Let’s look at a few definitions:
to speak falsely or utter untruth knowingly, as with intent to deceive. lie. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Retrieved September 10, 2009, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/lie

an intentional violation of the truth. Easton’s 1897 Bible Dictionary. Retrieved September 10, 2009, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/lie

There are many others, of course, but the prevailing definition in most dictionaries I looked into had a common theme in them: INTENTIONALITY

This means that our good friend, the honorable Congressman Wilson from South Carolina is accusing the President of the United States of knowingly and intentionally telling a false statement to the people of the US and the assembled Congress with the deliberate intent to deceive! If the Congressman is correct and has evidence to corroborate his accusation, this is an impeachable offense!

Is he leading the effort to file for impeachment of the President? I kinda doubt it. But why not? He felt so emphatically just a few nights ago that he was apparently convinced the accusation could not wait for a more suitable forum–so he had to blurt it out right then and there!

I’m sorry folks, but President Obama isn’t deliberately telling you or I anything he knows is false, any more than President Bush deliberately deceived us when he said there was irrefutable evidence of WMD development in Iraq prior to the invasion. Put down the conspiracy novels.

I’m not saying that either is 100% accurate in their respective statements. What I’m saying is that each believed what they said to be true, and said it with the best of intentions.

Leveling the charge of “lying” attributes a very evil intent to deceive–and to accuse any man of that level of evil requires a high level of certainty. When the allegation is aimed at one of authority, whose execution of deliberate deception on a national scale would be an affront against our people, our nation, the world, and our God (who both men profess to serve)–that is an accusation of such vile intent, that we are calling the person’s very character into serious doubt…do these accusers really mean what they’re saying? Do they realize what they’re saying?

If we, the American public, have managed to elect, consecutively, two men of such evil character that they would deliberately mislead the American public…we have bigger problems than health care.

In this day of instant communication, we all need to practice the skill of thinking before we speak.

Personally, the behavior we, the people have exhibited during the recent debate on reforming health care provision in the US, indicates that we have a bigger problem than poor health care provision. We, the electorate and the elected, have some serious character issues.

WHAT? When did it become socially acceptable for grown men to throw around schoolyard insults and accusations? Never mind that this is a sitting member of Congress yelling out during a speech BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!

Outside of pool halls and taverns, when did it become ok for any grownup to speak to another like that?

We have totally lost the art of critical thinking and intellectual debate. At one point in the not-so-distant past, if (and that’s a big “if”) the Congressman were aware of deliberate telling of falsehoods by the President, he would have challenged the falsehoods with coolly-worded facts embedded in well-turned phrases that would have inarguably exposed the falsehoods while maintaining the Congressman’s dignity.

I don’t see much evidence in our public discourse of reason, logic, respect for our fellow man (let alone his opinion), or an interest in preserving and even promoting the greater good.

For the love of all things sacred, how did a grown man who can’t even seem to control childish outbursts get elected to such a high office? Who cares if he’s factually correct, he has lost all credibility and authority. I’m sure the talking heads will love him.