Lying to Congress
What I am about to write will most likely not curry much favor among those who read it. I know that going into this. Or, perhaps most or all of you will agree at least in part with my conclusions. Either way, these are my thoughts concerning this subject.
We have all seen and read much about the Roger Clemens trial for perjury. He had the audacity to lie to congress about taking “performance enhancing drugs”. He took chemical supplements that gave him an edge over others in a game he played. They made him, perhaps, a little better than he may have been without taking them. Yes, it gave him a slight advantage over those who he pitched against. No. It was not playing fair. Yes. He was wrong. But, in the final analysis, he was guilty of cheating in a game. Whether or not he took these steroids, he was a great pitcher, one of baseball’s all time greats. His name has forever been tarnished because of this scandal. He will not enter the Hall of Fame. This blog in not primarily meant to analyze his taking of steroids. I see another issue at play here. Perhaps a more important issue than whether an athlete uses chemicals to build his muscles so he can excel in his chosen sport. What the trial is all about is that he lied to a bunch of other liars. Does anyone believe anything that any politician says? Lying is ingrained into their very soul. What sticks in my craw is that congress has the nerve to accuse him of lying to them. Hey! Congress! When you learn to tell the truth to us, then you can rightfully expect the public to tell you the truth. Liars do not deserve to have the truth. They deserve only what they give. “You reap what you sow.” You cannot expect to sow lies and reap truth. Nature does not work that way.
How many politicians are guilty of cheating in their game? Every one of them. They have even been known to resurrect the dead in Chicago in order to get more votes. Yet, they dare to condemn and then crucify athletes for cheating in their game. Why the double standard? Why do politicians believe it is acceptable for them to cheat and lie in order to get what they want – reelection to their cushy job with its better-than-any-other-citizen-has benefits? Because they are the law makers. They say what the rest of us must do. They exempt themselves from many of the rules they institute for the rest of us. They deem themselves better than us. More worthy.
Congress reminds me of a store in Nottingham, NH at the fork between Routes 152 and 156. It is named Liar's Paradise. Old timers used to gather there around the old wood stove and see who could tell the biggest whopper. Prizes were given to the winner. It seems to me that the entire congress should be named Liar's Paradise, for they all are guilty of lying, and they all seek the winner's prize of reelection. The only problem for them is that no liars go to Paradise. They all go to the "lake of fire." Liars, regardless of whether they are congressmen or not, regardless of their motive for lying, are on very dangerous ground. They are tempting the Almighty.
Now, the Bible does state that we must honor those in authority over us. And congress is in authority over us. But…(you heard the but coming, didn’t you?) congress is responsible to God for how they conduct the affairs of state. They must not be self-serving, but must serve those who elected them to their office. Congress is in authority over human beings, and human beings will mimic what they see their leaders doing. If they see them cheating, or hear them lying, what do they expect others to do? What they tell them to do or what they see and hear them doing? If they want to be respected as leaders, then do not criticize others for following in their footsteps.
Being lied to by citizens is exactly what congress should expect when that is what they do to the American public. If they want truth, then give and live it.
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