The following article was published by the San Ramon Valley Times . I wrote it to express my dismay with the deterioration of integrity when it comes to baseball players using performance enhancing drugs, and the general pervasiveness of cheating in society. I have examined several sources in order to come to my opinion, and though neither Barry Bonds or an unnamed kid have been convicted of any illegal activity, the court of public opinion is weighing heavily against Bonds, and the kid is serious trouble.
"Cheating the Norm" published by The San Ramon Valley Times August 22, 2007 by Rick Rodriguez
"Now that Bonds has passed the Real Home Run King--Hank Aaron--on the all-time home run list perhaps we can begin to see less coverage of the farce we are witnessing, and the unbelievable fans that adore Bonds and his tainted record. How is it that people can watch this guy and cheer for a record he achieved under the influence of something banned by the major leagues? Why has cheating become so rampant in our society that it’s accepted as the norm? Bonds is the classic case of innocence? But, there are others, too.
Take for instance the case of the kid accused of falsifying grades at Diablo Valley College: He’s innocent, too? Or, so he says, at least that is what I read in my local paper. I can only imagine when he glanced at his report card and saw he had straight A’s that certainly didn’t register that perhaps there was a problem—or an oversight! The problem no longer is whether we cheated or not—but whether we, the public, will buy it until the next cheater comes along."
