Well, then who did?

When I was a young buckaroo, I would do things that I was not supposed to do. When my mom found out - occasionally I would proclaim that I didn't do it. I may blame my brother, I may blame a pet - occasionally I would blame "the other Trent" (when I was little I met another kid with my name, and used him a a scapegoat often).

As I grew older, and more mature - I started to take responsibility for my actions. Sometimes I would try to get out of something or shift blame, but I know when I am caught red-handed.

More and more, it seems that people who own up to their actions are rare. I don't know if it started with OJ using the "I didn't do it" defense in the face of overwhelming evidence and winning, or if it's just that people didn't grow up. Clinton used the "I didn't do it" defense when it came to Monica (though after presented with the evidence he kind of admitted it just barely... well, depending on what you mean by "it.")

Senator Frist made a diagnosis based on video of Terry Schiavo, saying that she was reacting, and looking.' When the autopsy concluded that she was blind and irreversibly brain dead - he said he never made a diagnosis, and never said those things.

Recently, we have Carl Rove who leaked information about a CIA operative, then says he didn't. It doesn't count since a name wasn't in the email... oh sure. But there are some who are saying that it actually "exonerates" him from wrong doing. Uh-huh. Bush says he will "fire anyone who leaked information"... then they find out Rove did, then he says he didn't say he would fire anyone who would leak information, but said that he would "fire anyone who committed a crime." You see, they are not the same thing.

On the TV show "Brat Camp" this girl says she never did cocaine. Then she is presented with the fact that coke was found in her system. She did a good job of looking shocked. She then was "no way. I don't do coke. I did it once a year ago..."

Then there are those on the talk shows who take lie detector tests, and then profess that the lie detector tests are wrong. It's so sad it's funny...

The most disappointing thing to me is that - many times - people get away with it. I don't think people believe them, they just get tired of fighting the point.

Yesterday, someone from work was 'let go.' He was quite angry. He was escorted out of the building by a Supervisor and a Manager. On his way out he punched a wall, leaving a nice-sized dent. He also kicked a set of double-doors leaving them askew. He was then called to let him know he would not be receiving his final paycheck to pay for the damages - to which he responded..."I didn't do it."

What? There were 2 people with you, buddy. People heard you throw a fit when you were leaving... how can anyone think that it was going to fly? I don't know, I guess if you want to get away with something, then just say you didn't do it. It just gets sad when someone holds onto that no matter what.... stick to the story. They look stupid.

Oddly enough, people need to learn that they will get more respect for owning up to their actions, and trying to make amends rather than clinging onto "I didn't do it." This is a lesson I learned when I was, maybe 9... some people never learn.