Writing Homework One Answers - Student One

Michelle F

Lying, prevaricating, making a brief departure from the truth, whatever you like to call it, people do it constantly. Consistently. Sometimes it feels like a never-ending barrage of lies, bombarding you from every direction. But what right do we have to expect honesty from others if we won’t hold ourselves to that standard? Or do we expect it? Are we the People shocked when we find that those put in office to represent the will of People abuse their privileges to achieve their own ends? Maybe we would be shocked if we were aware of what was going on under our noses, if we weren’t ignorant and unconcerned.

Our nation’s capital is no exception to the predisposition towards deception. Could this be because we as a People no longer expect the truth from Washington, whose namesake could not tell a lie?

“The truth hurts. What you don’t know can’t hurt you. Therefore, ignorance is bliss.” These are some of the maxims used to justify our ignorance of things of great importance. There are answers to be found if we would look for them. If we the People actually wanted to do something about the antics of the panjandrums in Washington, we could. This a nation created by the People, for the People; there were measures set in place to safeguard our liberties and freedoms.

But at the same time, we also have the freedom to disregard all of this; the careful thought and planning by our nation’s founders, the effort put forth to achieve this liberty, the passionate words of great statesmen to convince the People of the need for this liberty. We have the freedom not to vote, not to concern of ourselves with matters of government, to live in ignorance even as they make decisions that affect every aspect of our lives. We can choose to hide from the facts, and be ignorant.

“An enlightened people will never suffer what was established for their security to be perverted to an act of tyranny”. It is long past time for the People to let Washington know that they are under our employ, not the highest bidder. Ignorance is not bliss, no by a long shot.