The Liar (01-18-07)

Once upon a time there was a King of Armenia, who, being of a curious turn of mind and in need of some new diversion, sent his heralds throughout the land to make the following proclamation: “Hear this! Whatever man among you can prove himself the most outrageous liar in Armenia shall receive an apple made of pure gold from the hands of His Majesty the King!” People began to swarm to the palace from every town and hamlet in the country, people of all ranks and conditions, princes, merchants, farmers, priests, rich and poor, tall and short, fat and thin. There was no lack of liars in the land, and each one told his tale to the King. A Ruler, however, has heard practically every sort of lie, and now none of them told him convinced the King that he had listened to the best of them. The King was beginning to grow tired of his new sport and was thinking of calling the whole thing off without declaring a winner, when there appeared before him a poor, ragged man, carrying a large earthenware pitcher under his arm. “What can I do for you?” asked His Majesty. “Sire!” said the poor man, slightly bewildered. “Surely you remember! You owe me a pot of gold and I have come to collect it.” “You are a perfect liar Sir!” exclaimed the King. “I owe you no money!” “A perfect liar, am I?” said the poor man. “Then give me the golden apple!” The King, starting to realize the man was trying to trick him, began to hedge. “No, no! You are not a liar!” “Then give me the pot of gold you owe me, Sire,” said the man. The King saw the dilemma. He handed over the golden apple. An Armenian Folk-Tale.
I share this with you because it symbolizes what is being played out in what we call “American Jurisprudence.” It is a rhetorically jockeying for power under the color of truth. Most men never look beyond the dilemma posed by this system that places you between the Bull’s horns of dilemma. To the left you are gored, to the right you are gored, hesitate in your decision look guilty. This is the fortress the government has locked itself away in completely isolated away from the pulse of the people it hates. They are easy targets because they believe their fortress impenetrable and stocked too well for siege. Babylon thought this way just before Cyrus dammed the river and walked his army right under the wall it had coursed through. They are only safe from mental midgets. As a show of how to think I want to add to this fable a new ending for if you are creative you get to control the story.
“”The King saw the dilemma.” He then told the man, “you are most certainly clever but not the perfect liar because I am,” “Sire?” He responded. “Yes you see I did not include in my herald that the second best liar but greatest among the people would be banished as an example to all that I only want to hear the truth.” To this the poor man saw the dilemma and said “Sire, your servant has always known that the King reigns because he is superior in all things to his people, therefore I used this ruse only to venerate the King before the people so that all would be shamed and establish truth in your courts. Now may the King forever find honest men as myself ever before him.” The King saw his dilemma. Our trial script is subject to our ending not theirs. The fact they are oblivious is our great opportunity. Yours also if you stop thinking the choices they offer you are the only ones.