What Would [Your Hero] Do?

A few years ago, I bought a Captain America comic that featured a new Captain America in training. I'm hazy on the details now...either he was Havoc training to be Captain America, or he was one of several aspiring men, one of whom was going to be chosen as the new Captain America.

In any event, some crooks get away with a crime, so this guy steals an exo-skeleton, goes to the crooks hideout, and beats them up and turns them over to the police. Something of that nature.

The next day, the entire recruiting class is summoned, and a government official says, "Okay, which one of you stole the exo-skeleton?" Our hero thinks for several minutes. He knows no one can prove he took the exo-skeleton. He also knows that if he confesses, he'll be kicked out of the program...goodbye to his dreams of being a superhero. He thinks... "What would the real Captain America do?" And then he stands up and confesses to having stolen the Exo-skeleton.

Contrast that to what we've got today. Politicians caught dead to rights with money in their freezer, or taking drugs, and they deny that they've done it, and when it's proven that they've done it they deny that it was illegal. (Worse, for some of 'em, despite their felony record, they are relected by the people!)

Then we've got athletes. Floyd Landis, yesterday, who for four years has sworn up down and sideways that he never cheated, yesterday admitted that he cheated and not only that, but accused Lance Armstrong of cheating also.

Jose Canseco cheated, but apparently he confessed without prompting, and of course wrote that book in which he accused quite a few people of also taking steroids. All of whom denied it, all of whom were later proven to have taken it. [Such as the idiot Rafael Palmeiro, who so stridently denied taking steroids and condemning those who did. The next day, practically, it was proven that he'd taken steroids.]

Then there's the case of Marion Jones, denied taking steroids for years, even though her dirtbag of a husband "outed" her - finally, yes she did take steroids.

Such people do not deserve our sympathy, our admiration for finally telling the truth. Invariably, they only tell the truth when they are forced to, not because it's part of their inner morality to own up immediately to what they've done.

Then there's the case of the two Minnesota football players fighting their suspension for violating the league's drug policy. Oh, they took the drugs all right, but they don't think the NFL has the right to punish them! I say, anyone who violates the league policty - first time - banned for life.

Sad days, when kids look to athletes as "role models" and see nothing but preening prima donnas who are absolutely the worst role models a kid could have. But they sure can't look to politicians as our role models... not even Barack "yes, President Caldron, critizize our country all you like, and how did you like the Ipod Igave you full of my speeches?" Obama!