I have a tendency to be late when it comes to taking current events and making sense of the statements or efforts of our leaders. I think a person would have to be living in deepest darkest Africa or at least the southern end of Pixley, California  (no offense to either area just remote an out of the way) not to have been aware of the Congressional hearings regarding steroids with Roger Clemens as the star witness.  I couldn't help myself but I did watch part of the testimony and the hearings.  I felt like the little boy who approached Shoeless Joe regarding the Blacksocks World Series scandal.  The boy went up to his baseball hero and said ''say it isn't so Joe''.  I'm not sure if these hearings matched the importance of the Watergate scandal which eventually caused the resignation of the president of United States.  I am not sure these hearings even compare with the Anita Hill scandal where she almost derailed the Supreme Court career of Clarence Thomas.  Just a side note but after reading his book I am not sure that wasn't a bad idea.  It is not that I believed Ms. Hill but that I believed Justice Thomas.  I need to return to my original point.  I have always loved baseball and I tried to over look those individuals and groups that has done harm to the game.  There has always been scoundrels associated with things that are good.  The real point at issue is the time spent by our Congress, media and legal system trying to determine if one of the greatest baseball players that ever threw a fastball did something illegal to gain a competitive edge.

 

The craziness starts with the use and misuse of valuable time by our leaders whose responsibility is to make and pass our laws. These leaders appropriate money to run the government.  My understanding is they have done very little in this area for the new fiscal year. I did see where Congress appropriated two million dollars to provide an office for Congressman Charlie Rangel at a community college that is located in his district. In addition a political science program at this college would be named after the Congressman. The money would go to pay for a staff person to collect Charlie's memorabilia as a Congressman and to manage the office.  The County that I live in was just forced to close two medical clinics because of a deficit of two million dollars. It is easy to see how the two million dollars could have been better spent.  I wrote a letter to my Congressman asking about the situation and my Congressman said the vote was down party lines as usual and there was nothing he could do.  Charlie actually spoke before Congress and attempted to justify why he should be honored in this manner.  It is apparent that Congress felt no shame regarding this vote.  Our country is at war.  We continue to wage a war on drugs.  Our national debt is like two old locomotives rushing toward each other on the same track with the collision only being a matter of moments away.  Our Social Security looks like my four year old son's piggy bank just after he has visited the toy store.  Whether one agrees or not with what should be done there are millions of American citizens without basic access to health care.  Everyone now agrees that our economy does have some problems.  The public schools in my area are not what they should be and there is no tax relief in order for my wife and I as parents to be able to send my son to a private school where he can get a serious education.  Our government has done nothing to gain independence from the middle east oil masters.  It is clear our government agencies that exist with the charge to protect our borders and the citizens of this country exist without a plan or the political will to carry out their responsibilities.  Our commercial airlines and airports are in trouble.  The infrastructure of our country is suspect.  Our roads and bridges are in a shambles and our government is more concerned with the roads and bridges of other countries like Iraq than those of our country. Our courts and jails are so crowded we are releasing criminals to make room for more criminals.  Our government is doing nothing to protect our border agents against violence that is supported by the Mexican government.  Our government is more concerned about the rights of human and drug smugglers than the citizens of the United States and their property.  Just recently the Democrats failed to support a law that would assist our government in listening to phone calls entering the United States from suspected terrorist. Where are our leaders?

 

That question is very simple but important.  Why are our leaders wasting time interviewing these multi-million-dollar athletes to determine their steroid use and if they are able to hit a baseball farther than the other guy?  Where do our Congressmen and Senators find time to hold hearings of this type when we have the kinds of problems that I've just mentioned facing our country and citizens?  I certainly understand the importance of educating our young people about the problems of steroid use.  Isn't this an educational problem and can't it be handled by our schools?  We teach sex education to five and six-year-olds and some schools have tried to hand out condoms to ten year olds so couldn't our schools along with their parents teach our children about the damage that steroids can do to the human body?  In addition can't our legal system investigate and prosecute people that are breaking our laws instead of our Congressmen and Senators looking for photo opportunities and autographs from these fallen athletic heroes?  I would really like to know if something happens to me my social security would be there for my son and wife. I am not a fool I have planned financially for my family. No one in their right mind would just count on the government.

 

I have been very critical of our government and their lack of effort in taking care of the important issues of our time.  I do respect the office of the President and the offices of our Senators and Congressmen and Women.  There is no doubt that these positions are arguably the most difficult in the world. It is easy to criticize but over the years less and less is being accomplished.  Anger can be a positive emotion if it motivates people to do what is right and what is good.  Anger makes sense if we do something positive with it and react in a positive way by writing, calling and expressing our thoughts and opinions to our government officials. We can not throw in the towel and just give in.  I am very disappointed in the candidates we have for president but we must vote and we must stay involved.  There is no question that our enemies want us to fight among ourselves. I think it was Jesus that said a house that is divided cannot stand.  That is a lesson the Congress and Senate need to learn and learn quickly. Our enemies do not want us to remember what John Kennedy once said to the American people.  Kennedy said for us as a people not to ask what the country will do for us but we should be asking what we can do for our country.  John Kennedy's words are as powerful today as they were 45 years ago.  Those words are actually more important today but God knows it is also important for the elected servants of this country to remember who they serve and why they serve.