In this week's
Edge of Sports column, Dave Zirin draws interesting parallels between the McCarthy-ism of the 1950's and this week's subpoenas of major league baseball players to testify about steroid use.
A congressional committee, already preening for the nearest cameras, has been tasked with "getting steroids out of Major League Baseball." Current and former players..... have all been subpoenaed to testify under oath. Major League Baseball and the Players Association have pledged to fight the subpoenas, taking the unprecedented step to unite under one attorney, Mr. Stanley Brand. Brand is arguing all over TV land that this congressional committee has no jurisdiction, is violating the player's first amendment privacy rights with no purpose but to "satisfy their prurient interest into who may and may not have engaged in this activity."
The legal basis for the subpoenas is questionable and the players union and Major League Baseball have banded together to prevent their players from testifying, but Zirin goes on to point out that the issue goes far beyond legal jurisdiction.
In this week's
Edge of Sports column, Dave Zirin draws interesting parallels between the McCarthy-ism of the 1950's and this week's subpoenas of major league baseball players to testify about steroid use.
A congressional committee, already preening for the nearest cameras, has been tasked with "getting steroids out of Major League Baseball." Current and former players Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmeiro, Curt Shilling, Frank Thomas, Jason Giambi, Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco, have all been subpoenaed to testify under oath. Major League Baseball and the Players Association have pledged to fight the subpoenas, taking the unprecedented step to unite under one attorney, Mr. Stanley Brand. Brand is arguing all over TV land that this congressional committee has no jurisdiction, is violating the player's first amendment privacy rights with no purpose but to "satisfy their prurient interest into who may and may not have engaged in this activity."
The legal basis for the subpoenas is questionable and the players union and Major League Baseball have banded together to prevent their players from testifying, but Zirin points out that the issue goes beyond legal jurisdiction.
Just as Joe McCarthy and his thugs had no moral authority to fume about "protecting democracy," neither do these 21st Century witch-hunters have the credibility to speak to us about drugs, children or the Nation's health. If they cared so much about "public health dangers" this committee should hold hearings about why the United States has such a miserable health care system with 45 million uninsured and literally thousands more losing their insurance every day. If they cared so much about children, this committee would be issuing subpoenas to George W. Bush and Dick Cheney about why their 2006 budget eliminates 48 educational programs, or cuts 670,000 kids from food stamps. If they cared so much about drug abuse, this committee would be raising a stir about the treatment programs currently on the budget-chopping block.
By holding steroid abuse hearings, Congress is looking to distract the press and the public from their failure to address issues that are truly important. Is anyone surprised that the hearings are timed to coincide with the upcoming baseball season?