Ohio State, Overreactions, and Obamacare

I'm telling you, we get more out of touch with reality every day. If you don't believe it, check out the following:

This one blows my mind.....five Ohio State players, including star quarterback Tyrell Pryor, were suspended by the NCAA for the first 5 games of the next season, even though the announcement was made 10 days before their Sugar Bowl game against Arkansas. So why didn't they suspend them for the Sugar Bowl? Well, the NCAA said "the students were not properly educated by school adminstrators about the legality of their actions." Really? Wouldn't you think some things should just go without saying? No one told them that trading championship rings and football jerseys for tattoos - yes, I said tattoos - was wrong? What were they thinking? I'm sure that should make any comprehensive list of do's and dont's in a "proper education". "Now, Tyrell, don't forget that it's illegal to trade your game jersey for a big tattoo across your backside." Furthermore, if you're going to suspend them, make it immediate. As it stands, the only real game they're suspended for is Michigan State. The others are against perennial powers like Toledo and Akron (apparently the Columbus School for the Blind didn't have an open date). I say if you're caught, you pay immediately - no post-dated suspensions.

And speaking of suspensions, how about Bruce Pearl, head basketball coach at Tennessee? He was suspended for the first 8 games of the SEC schedule by the conference - his fate from the NCAA is still pending. What did he do, you ask? Well, he broke a number of recruiting rules and then lied about it to the investigators. In an effort to head off a more severe punishment, UT docked his pay and the conference suspended him. Seems pretty stiff, you say? Well, not enough, in my book! There is a big difference in cheating and cheating, then lying about cheating. To me, if you're caught you take your medicine and move on. If you cheat, then lie about it to the investigators, that's a whole different level. We'll see how he fares with the NCAA, but if I were him, I'd push for the Tyrell Pryor plan and see if I could only be suspended for the games I should win anyway.

Now for overreations. The tragedy in Tucson was just that, a tragedy. A senseless act carried out by a person with serious mental problems. So why are we calling for bans on guns, ammo, clips, Safeway stores, and folding tables? Well, they were all part of the scene that day and we want to make sure nothing like this ever happens again. Does anyone else think maybe we're overreacting? I don't mean to downplay the severity of the suffering of the victims and their familes, but aren't we throwing the baby out with the bathwater here? Oh, and will someone please tell Sarah Palin to shut up? I've never seen someone so intent as she is on proving her opponents right. She is apparently incapable of keeping her mouth shut - a dangerous attribute for one who has so little to say.

Ronald Reagan said it best - "‎We must reject the idea that every time a law’s broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.” Amen.

And finally, Obamacare. As most of you know, I'm a political conservative. I dislike government intrusion into our private lives, and I was not in favor of the healthcare bill. Frankly some of the points in the bill are valid - removing caps on coverage, children having the ability to stay on their parents' coverage, etc. So why are the Republicans wasting time trying to repeal it when we all know it doesn't have a snowball's chance in Haiti of being repealed? Can you say 'grandstanding'? Why not just fix the parts that need fixing? They say you can't do it, that you have to start over. Why? Why is it necessary to go back to a blank slate when we all know that we need some kind of reform? Amend what needs amending, change what needs changing, and let's put this behind us.

Republicans are in a position of power right now. They have the most recent election on their side and, right now, they have public sentiment on their side. With all of the issues before us, I hate to see them waste all that collateral on an initiative they most certainly cannot win.

Oh, and one more thing...can someone hide Mitch McConnell's prune juice and castor oil? Anyone who frowns that much must be taking some pretty healthy doses.

Till next time..........