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"Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun."  Mao Tse-Tung (1938)

September 9, 2002

The TRUTH shall set you free –

by Ed Lewis

I don’t know who originally made this statement, or when it was made.  Nor do I know the reason it was made.  What I do know, though, is that the truth must prevail in our dealings with other people.

A reader once asked what truth I referred to.  To be blunt about it, I didn’t know there were different categories of truth.  Truth is simply truth.  It is not relative to the times; only what is interpreted as truth is.  I.e., the interpretation could be wrong but the truth is a constant.

Once upon a time, for example, people believed that the Earth was the center of the Universe.  Of course, we now know this is not the truth and never was.  Thus, the interpretation based on incomplete and erroneous data led people to believe the Earth was the center but the truth is it isn’t even the center of our galaxy.

Also, it seemed once upon a time that the people that gave birth to this country – this union of many nations linked in common need – valued the truth.  In our history it has been said – at least by Superman comics – we value truth, justice, and the American way.

Contrary to idiots spreading disinformation, this union of states was also founded on the principles of Christianity.  It matters not which of the forefathers were Christians; they still held Christian values concerning the natural rights of man. 

There have even been leaders who were not Christians but closer to atheists.  However, one can find at least one or more quotes in which they professed Christian values and took oaths under God’s supervision – “…so help me God” – not to the government they were becoming part of or to any non-supreme being. 

It is a fact that the Ten Commandments were posted and used as a guide.  The truth was revered enough that witnesses were sworn to tell the truth and nothing but the truth, so help them God.

The Declaration of Independence states “…the separate and equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them…” and ended with “…and our sacred Honor.”  “Sacred” is generally taken as holy, blessed, and hallowed.  Thus, it is based on the laws of nature and Nature’s God.

The Constitution for the United States of America named so in the Preamble uses the phrase, “and secure the Blessings of Liberty…”  “Blessings” is usually taken by the common man – which we all are whether elected to a political office or not – as given by a Supreme Being or God.

Even fiat money has on it “In God We Trust”.  The money is fake but the meaning of the phrase is not – at least for the majority of people. 

But, this isn’t about this country being founded on Christian beliefs except two - the 7^th and 8^th Commandments.  The 7^th says simply that one shall not steal while the 8^th states simply – but in other words – that one shall not lie.

If one is of moral character and holding some degree of integrity, one recognizes immediately that stealing from his fellow man is wrong.  If one disparages another with lies, then one steals the honor of the other.  And, of course, lying can result in the theft of another’s property, tangible or intangible. 

One doesn’t have to be a Christian to have this same internalized value – one only has to know the difference between right and wrong. 

Anyway, a man’s word was his bond in the old days.  He was ostracized if he did not keep his word and often shunned by society.  People did not have to take an oath with his fellow man to tell the truth – the value system held by most was that one should not lie. 

There is a saying that directs one to avoiding the internal ripping apart of one’s psychic, that one should always be true to one’s self.  This makes sense – if one is always true to one’s self, one is bound to be true to others.

Thus, it is possible that the title saying meant that if one finally decides to tell the truth, the demons – sort of – inside him because of a lie he has been living with, are expelled.  Of course, there really isn’t a demon – it’s a (I think) “metaphor” – but we all know that living with a lie can tear us up inside.  And we know when we finally speak the truth that it feels as if the greatest of weights has been lifted from us; we can feel the relief flooding throughout the body. 

Everyone knows of this – or at least those who have any social conscience at all knows the feeling.  It would be hard to find any person who has not told a lie and then had to live with it.  Some do not ever “fess” up but eventually suppress the lie – a reaction to resolving the hurt and conflict inside.  The balance that do admit to the lie know the feeling.

Anyway, this brings up a question that concerns me greatly at this point in time, especially as several officials in my town and county lie on a regular basis.  Now, these are people who say they are Christians and they have – or were supposed to have – subscribed to an oath of office.

But, it isn’t just them.  State officials lie.  Judges lie.  Of course there isn’t more than a handful of people – if that – in the federal government who do not lie.

This isn’t about little white lies – such as telling a woman you love her new hairdo when the truth is you hate it but don’t want to hurt her feelings.  Oh, no, their lies result in trillions of dollars and property – not to mention the sense of well-being, dignity, freedom to move about, and livelihoods - that are stolen each and every year from Americans.

The question is when these people are given the facts – and then ignore the facts and proceed just as they had been doing – just what kind of people are they that they can ignore the truth and continue operating under the multiplicity of lies?  They seem to live with themselves without any problems whatsoever.  In fact, even when confronted with the truth time after time, they still act as thieves and general marauders against the liberties and natural rights of man. 

What has happened to integrity?  I have known in my lifetime many people who corrected a mistake they have made, such as not giving enough change or – a few times in my case – when I was given too much.  That happened once on a trip and I turned around and went back.  Or another time I forgot to pay.  So, I turned around and went back.  It turned out I had paid but my weariness caused me to think I hadn’t.

This is not because of being a Bible stomper or anything close to it.  But a couple of times, I kept money when too much change was given and later felt quite guilty over it.  I also started thinking about what if it was me that came up on the short end of the stick – another situation that has happened more than once – and I thought about how I felt.

But, what kind of person does it take to make promises to people publicly, tell lies publicly to get elected, tells lies about his fellow man – his opponent(s) – and then swears and subscribes to his upholding the Constitution after being elected?  The upholding of natural rights becomes his sworn to duty. 

Those who fill every level of government don’t live lies for a moment or two – they live them 100 percent of the time.  Every one of the legislators or makers of ordinances who pass or don’t work their butts off to repeal unconstitutional acts against their fellow man apparently lie with ease and live without any remorse.

Then there are the holier-than-thou people sitting behind raised desks wearing black (often figuratively) – the color of the “bad” guys – who are some of the most lying-est rotten vile people to ever walk the face of the Earth.  They make up laws as they sit there and deny people in courts their rights.

These despicable officials rule on other than natural and common law, denying people juries (I had to show a judge the specific statute that I could demand a jury and that it was solely up to me as to whether I agreed to less than 12 of my peers) or instructing juries with other than common law (requires an indictment by a Grand Jury following a complaint from a damaged man or woman).

They treat people who have not committed any crime (victimless crimes) as vile criminals and throw them in jail.  What kind of people are these?  How in the world do they expect their souls to end up any other place except rotting in Hell?

Why do they do it?  And how do they live with themselves – presuming at least a bit of social conscience?  Or maybe they don’t have any.  Maybe they are well-dressed (usually but not always – I once was subjected to a judge that looked like he had been on a ten-day drunk in the same soiled shirt and suit) dirty rotten bastards who haven’t any sense of integrity, morality, compassion, and wouldn’t recognize the truth if it slapped the crap out of them. 

Does the sense of power mean that much?  If so, then they should not be judges but should be locked away themselves for treatment. 

Then, those other pillars and great protectors of society – cops – actually have it in their power to stop all the lying thieves in legislative, executive, and judicial branches of every level of government. 

Did you know that if there isn’t anyone to hold a gun to your head to force compliance with laws that are null and void because of unconstitutionality or vagueness, that one would NOT have to face corrupted courts?  Thus, sooner or later the so-called “lawmakers” (really only makers of regulations for artificial entities) would give up and do their jobs properly – which is to regulate themselves and not interfere in any way with any man or woman that is not harming others.

But, no, these denizens of evil enforcement (not all but most) are more than willing to arrest people who have not damaged their fellow man (the only crime) .  They are more than willing to arrest people for victimless crimes, a term for unconstitutional crimes.  Our prisons and the billions of dollars and property stolen each year through fines and/or unlawful seizures verify this.

What drives them?  Well, the same thing that drives the others – they all in some way or another share in the thefts of money and property from people who do not owe them, the city, the county, the State, or the federal government anything whatsoever. 

Then, some just like being bullies with guns.

Thus, we have governments filled with liars, thieves, and professional extortionists.  And they have the gall to think they are doing a good job.

But, if every man, woman, and child would meet his obligation to his fellow man – if every man, woman, and child would demand the truth and accept no less – the crap from government would stop.

The TRUTH – the enemy of government and injustice – would set us all free.

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