Father & Son Talk
Somewhere in America this week the following conversation is
taking place:
Dad - Son, come in here, we need to talk.
Son - What's up, Dad?
D- There's a scratch down the side of the car. Did you do it?
S- I don't believe, if I understand the definition of "scratch the car", that I
can say, truthfully, that I scratched the car.
D- Well, it wasn't there yesterday, and you drove the car last night, And no one else has
driven it since. How can you explain the scratch?
S- Well, as I've said before, I have no recollection of scratching the car. While it is
true that I did take the car out last night, I did not scratch it.
D- But your sister, Monica, has told me she saw you back the car against the mailbox at
the end of the driveway, heard a loud scraping sound, saw you get out to examine the car,
and then drive away. So again I'll ask you, yes or no, did you scratch the car?
S- Oh, you mean you think you have evidence to prove I scratched it. Well, you see, I
understood you to mean did "I" scratch the car. I stand by my earlier statement,
that I did not scratch the car.
D- Are you trying to tell me you didn't drive the car into the mailbox?
S- Well, you see sir, I was trying to drive the car into the street. I mishandled the
steering of the car, and it resulted in direct contact with the mailbox, though that was
clearly not my intent.
D- So you are then saying that you did hit the mailbox?
S- No sir, that's not my statement. I'll refer you back to my original statement that I
did not scratch the car.
D- But the car did hit the mailbox, and the car did get scratched as a result of this
contact?
S- Well, yes, I suppose you could look at it that way.
D- So you lied to me when you said you did not scratch the car?
S- No. No, that's not correct. Your question was "Did I scratch the car?". From
a strict legal definition, as I understood the meaning of that sentence, I did not scratch
the car... the mailbox did... I was merely present when the scratching occurred. So my
answer of No" when you asked "Did I scratch the car" was legally correct,
although I did not volunteer information.
D- Son, you are such a slick talker you're either gonna wind up as a lawyer or
President....
