Sports and Congress Hall of Shame

At our attention in recent days has been the story of a great pitcher Roger Clemens. Clemens was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges that he lied about his use of performance-enhancing drugs when he testified before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform in February 2008.

We are also reminded of many others in baseball and other sports who have enhanced their bodies to greater feats by cheating, or should we say enhancing, sports. The mind set is that it is okay to cheat, to take the shortcut to a better life. The Mitchell report named over one hundred players in baseball for ties with performance-enhancing drugs. This report signifies the growing demand that it is proper to cheat your way through life and get paid top dollar for doing so.

But there is a bigger picture to be looking at here. Experience tells us that these ways are learned, and usually it is learned by rolling down hill, or from the top down. Which bring us to our Government or to Congress specifically and it’s Congressional authority.

Each member of Congress was voted in by a majority of the people. Each one ran on a platform promising the American public to reciprocate the vote given to them for the promises their platform was built on. How many of them perjured themselves to their constituents? How many of them said they would promise to do something while in office, and have they worked toward or completed that expectation. If any Congressman has not, maybe the federal grand jury in Washington should indict Congress for perjury to the American people.

Congress has used (sort of) performance-enhancing drugs. These drugs come in the form of selfishness, power, and greed. For if Congress does not follow through with the platform they were elected with, and then they are using that same power that was given them for other means and purposes. It is a misuse of the authority and performance. Have heard the many excuses of why Congress cannot complete the course of action that they were voted in for, but we get a different performance once they are voted into office. Congress enhances their performance to suit themselves and not their constituents.

Most of us forget that we are not a democracy, we are a republic. We vote people into office to run our government. Can we do a better job of voting and giving responsibility and power to others, yes? Maybe we need to put in safeguards to assure the American voters that the ones we vote in do the job they were voted in for.

We learn from our leaders, top down. If we are wondering why sports in recent years are cheating their way through life, maybe it is because sports has seen our leaders for decades doing the same. If things are to change it takes all of us to change, but it starts from the top down. Everything else will roll downhill from there.