Liar, Liar, Hair on Fire

It is better to have a wild-eyed idealist in the Whitehouse than a proven cynic liar.

By Eddie Griffin

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

There are those who live by lies and feel comfortable therein. Sometimes, however, I am amazed at the content of their lies. But the liar and the lies do not irritate me as much as those who love a lie.

The song says, “Lie to me. That’s all I want you to do.” So goes America and those find a comfort in supporting Hillary Clinton.

I do not have to judge her to know all the untruths she has already told on the campaign trails. She has left a string of lies, from yonder to yonder, across America, from sea to shining sea, so much so that she has defaced our democracy.

Her recent win in Pennsylvania sickens my stomach. I am sick enough about the wickedness of her campaign, but moreover by those who believe and love a lie. How could they?

Such is politics, some might say, but that’s not what has me so heartbroken. It is the downward spiral in American values like a house without a home... empty... for sale.

Poor Barack Obama has tried ernestly to invoke the spirit of Abraham Lincoln in appealing to “the better angels of our nature”.

With the Union teetering on the brink of Civil War, Lincoln, in his 1861 inaugural address said:

“We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.”

But there were no better angels of our nature in 1861, and it is more and more apparent here in 2008, that America's better angel has fallen from heaven.

How can you say that, Brother Griffin? That is so unbiblical.

What happened in Pennsylvania reminded me of an ancient prophecy that has long since been fulfilled in the book of Judges. It begins:

The trees once went out to anoint a king over themselves. So they said to the olive tree, "Reign over us.'

The olive tree answered them, "Shall I stop producing my rich oil by which gods and mortals are honored, and go to sway over the trees?'

Then the trees said to the fig tree, "You come and reign over us.'

But the fig tree answered them, "Shall I stop producing my sweetness and my delicious fruit, and go to sway over the trees?'

Then the trees said to the vine, "You come and reign over us.' But the vine said to them, "Shall I stop producing my wine that cheers gods and mortals, and go to sway over the trees?'

So all the trees said to the bramble, "You come and reign over us.'

And the bramble said to the trees, "If in good faith you are anointing me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.'

Is America ready to take refuge in the lies? Will they chose the bramble bush over the cedar?

O Woe is me! Is the liar more honorable than those who relish in the lies?