinton administration was built on layer after layer of lies.  It started with the big one that set the tone… “This will be the most ethical administration ever.”  It continued with; The 900 confidential FBI files on Republicans wound up in the White House by accident, Hillary made $100,000 in the futures market by reading the Wall Street Journal, We did not get campaign contributions from the Chinese, We did not transfer technology to the Chinese in payment for campaign contributions, I did not perjure myself, I pardoned the fugitive from justice who renounced his citizenship “on the merits”, I did not have sex… and on and on. 

Now that the Clintons have a little less control of the media and their fiends some of the lies are unraveling and he is paying a price.  Well maybe I did say something untrue, but it wasn’t a lie and thus not perjury… it continues.  But what the heck, what does it matter?  We really knew some of these whoppers were lies, but we rolled our eyes or winked and went on.  No big deal. 

Well it is a big deal.  As lies are allowed to stand unchallenged it does make a difference. It changes our perceptions about telling the truth.

 I recently read in a syndicated newspaper column that offered movie reviews to parents to guide them in allowing or not allowing their child to see a certain movie the following:  Concerning the movie “Little Nicky” it said; Violence; There are slapstick knockdowns.  Sex: None, but the talk gets raunchy.  Profanity: Frequent.  Footnote: There is some drinking and drugging.  The advice to parents of children 9 and older: The movie is relatively harmless.”    In other words it is harmless for your 9 year old to be exposed to raunchy language, profanity, drinking and drug use.  That advice is a lie.  Do we just let that lie live?  Do we not challenge?  Do we ask what good does it do a 9 year old to attend this movie?  Do we ask how does it numb the senses of a 9 year old when he hears this message over and over again? 

 In another huge circulation magazine kids were asked what they would ask President Bush if they had the chance.  One 15 year old said she would ask; “What will you do to help small, rundown towns?  There’s nothing for kids to do here—except get into trouble or get pregnant.”  There are a couple of lies that should be answered in this question.  Is the government supposed to provide all, solve all?  The second and more important lie is that the choice is for the government to give or else I do wrong.  Too often the reaction to such a statement is “Isn’t she so perceptive” when the real answer would be to “Get Real!” 

Another student wanted a hotline so an anonymous voice on the other end could solve his love life problems…. Again “Get real!” 

On a call in show I heard a caller say the government should help him because he had to pay for his health care and that was a big bill.  Several lies there as well.  It was a request for the big lollipop in the sky to swoop down and bestow a gift on me.  The gift really is from the big lollipop…. And the biggest of all, I should not have to pay for my health care.  If the government pays, I do not.  All lies. 

The lies just lie there, unchallenged.  As the lies pile up they insulate our ability to reason, but more importantly we see how easy it is to lie.  Nobody challenges, nobody says “wait a minute”!

 So lies do matter.  They corrupt and corrode our society.  So the next time you hear a lie say something, care about it and you just might break the cycle.