Why is it so difficult?

In the experiment called “America”, we the people differ on a lot of things from religion to politics to whether or not we should add sprinkles to our ice cream cone. But one thing that makes we Americans American is our collective desire to seek something we call “justice”. Our desire to find this justice crosses all boundaries of politics and faith, and it stirs a sense of righteousness inside us as we root for the victims and scorn the perps. Repeat after me, “One nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all”. Yep.

Then again, maybe we just call it “justice” because it delivers us to the moral higher ground as we wear the robe and pound the gavel. Maybe we just like seeing someone being punished. One of the pillars of our idealism about justice is to enforce a fundamental slogan: telling the truth, and we seek justice in pursuit of the truth whether the perp is a child, an adult, a president, or all three.

The Politics of Lying
I’m not really all that political, I’m a Libertarian at heart. I root for issues, not pundits or demagogues. If it doesn’t hurt me or help me or society at large, I usually don’t give it a lot of attention. But you know, it’s kind of hard sometimes to be a citizen of this America and not get sucked into the vortex of the national conversation. The evening news has become a kind of courtroom and every cable newsman is a prosecutor trying to get me to cast my vote as a juror to give them a quorum in their search of justice as they see fit.

I’m not going to take sides for or against Trump or Biden (or any of the other hooligans for that matter). The way I see it, Karma is a thing and usually the final arbiter of justice for all of us. Anyone with a moral compass knows our leaders have both crossed a few lines, but haven’t we all? And yet, we get so sucked into the story. It’s become a kind of bad season of Game of Thrones with characters from judges to lawyers to prosecuting attorneys and even a porn queen. As we the minions listen to the words of those we have given the privilege of ruling us, we are reminded about money about morals, and the idea that “no one is above the law” in their pursuit of justice on our behalf.

But is it justice we want, or do we just vicariously enjoy watching someone get punished for something we are too boring to do ourselves? We ascribe that our system of “due processes” is a system that’s fair, equitable, and just. And yet the pursuit of this justice often just drains us of the two resources we cherish most: time and money.

The Lawyers and the Babies
Enter the lawyers. Lawyers are the modern- day soldiers of justice. Don’t get me wrong, I like lawyers (when I win). Their job is figuring out who’s lying and who’s not (or who’s doing some of each). If you ever find yourself on the battlefield of justice as a victim or a volunteer, bring your Visa card because oh Lordy it adds up quick. And if it’s justice you see one this battlefield, just know that there’s a correlation: the more money you spend, the more justice you get. Here’s a bit of advice a friend once gave me that is sound and true: a contract is only as valid as the cost of enforcement. Yep.

Here’s something you may not know about lying: there’s a body of research shows that most of us start lying at about the age of two. There’s a group of pediatric psychologists who tell us that not only is kids lying perfectly normal, but it’s a critical component of psychological development. “Theory of the Mind” they call it. Here’s the argument: by lying we are really developing the higher cognitive functions of being able to separate reality from fantasy and build an alternative reality so we can sell our deceptions to those we must have buy them. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never seen the bumper sticker that says, “Proud Parent of a Complete Liar.”

Back in the Day
I was 30 once. Maybe you were too. When I was in 30 I was invited to go to an event – it was a long weekend for adults that was probably best described as the biggest session of group therapy ever. A friend said it was cool and there would be girls there, so I was in. For four days we sat in the program room, looked at ourselves, and did something they called, “The Work”. I dated a few of the girls from the program room and eventually got dumped by all of them, but there was this one thing that went on each day I was there that I will never forget: each day the sign over the top of the speaker got bigger, and bigger, and bigger. It had just 3 words on it. “Tell the Truth”.

I wasn’t an Eagle Scout and I’m not your priest. I’m a Libertarian, and as a Libertarian, I figure your relationship with your moral compass is between you, Karma, and your preferred Deity. I just find it kind of amazing how much energy, time, attention, and money we still find ourselves pouring into the pursuit of justice. It would be much easier, faster, and less expensive if we all just told the truth.