By G. Gregory Tooker
Those indigenous folk who, prior to the arrival of eastern interlopers, were trusted with the management of the territory now known as the United States of America, did not take kindly to some within their ranks who deviated from the truth. Various punishments, including banishment from the tribe, gauntlet encounters, etc., were administered sternly to impress upon the offender the requirement to act and speak honestly.
The newcomers to the continent introduced a revised standard which perplexed the native peoples. It seems the Bible-toting explorers considered it altogether appropriate to ignore treaty arrangements as well as their professed religious rules if the purpose suited them. These deviations have evolved over the course of history to a point where the fine art of speaking with forked tongue is an admired skill.
Leadership sets the example for members of a given culture. Those tribal members who were honored as leaders of their people were expected to act with complete honesty in a selfless manner. Sadly, that expectation has deteriorated to a shadow of its former self. Acting in the total absence of conscience, some leaders at the highest levels now sneer in the face of obvious facts that unmask their devious behavior, demanding loyalty from their followers who risk retaliation should they waver.

Membership in the Forked Tongue Club is growing by leaps and bounds, nourished by a social media network that feeds carefully shaped and molded information designed to produce expected behaviors. Lying, in a practiced, skilled manner is almost becoming a mandatory asset for political success. In this writer’s opinion, the deviation from the course of truth and honesty we are witnessing in many aspects of life today could spell the end of the democratic government we have worked so hard to construct. We must ask ourselves, can our children survive in in a world community where truth is flexible, that which best suits our personal preferences?