Connecticut's Attorney General and U.S. Senate candidate Richard Blumenthal was recently caught lying about his service in Vietnam. According to reports, this wasn't the first time he misspoke and allowed the myth of his wartime service to be spread unchecked.
Once caught, Blumenthal back-peddled, never labeled what he did a lie, and became defensive with media. Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine commented that Blumenthal's actions were wrong, but shouldn't hurt his run for office.
How sad that grown men do not see lying as a problem of trust? How disturbing is it that telling lies should not impact a person's run for political office? What kind of message do we send others about telling the truth? Isn't lying one of the reasons Americans have lost trust in public officials? When we witness people saying whatever is necessary in order to get elected or pass their agendas, trust is lost. And trust is fundamental to any relationship.
I do not want to make the Attorney General's willingness to lie about politics. I really do not care which political party he represents. There is a bigger issue at work here. On the one hand, we teach our children that telling the truth is always the best option. In our family, if you tell the truth, the consequences are less than if you lie. But what our children and teens witness through media is just the opposite--tell the truth only when it works for you. If you can get away with a lie, it is no big deal. If the end justifies the mean, than maybe lying is necessary. Yet, honesty is the foundation of building trust.
Source: CBN | Dr. Linda Mintle
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