A REFLECTION
Today I tuned in to watch the Red Sox-Yankees game. I don't really follow sports; if you read this blog with any regularity, you know the reasons why. But if I had to choose a sport to "follow," it would be baseball. I like the fact that it goes back so far in American history. It is uniquely American. And I like anything with a long, well-documented history because it lets you see developments over time. Baseball certainly has that; Americans have obsessed over it since at least 1880.
During the broadcast, there was an interesting moment. It had nothing to do with the game; I really could care less who wins and who loses. The camera fixed on two Yankees sitting in the dugout watching the game. I have no idea who they were. One was black, with a round face, a goatee, moustache and big, brown eyes. The other was white, blondish, shaven, with an angular, Nordic-looking face, piercing iron-colored eyes and high cheekbones. These two men wore the same uniform. They wore the same hats with the same insignia. They leaned over the dugout railing. Their jackets even touched. They appeared to mutter a word or two to each other in between blowing sunflower seeds onto the field. Each man looked around; their eyes briefly met a few times. Then the camera moved back to the game.
Here were two Americans, united to play the "all-American game." A hundred years ago, every player in baseball was a European descendant. Well, at least all the players in the "American and National Leagues." Back in those days it was OK to segregate the races: the "negroes" had their own league. Players' names bespoke Europe: Honus Wagner; George Sisler; Walter Johnson; Rogers Hornsby.
Now, barely half the players are European descendants. Baseball officially desegregated in 1947. Since then, new ethnicities and races have completely altered baseball's face. Players' names, too, tell us that "times have changed" in America. Yes, there are still Buchholzes, Smoltzes, Cobbs, Saberhagens and Bretts. But much more often there are Gonzalezes, Rodriguezes, Ramirezes and Martinezes. And most of the players with names like Johnson, Brown, Williams and Jackson are black. The American population--just like baseball--is fundamentally different than what it was a hundred years ago.
This one moment reminded me how perplexing it is to be "an American." Who are we? What are we? With every passing generation, our identity as a Nation changes, just as our population changes. The original residents are extinct (our ancestors eliminated them a long time ago). We are now a bewildering mishmash of fresh immigrants and the descendants of people who "used to live somewhere else, far far away." And not all came voluntarily.
Who is an American? Those two Yankees on the TV screen were both Americans. Yet they looked nothing like one another. In fact, they came from radically divergent cultural heritages. They both played America's "truly American sport." But what else united them but the game? In this sense, the image on TV told a misleading story: Although it seemed that black and white happily coexist--and even "wear the same hat" while struggling as peers to win a mutual contest--a brief look at social realities tells us that the opposite is usually true.
American life is a strange thing. We pull in so many different directions because we all hail from disparate cultural traditions. No matter how much government or private institutions attempt to inculcate "traditionally American values," it is really impossible to impose uniformity over a population as heterogeneous as ours. In the past, of course, that heterogeneity has proven a blessing.
But who knows what the future holds. The United States ventures now into an unprecedented era. For the first time, European descendants will fade into minority status. Once again, America will struggle to answer the question: "Who is an American?" What is an "all-American look?" With a population as far-flung as ours, who can even presume to answer these questions?
Showing posts with label Baseball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Baseball. Show all posts
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
I AM AN INTERESTING PERSON
By : Mr. T. Garnett Bonds, M.A., Concerned Citizen and Member of the South Philadelphia Property Improvement Association
In life, we must cultivate enthusiasms. Without them, life becomes bland and unexciting. When we embrace our enthusiasms, life takes on a new vibrancy. Our enthusiasms express our personalities. Through them, we tell the world what we enjoy. In them, we experience our happiest moments. By them, others remember us. Men remember Cal Ripken, Jr. for his boundless enthusiasm about baseball. He just loved taking the field every day; you could feel it. That enthusiasm expressed his personality and others could see how much he enjoyed baseball. Put simply, when we live for our enthusiasms, we live full, enjoyable, memorable lives.
Enthusiasm makes us interesting people. Enthusiasm arouses our passions. Others can sense our energy when we are enthusiastic. It does not matter whether you are enthusiastic about model airplanes, skydiving, ornithology or swimming. You can be enthusiastic about anything. When you talk about your enthusiasms, your spirit brightens, you smile and people find you interesting. It is fun to talk to interesting people, and enthusiastic people are always interesting.
I am an interesting person because I have many interests in property. I am enthusiastic about property—and it shows. I am enthusiastic about the Pine Row Shopping Center on Route 45 in Camden because I own it. It brings in $56,000 per month in rent, and that makes me enthusiastic. I am also enthusiastic about my YouFirst™ HMO derivative portfolio because I own a diversified array of debentures, long-term notes, bonds, securities, account entitlements and other valuable commercial instruments. Even in the darkest economic climate, my derivative portfolio keeps on paying, and that makes me enthusiastic. When I talk about third quarter profits, my spirit brightens and I smile a lot. I think good thoughts because I see cash coming in. How can you not be enthusiastic about cash flow? When I talk about my property, I show that I am an interesting person. After all, I have many interests in property.
It is important to have interests. Interests give us enthusiasm. Some people are interested in art. Others are interested in classic cars. Still others are interested in new local restaurants and bowling alleys. I, however, have other interests, specifically, interests in property. I have a 45% interest in the popular Cold Water Pub in downtown Philadelphia. I also have 55% interest in Malden-Meyer Waste Management Associates, Inc. I have a controlling interest in a family-owned mortgage brokerage house in Fall Grove, Pennsylvania, and I own two 2008 Cadillac Escalades outright. All these interests combine to make me an interesting person. How can I not be interesting if I have this many interests? The way I see it, if you have a lot of interests in property, you are an interesting person. And if you have interests, you are enthusiastic.
My interests make me enthusiastic. When I heard that my 33% interest in the South Philly Raptors Baseball team yielded a $4,000,000 post-tax profit in 2007, I felt very enthusiastic. I wanted to call out for joy. This example proves that interests lead to enthusiasm. Furthermore, interesting people experience more enthusiasm than people without interests. True, there are interesting people without property interests, but they are not as enthusiastic or as interesting as people with diverse property interests. A 15-year-old high school student with long hair and a tye dye shirt may pass for “interesting” at Prescott Preparatory School in West Twining, New Jersey, but a 56-year-old investor with numerous interests in coal futures and real estate here in the Philadelphia area is a much more interesting person. It is all about interests: If you have more of them, you are more interesting.
Consider me. I have many different interests. I told you about my business interests and my interest in the local South Philly Baseball team. But I also have many interests in land. I have contingent remainder interests in several plots in Garfield Park, plus a vested nondefeasible fee tail interest in my mother’s 45-acre plot in Harbury Heights. I have a fee simple interest subject to a right of entry at 2365 James Road in Emden, while I have a springing fee simple determinable interest in my father-in-law’s house at 54 Granite Drive in Far Tawnygrass, Delaware. Beyond my real estate interests, I have many security interests. I have perfected interests in $3,000,000 worth of chattel paper held by one Mr. Francis G. McCormick, Esq. of Chicago, Illinois. I also have a perfected, registered interest in all the inventory of the Mack Sporting Goods Store in East Butterfield. Additionally, I am happy to hold an imperfected general security interest in all household goods possessed by Mr. and Mrs. Tom Franklin Sr. of New Falkirk, Maryland. If these folks default, I have a right to seize their fee simple interests and make them my own. When that happens, I will have even more interests in property than I do now. And when I have more interests, I become a more interesting person. How can I not be enthusiastic when I think about that?
Some say that I am not very interesting. They say that I am a cash-grubbing ornery old skinflint who only thinks about money. They say I stay at home all day and make angry telephone calls to lenders, debtors, lienholders and shareholders. They say I never go to the movies and prefer to just eat steak dinners with my sometime wife. They say I have no hobbies and stare at my bank balance all the time.
These complaints are exaggerated. My detractors do not know what it means to be enthusiastic or interesting. In my opinion, you cannot be interesting without interests. I have far more interests than my detractors, so that makes me more interesting than they are. And only interesting people can be truly enthusiastic. If you are more interesting, that makes you more enthusiastic, so that means I am more enthusiastic than my detractors. They can criticize my lifestyle all they want. I will remain enthusiastic about my interests—and I have a lot of them. I may not sing opera or make amusing videos on You Tube, but I own more stock, land and chattel paper than most people. I have many interests in property, and that makes me an interesting person.
We all have a right to pursue our interests. Some interests, however, are more valuable than others. A 51% interest in Parking Systems Philadelphia Ltd., for example, is worth $13,129,648.23, while a general interest in Miles Davis is worth nothing but some personalized psychic satisfaction. In my book, it is much easier to be enthusiastic about $13,129,648.23 than some trumpet squeals from the 1950s. I am enthusiastic about my interests. I have a lot of them. That makes me a very interesting person.
I am sure you would like to meet me. I would love to speak with you about my interests. You will sense my enthusiasm when I do. Did I tell you about my 67% interest in the North Brighton Dairy Farm? There is nothing better than talking about interests. Who does not love an enthusiastic conversation with an interesting person?
In life, we must cultivate enthusiasms. Without them, life becomes bland and unexciting. When we embrace our enthusiasms, life takes on a new vibrancy. Our enthusiasms express our personalities. Through them, we tell the world what we enjoy. In them, we experience our happiest moments. By them, others remember us. Men remember Cal Ripken, Jr. for his boundless enthusiasm about baseball. He just loved taking the field every day; you could feel it. That enthusiasm expressed his personality and others could see how much he enjoyed baseball. Put simply, when we live for our enthusiasms, we live full, enjoyable, memorable lives.
Enthusiasm makes us interesting people. Enthusiasm arouses our passions. Others can sense our energy when we are enthusiastic. It does not matter whether you are enthusiastic about model airplanes, skydiving, ornithology or swimming. You can be enthusiastic about anything. When you talk about your enthusiasms, your spirit brightens, you smile and people find you interesting. It is fun to talk to interesting people, and enthusiastic people are always interesting.
I am an interesting person because I have many interests in property. I am enthusiastic about property—and it shows. I am enthusiastic about the Pine Row Shopping Center on Route 45 in Camden because I own it. It brings in $56,000 per month in rent, and that makes me enthusiastic. I am also enthusiastic about my YouFirst™ HMO derivative portfolio because I own a diversified array of debentures, long-term notes, bonds, securities, account entitlements and other valuable commercial instruments. Even in the darkest economic climate, my derivative portfolio keeps on paying, and that makes me enthusiastic. When I talk about third quarter profits, my spirit brightens and I smile a lot. I think good thoughts because I see cash coming in. How can you not be enthusiastic about cash flow? When I talk about my property, I show that I am an interesting person. After all, I have many interests in property.
It is important to have interests. Interests give us enthusiasm. Some people are interested in art. Others are interested in classic cars. Still others are interested in new local restaurants and bowling alleys. I, however, have other interests, specifically, interests in property. I have a 45% interest in the popular Cold Water Pub in downtown Philadelphia. I also have 55% interest in Malden-Meyer Waste Management Associates, Inc. I have a controlling interest in a family-owned mortgage brokerage house in Fall Grove, Pennsylvania, and I own two 2008 Cadillac Escalades outright. All these interests combine to make me an interesting person. How can I not be interesting if I have this many interests? The way I see it, if you have a lot of interests in property, you are an interesting person. And if you have interests, you are enthusiastic.
My interests make me enthusiastic. When I heard that my 33% interest in the South Philly Raptors Baseball team yielded a $4,000,000 post-tax profit in 2007, I felt very enthusiastic. I wanted to call out for joy. This example proves that interests lead to enthusiasm. Furthermore, interesting people experience more enthusiasm than people without interests. True, there are interesting people without property interests, but they are not as enthusiastic or as interesting as people with diverse property interests. A 15-year-old high school student with long hair and a tye dye shirt may pass for “interesting” at Prescott Preparatory School in West Twining, New Jersey, but a 56-year-old investor with numerous interests in coal futures and real estate here in the Philadelphia area is a much more interesting person. It is all about interests: If you have more of them, you are more interesting.
Consider me. I have many different interests. I told you about my business interests and my interest in the local South Philly Baseball team. But I also have many interests in land. I have contingent remainder interests in several plots in Garfield Park, plus a vested nondefeasible fee tail interest in my mother’s 45-acre plot in Harbury Heights. I have a fee simple interest subject to a right of entry at 2365 James Road in Emden, while I have a springing fee simple determinable interest in my father-in-law’s house at 54 Granite Drive in Far Tawnygrass, Delaware. Beyond my real estate interests, I have many security interests. I have perfected interests in $3,000,000 worth of chattel paper held by one Mr. Francis G. McCormick, Esq. of Chicago, Illinois. I also have a perfected, registered interest in all the inventory of the Mack Sporting Goods Store in East Butterfield. Additionally, I am happy to hold an imperfected general security interest in all household goods possessed by Mr. and Mrs. Tom Franklin Sr. of New Falkirk, Maryland. If these folks default, I have a right to seize their fee simple interests and make them my own. When that happens, I will have even more interests in property than I do now. And when I have more interests, I become a more interesting person. How can I not be enthusiastic when I think about that?
Some say that I am not very interesting. They say that I am a cash-grubbing ornery old skinflint who only thinks about money. They say I stay at home all day and make angry telephone calls to lenders, debtors, lienholders and shareholders. They say I never go to the movies and prefer to just eat steak dinners with my sometime wife. They say I have no hobbies and stare at my bank balance all the time.
These complaints are exaggerated. My detractors do not know what it means to be enthusiastic or interesting. In my opinion, you cannot be interesting without interests. I have far more interests than my detractors, so that makes me more interesting than they are. And only interesting people can be truly enthusiastic. If you are more interesting, that makes you more enthusiastic, so that means I am more enthusiastic than my detractors. They can criticize my lifestyle all they want. I will remain enthusiastic about my interests—and I have a lot of them. I may not sing opera or make amusing videos on You Tube, but I own more stock, land and chattel paper than most people. I have many interests in property, and that makes me an interesting person.
We all have a right to pursue our interests. Some interests, however, are more valuable than others. A 51% interest in Parking Systems Philadelphia Ltd., for example, is worth $13,129,648.23, while a general interest in Miles Davis is worth nothing but some personalized psychic satisfaction. In my book, it is much easier to be enthusiastic about $13,129,648.23 than some trumpet squeals from the 1950s. I am enthusiastic about my interests. I have a lot of them. That makes me a very interesting person.
I am sure you would like to meet me. I would love to speak with you about my interests. You will sense my enthusiasm when I do. Did I tell you about my 67% interest in the North Brighton Dairy Farm? There is nothing better than talking about interests. Who does not love an enthusiastic conversation with an interesting person?
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
SPORTS STARS MUST BE MORAL
By : Mrs. Victoria H. Slotter, B.S.; Spokesperson, Americans United For Responsible Role Models and Good Living
America needs strong role models. Life is difficult and challenging. Dynamic American heroes give their fellow citizens hope and joy. Even in the darkest times, sports stars, actors and even political figures inspire us with seemingly superhuman exploits. Every morning, countless Americans escape their troubles by thumbing through sports sections, following their favorite players. Every week, countless Americans follow popular television actors and Hollywood personalities. They look up to them as heroes. Celebrities give every American a precious gift: The power to believe in something better than his own miserable lot.
In times past, sports stars occupied a hallowed place in the American mind. Baseball greats such as Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle and Tom Seaver brought joy to millions. They stood apart from the world. They seemed to have superhuman abilities and unimpeachable personalities. They provided a good example for children, and they set a decent standard for the rest of us. They led good, decent lives; they inspired us. They recognized their fame and respected it. They did not engage in behavior that would have tarnished their image for the rest of us. In short, they recognized that their fame brought responsibility. And they responsibly honored their obligations.
But where are the heroes today? Where are the selfless sports stars? Today, sports stars make news for all the wrong reasons. We hear about Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez abusing steroids. We hear about Lance Armstrong “doping” to win the Tour de France. And we see photographs showing Olympic great Michael Phelps smoking marijuana from a “bong.” These stars are not just hurting themselves; they are obliterating the hopes and dreams of millions.
Americans need responsible heroes, not cheaters, wife-beaters and stoners. We, Americans United for Responsible Role Models and Good Living, believe that sports stars have a responsibility to be responsible. With fame comes responsibility, and sports stars must recognize that they no longer may live merely for themselves. They must consider the effects their actions will have on the public. At a time when Americans are losing their jobs and homes, belief in superhuman sports achievements is more important than ever. Sports stars have a duty to sustain the fantasies of everyday Americans, and we are determined to protect those fantasies.
In the past, great sports stars did not just excel on the playing field. They were decent people, too. Decent people lead moral lives. One cannot live a moral life if one engages in any form of immorality whatsoever. We propose forbidding sports stars from engaging in immorality. This will enable them to be decent people. For example, it is immoral to smoke marijuana from a “bong.” It sends the wrong message to our children, no matter how successful Michael Phelps may be. It is no defense to say that successful people should get away with things that would land others in hot water. Rather, sports stars must set a higher example. Fame impacts privacy, and we intend to closely monitor sports fans for immorality.
We demand that sports stars remain inspirational. To accomplish that goal, we must ensure that sports stars are decent people. We can do this by compelling major stars—both in sports and entertainment—to sign sworn commitments pledging never to engage in immoral behavior. For example, to be decent, Michael Phelps cannot merely apologize for smoking marijuana from a “bong” or driving drunk while underage. He must swear—under legal penalties—that he does not—and will never: Engage in premarital sexual intercourse; engage in any sexual conduct other than heterosexual vaginal intercourse intended to result in procreation; place his lips on any sexual organ; allow lips to touch his own sexual organs (except pursuant to medical emergency); masturbate more than four times per calendar year (pursuant to notice and approval by Americans United for Responsible Role Models, with no masturbatory episode to last longer than 15 minutes); drink beer; drink malt liquor; drink wine coolers; smoke cigarettes; smoke pipes; smoke handrolled cigars; lie; cheat; steal; commit fraud; use profanity beyond the words “Darn,” “Shucks,” or “Shoot;” use marijuana or other illegal drugs as set forth in the Code of Federal Regulations or any statute applicable hereto; take the name of the Lord our God in vain; commit fornication or adultery; act inappropriately in any way; make scatological jokes or comments; take excessive enjoyment in life; or speak ill of any obligation or responsibility. If a sports star cannot abide by these restrictions, he is not a decent person, and he does not deserve adulation from Americans.
We have heard enough bad things about our heroes. By implementing our guidelines for decent behavior, we will restore faith in American sports stars. We will no longer hear about drunken binges, cheating, tax evasion, domestic abuse or wild romps. Instead, we will only hear about noble self-sacrifice, good sportsmanship, charity, visits to underprivileged schools, donations to the Children’s Cancer Fund and quiet nights at home with Mom and Dad. Sports stars have a responsibility to be responsible; and we intend to hold them to it.
Sports stars may say that they are only human. They may be unwilling to abide by our guidelines for decent living. They may say that they have a right to live in private and to engage in private activities. We say: “No, you don’t.” When a person becomes a sports star, he becomes a public hero. Just as the Gladiators of Ancient Rome provided excitement and inspiration to the common man, so too must modern American sports stars recognize their inspirational place in the social order. They do not have the same freedoms as everyday Americans. Rather, they owe public duties. If our sports stars do not lead decent lives, who will? We must at least aspire to decency by requiring our most inspirational citizens to lead decent lives. Additionally, we believe that sports stars will not face heavy burdens. After all, sports stars in decades past not only excelled on the field; they were also decent people. Why can’t modern sports stars do the same? Babe Ruth inspired children without engaging in nonprocreative sexual intercourse or “bong-smoking.” Has so much changed in eighty years that modern sports stars cannot be decent people?
We do not think so. We believe that sports stars can be both great athletes and decent people. It is time to return morality and goodness to sports. After all, Americans take refuge from their lives in sports. It is only fitting that their refuge should be a moral place. For too long, sports stars have disappointed the average Americans who believe in them. We must repair the damage. Now, we insist that sports stars not only excel on the field, but also lead moral lives. How else will our children learn decency? Parents can only teach so much; sports heroes carry much more weight. We must remember the children. Let sports stars remember that before they take a steroid injection. Let Barry Bonds say to himself: “If I take this injection, I may hit more home runs. But I will irreparably harm millions of children in the process.” Let Michael Phelps say to himself: “I am having a great time at this party and I really want to take a bong hit. But if I do, I will devastate millions of children all over the world.”
What would a responsible man do in these circumstances? He would choose the responsible path. Americans hear enough bad news. Let our sports stars enlighten our lives, not depress them. To do that, we must force them to be moral. This is about America. And it is about the children.
America needs strong role models. Life is difficult and challenging. Dynamic American heroes give their fellow citizens hope and joy. Even in the darkest times, sports stars, actors and even political figures inspire us with seemingly superhuman exploits. Every morning, countless Americans escape their troubles by thumbing through sports sections, following their favorite players. Every week, countless Americans follow popular television actors and Hollywood personalities. They look up to them as heroes. Celebrities give every American a precious gift: The power to believe in something better than his own miserable lot.
In times past, sports stars occupied a hallowed place in the American mind. Baseball greats such as Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle and Tom Seaver brought joy to millions. They stood apart from the world. They seemed to have superhuman abilities and unimpeachable personalities. They provided a good example for children, and they set a decent standard for the rest of us. They led good, decent lives; they inspired us. They recognized their fame and respected it. They did not engage in behavior that would have tarnished their image for the rest of us. In short, they recognized that their fame brought responsibility. And they responsibly honored their obligations.
But where are the heroes today? Where are the selfless sports stars? Today, sports stars make news for all the wrong reasons. We hear about Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez abusing steroids. We hear about Lance Armstrong “doping” to win the Tour de France. And we see photographs showing Olympic great Michael Phelps smoking marijuana from a “bong.” These stars are not just hurting themselves; they are obliterating the hopes and dreams of millions.
Americans need responsible heroes, not cheaters, wife-beaters and stoners. We, Americans United for Responsible Role Models and Good Living, believe that sports stars have a responsibility to be responsible. With fame comes responsibility, and sports stars must recognize that they no longer may live merely for themselves. They must consider the effects their actions will have on the public. At a time when Americans are losing their jobs and homes, belief in superhuman sports achievements is more important than ever. Sports stars have a duty to sustain the fantasies of everyday Americans, and we are determined to protect those fantasies.
In the past, great sports stars did not just excel on the playing field. They were decent people, too. Decent people lead moral lives. One cannot live a moral life if one engages in any form of immorality whatsoever. We propose forbidding sports stars from engaging in immorality. This will enable them to be decent people. For example, it is immoral to smoke marijuana from a “bong.” It sends the wrong message to our children, no matter how successful Michael Phelps may be. It is no defense to say that successful people should get away with things that would land others in hot water. Rather, sports stars must set a higher example. Fame impacts privacy, and we intend to closely monitor sports fans for immorality.
We demand that sports stars remain inspirational. To accomplish that goal, we must ensure that sports stars are decent people. We can do this by compelling major stars—both in sports and entertainment—to sign sworn commitments pledging never to engage in immoral behavior. For example, to be decent, Michael Phelps cannot merely apologize for smoking marijuana from a “bong” or driving drunk while underage. He must swear—under legal penalties—that he does not—and will never: Engage in premarital sexual intercourse; engage in any sexual conduct other than heterosexual vaginal intercourse intended to result in procreation; place his lips on any sexual organ; allow lips to touch his own sexual organs (except pursuant to medical emergency); masturbate more than four times per calendar year (pursuant to notice and approval by Americans United for Responsible Role Models, with no masturbatory episode to last longer than 15 minutes); drink beer; drink malt liquor; drink wine coolers; smoke cigarettes; smoke pipes; smoke handrolled cigars; lie; cheat; steal; commit fraud; use profanity beyond the words “Darn,” “Shucks,” or “Shoot;” use marijuana or other illegal drugs as set forth in the Code of Federal Regulations or any statute applicable hereto; take the name of the Lord our God in vain; commit fornication or adultery; act inappropriately in any way; make scatological jokes or comments; take excessive enjoyment in life; or speak ill of any obligation or responsibility. If a sports star cannot abide by these restrictions, he is not a decent person, and he does not deserve adulation from Americans.
We have heard enough bad things about our heroes. By implementing our guidelines for decent behavior, we will restore faith in American sports stars. We will no longer hear about drunken binges, cheating, tax evasion, domestic abuse or wild romps. Instead, we will only hear about noble self-sacrifice, good sportsmanship, charity, visits to underprivileged schools, donations to the Children’s Cancer Fund and quiet nights at home with Mom and Dad. Sports stars have a responsibility to be responsible; and we intend to hold them to it.
Sports stars may say that they are only human. They may be unwilling to abide by our guidelines for decent living. They may say that they have a right to live in private and to engage in private activities. We say: “No, you don’t.” When a person becomes a sports star, he becomes a public hero. Just as the Gladiators of Ancient Rome provided excitement and inspiration to the common man, so too must modern American sports stars recognize their inspirational place in the social order. They do not have the same freedoms as everyday Americans. Rather, they owe public duties. If our sports stars do not lead decent lives, who will? We must at least aspire to decency by requiring our most inspirational citizens to lead decent lives. Additionally, we believe that sports stars will not face heavy burdens. After all, sports stars in decades past not only excelled on the field; they were also decent people. Why can’t modern sports stars do the same? Babe Ruth inspired children without engaging in nonprocreative sexual intercourse or “bong-smoking.” Has so much changed in eighty years that modern sports stars cannot be decent people?
We do not think so. We believe that sports stars can be both great athletes and decent people. It is time to return morality and goodness to sports. After all, Americans take refuge from their lives in sports. It is only fitting that their refuge should be a moral place. For too long, sports stars have disappointed the average Americans who believe in them. We must repair the damage. Now, we insist that sports stars not only excel on the field, but also lead moral lives. How else will our children learn decency? Parents can only teach so much; sports heroes carry much more weight. We must remember the children. Let sports stars remember that before they take a steroid injection. Let Barry Bonds say to himself: “If I take this injection, I may hit more home runs. But I will irreparably harm millions of children in the process.” Let Michael Phelps say to himself: “I am having a great time at this party and I really want to take a bong hit. But if I do, I will devastate millions of children all over the world.”
What would a responsible man do in these circumstances? He would choose the responsible path. Americans hear enough bad news. Let our sports stars enlighten our lives, not depress them. To do that, we must force them to be moral. This is about America. And it is about the children.
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