“This constant lying is not aimed at making the people believe the lie, but at ensuring that nobody believes anything anymore. And with such a people, you can then do what you please. They are deprived not only of their capacity to act but also of their capacity to think and to judge.”

• Hannah Arendt (October 14, 1906 – December 4, 1975) German historian and philosopher, “The Origins of Totalitarianism.”

These lines reflect my concern about certain judges including Lee Rudofsky and Susan Weaver’s use of lies not just to mislead, but to undermine trust in reality altogether, leaving people disoriented and passive. This is the underpinnings of a totalitarian regime.