For the Children - Again

by Kerry Thomas

March 18, 2005

They're doing it for the children - again.

Congress decided to hold another round of hearings to look into the use of 'roids by professional athletes. Using that terminology, they thought they'd attract a larger crowd of Congressmen, most of whom probably thought that term was referring to something other than ster-oids.

For some reason, Congress is pre-occupied with the substances Americans choose to put into their bodies. From the amount of fat in certain foods, to certain substances which Congress has decided it must control, and numerous other substances which We, the People, choose to introduce into our bodies in one form or another, the omnipotent Congress of the United States, with no Constitutional authority, continues to see fit to impose itself into the daily lives of free Americans.

It's a malignant outgrowth of the nanny state, cradle-to-grave mentality in Washington that sees Americans as helpless, unable to run their own lives without the care and guidance of the all-knowing Government. Well, it's time We took an honest view of this malignancy, and see if we can't remove it at the earliest opportunity (read that at the ballot box).

The omnipotent federal government doesn't exactly have a stellar track record when it comes to the products and substances it has deemed safe for the public. A few random substances that come to mind include: asbestos; the gasoline additive methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) (which was a government-mandated additive); evil tobacco (although a pharmacological nicotine patch is okay), even though Congress won't outlaw the product while they're still addicted to the tax revenue it generates; and quite a number of other pharmacological products which we have seen recalled or discontinued lately.

Why is Congress wasting time on this latest round of hearings? In the words of one Congressman "We want to embarrass the Hell out of them (professional baseball players)." With everything else facing Congress, somehow embarrassing a class of Americans has risen to a level not seen since the Communist hearings of the 1950's.

"Mr. Professional Baseball Player, are you a member of or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party, oops, I mean, the Steroid Users Club of America? Do you have knowledge of any of your colleagues being members of the Communist Party, oops, I mean, the Steroid Users Club of America?"

You know, it's funny, but I don't recall any Congressional investigations or hearings into the alleged steroid use of other professional athletes. Where were the hearings into professional wrestling? Where were the hearings into professional body building?

When queried about these hearings, Members of Congress, almost to a person, say they're holding these hearings because of the harmful effects steroid use will have on children. The theory is that children see these athletes using steroids to get ahead in their sport, and will naturally follow suit, and start to use steroids themselves. Never mind the amount of steroids already in the typical American diet, from the use of steroids in the food industry. Just how many farms are still around that do not inject or feed steroids to their poultry and livestock?

And isn't it the responsibility of America's Parents, not Congress, to monitor and decide for themselves just what the children of America read, watch, eat. drink?