Bonds Come Due

So the federal government has decided to get Barry Bonds once and for all. Four counts of perjury and 1 count of obstruction of justice which could lead to 30 years in prison and a million dollar fine. All because Bonds lied to a grand jury about putting steroids into his own body. Congratulations, U.S. government. But what are you really doing here? I know steroids are illegal substances and are banned in baseball and I am in no way condoning their use. Yes, I realize how serious it is to lie to a grand jury and that you just can’t do it and that that is the real issue here. I’m not trying to minimize his lying to the federal government. But I have to ask this question: doesn’t our government have anything better to do than get involved in steroids and baseball? I would certainly hope so but it doesn’t seem that way. It’s not as if Bonds is selling steroids to kids in a schoolyard or is using heroin or cocaine and also selling it to others. Hey U.S. attorneys: how about finding something important to do like prosecuting the true drug lords that stain America with the drugs they bring in. Instead we are all supposed to admire the government for getting the goods on a baseball player and cleaning up baseball. I’m sorry but that is not their job, and it’s not going to clean up baseball anyway, as I alluded to in a previous blog. They count this as a big victory because they finally nailed the arrogant baseball player who thought he was above the law. That’s all well and good but this indictment is more about wiping the smirk off Bonds’ face rather than ridding America of steroids. Bonds has been defiant to the end that he did not knowingly take steroids. I don’t believe that. But if he did so what? It’s his body, he knew the consequences of his actions and, arrogant or not, now he has to pay for his sins. And he definitely should. But lets not make Bonds out to be a martyr in the process. 30 years in prison is a bit much for lying about steroids. Again, I realize how serious it is to lie to a grand jury. However, let’s keep this all in perspective. When you have federal prosecutors and lawyers jumping for joy because they caught the poster boy for steroids with his pants down, that’s a bit much for me. I’m not absolving Bonds of guilt but let’s make sure that we don’t get too carried away with all this because at that point you make him a sympathetic figure. From what I’ve seen from the tone of this case from the beginning, that seems a real possibility. If they give Bonds the max 30 years you watch how fast he attracts sympathy. Because eventually, over time, Americans will forgive and forget. I just don’t trust that the government will get this right. In the end, they are concluding their witch hunt against a guy who abused his own body and not anyone else’s and making it seem like this great accomplishment. If the point of this indictment is not to test a grand jury with lies then fine, point taken. But any rational person knows that anyway. It just doesn’t seem like that is what the government is trying to get across with this whole circus. It seems more like the big bad feds puffing out their chests and saying “don’t mess with steroids or we’ll get you.” Considering the majority of the population wouldn’t know a steroid if it bit them on the neck I really don’t see how the message of this case is all that important beyond the perjury aspect.