By Glenn Melanconn
Justice requires the truth. As Americans we require anyone testifying to do it under oath. Oath breakers face penalties for perjury.
The truth is no less important in other aspects of life. Both Civil Law and the Bible made bearing false witness a crime. Civil law calls it liable. Psalm calls bearing false witness an abomination.
Bearing false witness also made it into the Bible’s Ten Commandment. Exodus 23 states, “You shall not spread a false report.” In Gospel of Matthew (15:18-20), Jesus himself listed slander and false witness as actions that defile a person.
How much more will bearing false witness, tolerating false witness and encouraging false witness defile a society?
Unfortunately, that is exactly what conservatives are doing by supporting The Loser, Donald Trump. The Loser started planting his lies before he lost. In fact he made a multi-year habit of lying about election results from President Obama’s Presidential victory to Senator Ted Cruz’s momentary victory in the Iowa caucuses.
The Loser’s slander didn’t cost him much. Conservatives flocked to his slander like moths to flames. The more he and his friends lied, the brighter his fire burned.
None of these lies survived in a Court Room. They all died quickly as oaths revealed the truth. Every state followed the law. Every state certified their votes. When Congress counted the votes, Joe Biden became the President.
Court after court listened to the lies and false allegations presented by The Loser’s lawyers. Time and again, however, they were dismissed as frivolous. When The Loser appealed his cases, even his handpicked justices on the United States Supreme Court dismissed him.
We now know that The Loser began calling Republican officials around the country. He wanted them to throw away millions of our votes. Even Republican officials refused.
Next, The Loser wanted his appointees at the United States Justice Department to intervene. They remained faithful to their oath. Still, The Loser pushed them. Only when they threatened mass resignations, did he back down.
On January 6, 2021, The Loser placed one last bet. He incited a mob to storm the United States Capital. He instructed them to disrupt our Constitution. The mob broke into the building and beat capital police officers with an American flag. The Loser watched on TV.
You have a choice to make. You have to decide whether to bear false witness. You have to decide if you will help the Loser continue defiling America and our Constitution. What will you do?
Glenn Melancon is a professor of history at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. He can be reached at glenn@glennmelancon.com. His opinions are his own and do not reflect those of the Jefferson Jimplecute.