Are we being honest about the truth?

I think it’s important to tell the truth. Very important. I think our leaders should be honest and should be held to high standards. I am guessing pretty much everyone agrees.

My philosophy is that you should own your actions. If you feel the need to tell the lie, it’s probably because you can’t stand by the action. Maybe you’re ashamed (so don’t do it or ask forgiveness.) Maybe you aren’t ashamed but are worried that it will hurt someone or will keep someone from accepting you. Even so, the truth is the way to go.

I also believe that if you are trying to persuade someone to do “the right thing” or “do something for the greater good,” you can do so honestly.

And so I have to confess something: I have lied. Many times. And if you are honest, so have you. And so has Hillary Clinton. And so has Donald Trump. Many times.

I sometimes wonder what my “list” would look like if someone made a list of all my lies like they do for Hillary or Donald. Of course, the list would also include the times that when I was misinformed, when I spoke before fact-checking (which, I’ll be honest, I do a lot), when I exaggerated for affect (also, a lot), when I misremembered something that I’d heard on a Podcast (yeah), when I’ve changed my mind or stance about something (yup, yup, yup), when I’ve said things that I can’t really prove (there are a few of those coming up in this very article), and a whole bunch of times when I told someone I was a current student to get a 10-25% discount.

Maybe you will say I’m a liar? Maybe you will say I’m a terrible role model for your children. Maybe you will say that you lie less than me. (But actually, could you know that?)  Maybe you will say some of those things are not lie-lies. Maybe you will say that I’m not a politician and that they have to be more careful. Maybe that standard is why more people don’t run for office. (I can’t prove that.)

Or maybe, if we are really honest with ourselves, truth is not always as straightforward it seems. What role does belief play? What if we’re just wrong? What if we make a mistake?

Hillary Clinton did lie about emails that she sent from a private server. She sent classified materials, which she shouldn’t have. And she said she didn’t. That’s a lie. Is it a lie that should disqualify her from office?

I admit, I don’t know what content made the emails that she sent classified. (Because they are classified. You don’t either, by the way.) The government draws that line. And the government investigated. And the government said she didn’t break the law but was careless. The way I see it, if I’m going to trust the government to draw the line as to what makes something classified, I’m going to have to trust the government’s investigation into whether or not she broke the laws. If you don’t, I hope you are honest with yourself about why. Some will say the government is corrupt. And sometimes it is. But do you honestly think it is conveniently corrupt or only corrupt in the Clintons’ favor? Maybe you do. But that’s quite a belief.

And the thing that is hard to argue is this: Hillary has been closely watched by the entire country for years. She has been highly scrutinized. She has been accused of so many scandals that, when investigated, never generated any evidence. You have to agree (even if you personally don’t fall into the category) that there are a lot of people in this country who would give their right arm (exaggerated, maybe) to find one actually incriminating piece of evidence. Innocent until proven guilty has never applied to this woman (possibly exaggeration). It’s always been the other way around—and then when she proves her innocence, it’s never (exaggerated) accepted or even acknowledged by people of the other “side.” My guess (which I can’t prove) is that this is why she had a private server to begin with. To have even just a shade of privacy to talk about wedding plans or dentist appointments or day-to-day life—maybe even to make a private joke to a friend without someone blowing it out-of-context. That makes sense to me. I think we should allow our politicians that. (That’s an opinion.)

There are theories as to why this she has been so highly scrutinized and accused of so many scandals. I certainly have some. But I can’t prove them, and since this article is all about truth, I’d prefer to stick to things that are definitely true. Here’s one:

Donald Trump asked Russian to hack Hillary’s emails. Publicly. Be honest with yourself about which is the greater security risk: asking Vladimir Putin to commit cyberespionage against a former secretary of state or storing classified emails on a private server. Which was more careless? Can you say Hillary put us at the greater risk? Honestly? Not saying you can’t, but it’s going to take some real mental gymnastics. And I hope you are doing so honestly in a search for the truth and not to just prove a previously-held conclusion.  To me, this one actually is clear.

More than that, think about all the actions and words that Trump stands behind. All the name-calling. The accusations he throws around or doesn’t dissuade. The things he believes. The things that are done publicly. That represent us. That the world sees. That our children see. Let’s be honest. Most children (or adults) don’t understand what’s going on with a private email server. But they probably do understand Trump calling Mexicans drug dealers and rapists. (A lie.) Does that mean we overlook the email server? No. We investigate it. But let’s not get so distracted by digging deeply–looking for something we feel must be there–that we ignore what’s right on the surface. And terrifying.

So what’s the conclusion, then? Yes, we know that all politicians lie. Because they are human. No, we should not ignore the lies. But we also need to be honest with ourselves about the standards that we are holding them to and what statements can and cannot be forgiven. We can’t just label someone a liar and be done with it. I wish we could. It would be easier. But we would literally have no politicians.

So yes, it’s important for politicians to tell the truth. It is equally important for politicians to be diplomatic, under control, and careful–for them to think about each of their statements because each of their statements represents us all. Being outspoken in the way that Donald Trump is is not a sign of his honesty (again, see his list of lies), it’s a sign of his carelessness and lack of respect for the people he wants to lead and represent. Saying a lie loudly does not make it true.

If you are voting for this man because “Hillary is a liar,” I urge you to reconsider. How did you reach the conclusion that she lies more than Donald? Or that her lies are somehow worse? Honestly, look at the lists. And look at her as objectively as you can. Is she not a resilient woman, a diplomat respected by the world, an intelligent person who speaks words she has thought about? One of the most experienced politicians we’ve ever had? Could you imagine her calling Mexicans rapists?  Of course not. She conducts herself with poise under pressure and criticism. Who is a better representative and role model?

If we’re honest, this one is actually clear, too.