The violence of the lie

Cynthia (Ištá Tȟó Tȟó) Coleman Emery's Blog

Truth, lies, facts and alternatives

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Here’s an exercise: imagine what our social lives would be like if we considered lying an act of violence.

Sissela Bok, an ethics scholar, writes that lying is a form of violence.

What would happen if we take this idea to its extreme?

On the political front, consider the following lies as an act of violence:

LIES

  • The Winter 2017 inauguration for president drew the “largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period.” ~ Sean Spicer
  • “Millions of people have lost their plans or health insurance and their doctors under President Obama.” ~ Kellyanne Conway
  • “Millions of small businesses and the American farmer” will be relieved by the “unfair estate tax.”

And what if we agreed to levy sanctions against people who lie to mislead others intentionally?

America’s political history is chock-full of lies and deception, as indigenous people know well.

Among the most egregious…

View original post 116 more words

About Cynthia Coleman Emery

Professor and researcher at Portland State University who studies science communication, particularly issues that impact American Indians. Dr. Coleman is an enrolled citizen of the Osage Nation.
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