Why should I "say nothing and get a lawyer

Get a Lawyer

Here�s the better question: if you are afforded the right to say nothing and get a lawyer, why would you voluntarily waive that right and talk with people who are potentially at odds with you and your interests?

The right to consult counsel is there for your protection against the potentially hostile and often incorrect state, which has the power to take away your life, liberty, and property. Why would you give away such an important defense?
I like and respect law enforcement, but if you are being investigated in connection with a crime, the police are not your friends. To the contrary, the goal of the police is to collect information to potentially use against you should charges be filed.
This isn�t some hidden agenda. In fact, it�s even part of the Miranda warning that is given at the time of arrest: anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. Not talking until you�ve spoken with a lawyer is at least a step (potentially a big one) towards leveling the playing field against people who may want to see you punished for wrongdoing. Why people wouldn�t take advantage of such an option always puzzles me.
If you�re guilty of wrongdoing, talking to the police without counsel is almost always a bad idea, as no matter how smart you are, the odds that you�ll outwit people whose job description includes investigating crimes and detecting falsehoods are low. And if you�re innocent of wrongdoing, having a lawyer can help you clear things up, because again, you�re now being assisted by someone who can level the playing field in your dealing with law enforcement.
Most law enforcement officers are, in my opinion, good people, but they�re human, and human beings are biased and make mistakes. There are too many cases of innocent people being railroaded by law enforcement (even one would be one too many), but there are even more cases where law enforcement did its job reasonably well and built seemingly solid cases against innocent people who opened their mouths and said stupid things to investigators already convinced of their guilt.
The idea that if you�re innocent, sooner or later everyone will recognize the truth isn�t anywhere near 100% true, and time-wise, you may have to wait until �later� to be cleared. Moreover, there�s no rule that if you have an attorney, you and the attorney can�t talk to the police and attempt to resolve the charges against you. Thus, if you find yourself in hot water, your best bet is to ask for an attorney and then shut your mouth until you�ve had a chance to talk to him or her.