We tell our children not to lie.

Tell the truth. Own your mistakes. Apologize when you are wrong. Basic lessons, usually introduced somewhere between do not bite anyone and time to toss the pacifier.

Then we turn on the news.

Our president lies. His cadre defend the lie, repeat the lie, and act offended that anyone has the audacity to remember the truth  His philosophy is if you constantly repeat the same lie it morphs into the truth.

I am tired of being told this is simply how politics works.

A difference of opinion is whether taxes should be higher. A lie is saying something happened when it didn’t. We used to understand the distinction without assembling a panel of six people to shout about it.

Of course politicians have always lied. Children have always cheated on tests, too. We haven’t generally responded by making the answer key optional and promoting the best cheater to principal.

What troubles me is how accustomed we are becoming to it. The shrug. The eye roll. The what do you expect?

Well, more.

Darn it, there are repercussions. What are we teaching our kids? That honesty matters until something important is at stake? That admitting a mistake is weakness, but doubling down shows leadership? That there are consequences for lying about your homework, but potentially a very bright future in lying to the country?

Children notice who gets rewarded. They notice what adults excuse when the person doing it is on their side.

I don’t expect a president to be perfect. I do expect us to stop lowering the standard every time he fails to meet it.

Lying is not okay. Neither is making excuses for it.

Try explaining otherwise to your impressionable kids and then have the gall to expect them to turn out to be upstanding citizens possessing great character.