To the editor:

If this a government of, by and for the people, then it’s time we demand, under penalty of criminal perjury, that every one of our public servants from the president on down swear a solemn and legally binding oath to always tell us the verifiable truth when communicating to the public in their official capacity.

If they lie for whatever reason when dispensing information to the public, then they will be indicted for perjury, and if convicted by a bipartisan citizen jury, they will be immediately removed from office and face the same penalties that any other Americans face who perjure themselves.

So, for example, the presidential oath would go like this:

“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States and hereby solemnly swear to always tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth when communicating to the American people for as long as I hold this office.”

We, as a united alliance of individual Americans, must demand nothing less from our public servants and requiring that they be legally bound to only tell the truth to us will be the only way to put a stop to public discourse being polluted by toxic conspiracy theories and lies from either side of the aisle.

If it takes a constitutional amendment, then let’s do it!

J.R. Cant

Naples, Florida