Barbara Swier: We have become a nation of liars

I was taught as a child, and firmly believe, that lying is unacceptable; truth was once held in high regard. However, lying now seems to be accepted in the U.S. and is commonplace. Car manufacturers lie about emissions and mileage, athletes lie about steroid use, pharmaceutical companies lie about price gouging, developers lie about environmental impacts, chemical companies lie about the safety of pesticides and food additives, banks lie about gambling with their customers’ money and defrauding investors, universities lie about job opportunities and tuition costs, parents lie to police officers in front of their children when stopped for traffic infractions or when writing false excuses for their children’s absences at school, citizens lie on their taxes, and politicians lie to citizens without regrets or apologies.

Is it any wonder that truth seems to have been devalued? These examples absolutely do not go unnoticed by our youth. Should not adults be held legally accountable? Unless true accountability is a goal, we will continue to decline as a nation. Truth is not a gray area. The integrity of our nation is measured by the integrity of its people.

This story was originally published December 20, 2016 at 6:56 PM with the headline "Barbara Swier: We have become a nation of liars."