His truth, her truth, and the real truth . . .

Add caphoto credit: Mobilus In Mobili Supreme Court Steps via photopin (license)ption

One of the most frustrating things in our current political forum is the act of deciphering who's right and who's wrong, and sticking with it despite all the oppositional facts that surface on an almost hourly basis. A few months ago we suffered through the Kavanaugh trial against a very meek looking Christine Ford who was accusing the would-be judge of sexual misconduct decades prior. I was willing to give both parties a good, fair chance at telling their truths, but it became obvious there was only one to be had for a particular side, and the others' would be flatly denied. Then came the blame and name calling, then she became a flat-out scapegoat. Public beheading would have been more pleasant than the trial.

Kavanaugh lied on the stand about many things. That is a fact. And, for me, that was the clincher. He lied. He lies. End of story. But does his behavior make her 100% innocent? There's no way to tell. That's why we have a judge and jury. From a character standpoint it was clear which one took the trial with respect: the one who answered in earnest and without disdain against the other who clearly put on a show to manipulate the powers that be. You would think it would have provided a decision point for the jury. But it only seemed a detractor from a decision they had already made.

Here's my problem. A what if . . .

He has a wife and two children. What message was sent out to them by condoning his bad behavior? Rewarding, if you will. What message was sent to his daughters? Despite their age, I would guess at least one of them knows the truth. I think the way he acted on stand is how he acts at home, tirades that make his family walk on eggshells. But now his daughter believes that even if a man yells, grimaces, berates, chides, lies to a person, it's okay. She now has a set idea that the truth isn't important. She now believes a man can be angry with her one minute and accepting the next, and any discomfort is her fault. She now has a screwed viewpoint of humanity for the rest of her life, because we all coddled a lie.

But what if he had told the truth?

Yes, now she has to accept the horrible fact that her father assaulted someone years ago. Her father wasn't a good person. However, by admitting his mistakes and trying to make up for them she now knows that people can evolve, justice wins, victimization is recognized, and above all, truth is all that matters. Honor is all that matters. It would have hurt to hear the truth, most definitely, but it would be far better to hear it, than to live in its decaying shadow. Which is what we've sentenced her to for all of eternity.

A man who lies to the world, lies to his children. A man who lies to himself, lies to the world (and yes, you can switch this to a woman if it serves you). No growth is found, only stagnation.

I wish with everything in my soul that he had gotten on his knees and told the truth--for his wife and children's sake. But he did not. And we rewarded him for this. It served us. Now we have a gaping wound in this country. We keep rewarding liars and silencing the victim. You don't live in someone's lies. You die. It's cancer. It stunts your growth.

I truly hope we change. And I believe America is heading that way. I guess we needed these social/moral inoculations to strengthen us forever, but it hasn't been easy.

What are your thoughts on this issue? How did you feel about the trial and all that is going on?

Thank you for reading.