By Mark David Blum, Esq.
In a report way off base, former Senator George Mitchell was called up by Bud Selig to see what dirt is hiding behind baseball’s façade. Today, balls and strikes are giving way to needles and pins. The whole world is all aflutter about steroid use in Baseball.
In releasing his report yesterday, Senator Mitchell has taken it upon himself to expose the wide ranging use of steroids in professional sports. Another Senator, John McCain, once threatened Baseball’s Commissioner Bud Selig, get rid of them “or else” the Senate will.
Someone should tell our government to stick a sock in it. They threaten to use power of their respective offices to bring about a change in a private industry that is beyond the reach of the Commerce Clause. More importantly, it is yet another finger in the eye of freedom and the values of liberty that we all cherish. The Federal Government has nothing to do with Baseball or sports at all; and should just shut the hell up.
Enabling Federal mandatory drug testing in a sport may be a good issue for a has-been wannabe president, but it sucks as a Federal policy. Senators Mitchell or McCain would be better off using the bully pulpit of their office to encourage, educate, and guide – not to threaten and abuse. Government does not have the authority and should immediately sit down. These true believers are the ones enamored with the little house on the prairie, want their two chickens in every pot, dream they are the Marlboro man, and plan a Donna Reed lifestyle. They will not look forward and insist on anchoring human enlightenment and progress in a bygone era.
“We have the technology”.
Americans have labored long and hard to enhance the standard of living. We have built the most impressive technology, garnered incredible scientific achievement, and expanded intellectual understanding of the universe beyond our Founders’ wildest dreams. We have flown to Mars, discovered the computer chip, split the atom, and figured out the science of cloning. All of this was for the betterment of the human condition. Yet, when it comes to taking advantage of this technology for our own human growth, the Republicans and those who think like them, dig in and insist that we hold onto the ways of old. To them, churning butter is much more beneficial to humanity than margarine.
My wife had a major operation a few years ago. I had a lengthy and long discussion with the anesthesiologist prior thereto about the subject of pain management. He elaborated on what I already knew; namely, that in his profession, there are two schools of thought. One school says pain management and the drugs available should only be used to help a person deal with the pain. The other school says we have the technology and should use the spectrum of drugs available to eradicate pain altogether. Of course it was her luck to draw a student of the former but his attitude changed when I gave him my best Shirley McLaine impression when the nominal pain relief was not working.
The issue however begs the bigger question. Why interfere with athletes who choose to consume and use steroids to enhance performance? So far, I have yet to hear a valid and reasonable reason for the revulsion being expressed by the ‘hall monitors – turned politicians’. If Marion Jones, Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi and a plethora of other professional athletes can run faster, jump higher, hit harder, and perform better, then does not that bespeak of the value of the drug? Are not athletics all about stronger faster higher?
Objections come in two groups. There are those who claim that steroid use is “cheating”. Another group says steroids are too dangerous. We know now that both claims are not true.
I wish someone would explain to me how steroid use is cheating. Only the competitors bending over for the silver or bronze medals consider steroid use to be cheating.
Steroids increase muscle mass, increase aggressiveness, and have all these other effects that somehow enhance the work an athlete does in preparing for his/her sport. The drug itself is not a performance enhancer but rather drives the athlete to work harder and go faster. This is not cheating; this is taking advantage of what is already there. The drugs are not running, jumping, or swimming. Since the entire concept of athletic competition is about capability, then why not do all we can to bring this about and encourage this performance?
Nobody is forcing these drugs into people. Those who choose not to partake certainly have that right … but they cannot whine about losing … no more than I can whine for not winning the Indy 500 because I was driving a Pinto. Besides, with all the science being currently employed in professional athletics, trainers have found ways to achieve the same effect with diet, LEGAL drugs, and other supplements. Is this cheating?
Steroids are unhealthy. They can cause great harm. Nobody disputes this. But then again, so can aspirin, cigarettes, sugar, or even walking across the street. All of these things, if unregulated and uncontrolled, can kill you. Today, with so much money invested in an athlete and in his performance, with the levels of medical skill and scientific expertise, it is unlikely that steroids would be used to a dangerous level.
Yes, there will be those who ABUSE the drug. But since we do not punish all drinkers for the behaviors of the drunk, we should not deprive ourselves the right to “be all they can be” because of the mismanagement of a few.
Do you really have enough information to take a stand on this issue? Or is it like our “other” Drug War, you just accept they are “bad” because some old man tells you so. (I wonder if Senators Mitchell or McCain have joined Senator Dole and will admit to using their own performance enhancing drugs … Viagara, Cialis, Levitra).
For me, I am more offended that a United States Senator thinks he can inject himself by force in an industry whose workers pose no threat to any citizen of this nation or of any state. I am grossly angered that the careers of some of our finest athletes are being ruined because of an irrational fear and ignorance. Whether Baseball does or does not regulate steroid use is of no concern to me … so long as it is voluntary and uniform. It certainly is no business of the United States Senate.
