It is probably difficult for many residents of Fort Lee to see how Roger Clemens relates to our community. But, in reality, his trial affects every community in the United States.
Roger Clemens was a superstar ball player for many years. He has numerous Cy Young awards and All-Star appearances. But when you cut to the chase, he is an athlete, no more, no less! He may or may not have used steroids; I’m not certain I really care. He is not a violent criminal; I do not believe our community is in danger from his behavior.
I do believe that our community is in danger from the incredibly irresponsible behavior of our Congressional representatives! Millions of dollars have been spent (wasted) on the investigations and trials of Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens. To add insult to injury, the inept federal prosecutor forced a mistrial in the Roger Clemens case by directly violating a judicial edict. According to a New York Times report, the case may not even be retried. We can no longer even remotely justify these expenditures! That is not to mention the time spent on these trials by our Congressmen that could have been better relegated to more important national issues. Our representatives have made a unilateral decision that perception of integrity is more important than actual integrity.
Because baseball has an exemption under the anti-trust laws, Congress has decided that it has a right and “obligation” to meddle in the affairs of Major League Baseball. They cannot prosecute Clemens for using steroids, so they choose to prosecute (persecute) him for perjury. It is a crying shame that we cannot prosecute all our Congressmen for the numerous times that they have lied to the American people.
America’s economy is in shambles. Our roads are deteriorating, with no money available for repairs. There is a major drought in the heartland of our country, with no reprieve in sight and limited federal funds to help. School funding is being cut as states cannot balance budgets. Unemployment rates are skyrocketing and the homeless situation in the U.S. is unmanageable.
But thank goodness, we have unlimited funds available for insane wars (now adding Libya to the mix) and Roger Clemens. Congress really has its priorities straight!