Somewhere in America...

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, say 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 - Where in the heck did

you learn to be such a smart alec? S - From The President of

the United States. D - I see.