It is truly unfortunate that our society has come to such a pass, but the "culture of shamelessness" has reached into the very structure of families in the United States.

If you ask any divorce attorney, you will find that he or she has clients who've procured orders of protection against their soon-to-be-ex spouses with little or clearly fraudulent reason behind them.

Ask a child protective services worker, and you will find the same: complaints taken at face value without due consideration or investigation.

Rape crisis centers often get complaints from women who only want to cause trouble for an ex-husband or ex-boyfriend, even though no actual assault ever occurred.

Today's society welcomes and praises victimhood of all kinds, and there are myriad programs and services dedicated to attending to victims. These days (and far too often) people's problems end up in court. Whatever happened to people with the inner strength and courage to overcome their troubles? Do we have a state of affairs where life has become so easy that people need to invent difficulty to validate their existence in some way?

I wish I had the answer. As the publisher of a small newsletter related to divorce and domestic violence issues, more than once I've had e-mail from frustrated readers who want to divorce, yet can't find an attorney willing to handle the case on an entirely truthful basis. It seems attorneys themselves are actively promoting their clients' perjury in court, and under oath. The oath apparently means nothing anymore.

Today it seems that you "just say it happened this way." Then John Doe Esq., closes his briefcase and sends his bill, after presenting the best case in court. Never mind that the details aren't necessarily accurate or correct; he who tells the best story in court wins.

Everyone loves a good story. Look at the recent overwhelming TV ratings of any reality series, where nobodies become the flavor of the week. But this is no way to run a court system which is theoretically based on getting to the truth and dispensing justice. It is no way to run any kind of service which purports to protect a certain sector of society.

Yet from where I sit it seems the actual truth means nothing anymore. It's all about who has the most riveting story to tell. Society would be far better served if there was some way we could allow those who have nothing but a story to tell it; and those with a verifiable grievance to present their truth.

Trudy W. Schuett