More Devious than just a Liar and Hypocrite
The definition of a hypocrite is a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, especially a person whose actions belie stated beliefs.
In reviewing Senator Lindsey Graham's statement (above) it occurs to me the reality of his statement is that he never thought this particular scenario would ever come to pass, thus making the statement, portrayed virtue and principles that he didn't actually possess and that he had no intention of ever fulfilling. It was a performance. It was false. Knowing that Graham now supports the vote for Amy Coney Barrett, in an election year, is indisputable proof of Graham's hypocrisy, deceit, and moral bankruptcy. This, however, is the simple and obvious conclusion of Graham's behavior.
The real issue falls on the shoulders of those that support his re-election. To vote for a known liar and hypocrite requires one to tolerate these behaviors, even being complicit with those "standards." This begs the question, what should be the conclusion about the individual that actually supports and votes for Graham? Maybe employers and friends need to evaluate the individual to determine if this type of behavior is reflected in other areas of the individual's life. If they support lying and hypocrisy in Graham, do they also support lying and hypocrisy in the performance of their duties as an employee and in their personal relationships? If they believe that lying is an acceptable behavior, do they also support lying in their personal arena? One cannot tolerate lying and hypocrisy in one part of their life and eschew it in other parts of their life. Either they support or reject lying and hypocrisy or they don't.The irony is that if they claim to support Graham but reject lying and hypocrisy in their personal life, they are be definition, a hypocrite.
This is the American dilemma that we currently face with the Trump administration. There is absolutely no doubt that Trump is a narcissist, a pathological liar, a racist, a misogynist and an immoral human being. He has proven this over and over again throughout the last four years. Those that support Trump fall into the same trap as those that support Graham. Maybe it is time to question the morality and integrity of those that support Trump and/or Graham and, like one does on Facebook, start unfriending these toxic individuals and separating them from our lives and terminating their employment. This, obviously, would create a civil war, if not literally, at least in the social media world.
While cutting ties to these toxic individuals would be justified, human nature seems to be fatally inseparable from hypocrisy. It has been said that what one generation tolerates, the next openly embraces. The question then becomes what each individual is going to do with lying and hypocrisy, both in themselves and in their leaders. There is no blanket answer that speaks to reality. The decision is thus left to the individual to either reject lying or hypocrisy, or to tolerate it either using situational ethics or fully and completely. Either one will tolerate lying and hypocrisy as a basic standard of acceptable behavior, or they will hold to a higher standard and reject the continued decay of the basic standards of decency that most people of character observe.
In any event, whatever standard one supports, they will receive in abundance. If one votes for the liar and hypocrite, one has no right to complain when they are lied to or are the victim of hypocrisy. As it has been said, if one sows the wind, one will reap the whirlwind. Don't complain. One, in supporting liars and hypocrites, deserve no less than abject deceit and hypocrisy pouring into their own lives, in abundance.
