Jive Turkey would like to take a few moments to explain where his name comes from. He says it means somebody who is cool, stylish, and popular. But that's because he is a Jive Turkey and doesn't understand the true meaning, which is: a person who is vile, deceitful, pompous, and engages in deceptive, exaggerated, and meaningless talk. Some prime examples are Donald Trump and Herschel Walker, and the latter has been lying about his (nonexistent) college degree for several years now:

Walker in a 2017 motivational speech: “And all of sudden I started going to the library, getting books, standing in front of a mirror reading to myself. So that Herschel that all the kids said was retarded become valedictorian of his class. Graduated University of Georgia in the top 1% of his class.”

Walker in a 2017 radio interview: “And people say, ‘Herschel, you played football.’ But I said, ‘Guys, I also was valedictorian of my class. I also was in the top 1% of my graduating class in college.’”

Text on an Amazon page for a 2009 edition of Walker’s 2008 book and on the now-defunct HerschelWalker.net website promoting the book: “After his first pro season, he finished his Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice at the University of Georgia.”

And a 1986 Dallas Morning News article on Walker’s football career stated that Walker had completed his degree in criminal justice and featured this quote from Walker: “Getting a degree is one of the paths you can take on the way to becoming an FBI man. Of course, my life is not going in that direction right now, but I think police work, especially the FBI, would be my choice if I wasn’t a pro football player.”

At least 36 years he's been telling that lie, and he still tells it, even after being forced by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution to reveal the truth:

Walker released a statement to the AJC acknowledging he did not graduate from college.

“I was majoring in Criminal Justice at UGA when I left to play in the USFL my junior year,” Walker said, referring to the professional football league. “After playing with the New Jersey Generals, I returned to Athens to complete my degree, but life and football got in the way.”

Much like his idol Donald Trump, this education thing is just one of countless other lies Walker tosses around nonchalantly. Somebody recently asked me what the worst thing Donald Trump did while in office, and I immediately responded, "He normalized telling lies." Being untruthful used to be a career-ender for a politician. Hell, for any occupation for that matter. But now it is acceptable. Stating obvious untruths just rolls off the feathers of a heartbreakingly large percentage of voters, whether they believe those lies or not.

“We are all capable of believing things which we know to be untrue, and then, when we are finally proved wrong, impudently twisting the facts so as to show that we were right.”

If we want to avoid an Orwellian future, we have to remain truthful in all our dealings. We have to respect the truth, no matter how painful, and vilify untruths, no matter who speaks them. If that's hard to swallow, put some gravy on it.