Is Misleading Different from Lying?

I’ve always thought there might be a difference in misleading and lying, but JD Vance has acknowledged that he was lying about Haitian Immigrants when he admitted the story about Haitian Immigrants was intentional knowing it was not true! Even when one of his constituents apologized to her neighbors about their taking her cat and presumably had a meal with it. Even though she found her cat in her basement, apologized and admitted she was mistaken, that was not good enough for JD or his boss.

Such despicable behavior from two men who want people to vote for them! They want those children whose school they interrupted and put fear in not only the children, but also their parents, the city and state officials! I thought about my 6-year-old nephew who just spent his first few days in first grade. He has been so excited about leaving pre-K and K and moving up to first grade! To have his school so interrupted so quickly would have been devastating.

It's very challenging for some of the little ones to leave home, spend the day away from their Mom, and as soon as they find out school is not so bad while making new friends, they are told that school is a scary place! Their parents have to admit to them there may be bad people on the way or around the school who want to hurt them!

Do grown men who do that to children deserve to be on a ballot with the possibility of becoming what may be called leaders?

We must admit a lot of candidates running for office that we really do have despicable people masquerading as leaders but are only a disgrace to the America they claim to love more than the rest of us who work so hard to be mentors and examples of good behavior. I am talking about their parents, grandparents, their teachers and others.

I can understand why so many young people are confused about what is good and what is bad!

Do you remember when we were taught the 10 commandments? The Golden Rule? To say Yes Mam and No Mam; Yes, Sir and No, Sir? Please and thank you? You remember when truth mattered and it was less likely to be punished if we did or said something we shouldn’t have, to tell the truth?

Everything about the good old days was not good for everybody, but we had the hope of making things better—not only for ourselves, but for everybody. We were even admonished about throwing away good food by being asked if we knew about all the starving children in China who didn’t have food? We didn’t know the number—and our parents didn’t either, but the question taught us to be thoughtful before we threw away something others might need!

At one time, adults were expected to be good examples for children—but so many are failing miserably now. As we approach November 5th, Voting Day, have you noticed how many Republicans are bad examples? Thankfully, there are a few of them who are truth-tellers, and are not afraid to break the pattern and do the right thing.

JD Vance, Donald Trump, Mark Robinson, Ted Cruz, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Josh Hawley, Jim Jordan, Matt Gaetz aren’t ready to break the chain!

Those who are doing better are the Cheneys, lots of former Trump staffers, Adam Kinzinger, Michael Steele, Nicole Wallace, Military Generals, 200 former President George W. Bush’s staff, Black Republicans for Harris and a growing number of others who want to make things better for all of us.

One way to do that is to VOTE as if you really mean to make things better on November 5th!

(Dr. E. Faye Williams is President of the Dick Gregory Society.)