Lying.
This single word, with the exact same pronunciation, can mean either 1) making false statements, or 2) being in a horizontal resting position. While the two definitions seem far apart, there are moments in life when they just might overlap!
In the case of the not-to-be-named person currently leading the government, it’s easy enough to see his posture when he appears on television. What’s harder to discern, however, is whether the words coming out of his mouth are true. He continues to claim he won the 2020 Presidential election without a shred of factual support, and now he’s floating the idea of running for a third term — which is, of course, illegal — yet he spouts it anyway.
When it comes to disclosing what lies in the sealed files of his former close friend Jeffrey Epstein — whose history is steeped in the exploitation of young women and girls, and with whom our current leader shared a notably close relationship — our President insists those files must remain hidden. I cannot imagine why!
Recently, he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, claiming afterward that they had a “wonderful discussion” about the war in Ukraine. Yet he has not indicated whether he pressed Putin to back off and stop waging war against our ally, or whether he simply relished the chance to stand beside another world leader to boost his own ego. From all appearances, nothing positive came from this meeting other than our President having the opportunity to shake the hand of a man he considers important.
For those of you who take history classes at OLLI, our faculty members are historians who reflect on what factually happened over time, both nationally and internationally — not “re-written” history as our current leader would prefer, in order to erase America’s past failures. Otherwise, according to him, our children might actually learn that America has not always been a perfect nation.
I love my country deeply, but of course it has had its failures and missteps, as is true of any country. We must acknowledge these truths: the mistreatment of Native Americans, the long shadow of slavery and segregation, and the poor political decisions that led us into wars, such as Vietnam. That’s the purpose of news and history books — to help us understand and learn from the truth, not just swallow whatever words happen to come out of a political leader’s mouth.
Want to learn factual history? Take a look at OLLI’s upcoming fall courses — there are plenty of excellent ones to choose from!
Dr. Hugh Winig is a retired psychiatrist, a longtime OLLI @Berkeley member and volunteer, and a regular contributor to the OLLI Blog.
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