“For every good reason there is to lie, there is a better reason to tell the truth.” - Bo Bennett, Business Owner, Entrepreneur Although we may think we are gaining something by lying, in reality, we're only hurting ourselves; and often the ones we love. Truth has valuable allies. It is the underlying foundation for trust, confidence, integrity, faith, security, and stability. When truth is disposed of, the allies crumble and disappear as well. Our culture has shifted to the ethic of self-advancement, so lying is not only tolerated but even encouraged in many cases. As a result, many of us have come to feel better about lying to others then telling the truth. In “To Kill a Mockingbird,” by Harper Lee the importance of telling the truth is expressed through the characters Tom Robinson and Mayella Ewell. Tom Robinson is the black field hand accused of rape. Tom is one of the novel’s “mockingbirds,” an important symbol of innocence destroyed by evil. Mayella Ewell is Bob Ewell’s abused, lonely, unhappy daughter. Though one can pity Mayella because of her overbearing father, one cannot pardon her for her shameful indictment of Tom Robinson. In the trial Atticus tells Tom to tell the truth and nothing but the truth, because he felt if he told the truth the judge would see it and declare him innocent. On the other hand, Mayella lies about almost everything and accuses Tom of rape. Since Tom was a black man and Mayella was a white woman, Tom’s life was at stake. Ultimately the death of Tom Robinson was caused by lying. If Mayella would've told the truth, the fate of Tom’s life would've been a different outcome. If the case was reversed and Mayella did tell the whole truth, the case would've never happened. In the tragedy "Romeo and Juliet," by William Shakespeare, he emphasizes the importance of telling the truth through a dramatic play. In the play, Romeo and Juliet are star crossed lovers, they decide after one day of