Honesty?

First, to clear the air, I don't care what they do with Rich Rodriguez. I've written about him, U of M, college athletics (at least the "big-time" sports), etc. often enough.

But this AM on a radio show devoted to the reports of Richard Rodriguez's firing I heard some guy talk about "honesty" or, rather, the lack of it. He claimed it is "difficult to find" nowadays. "Everybody lies." Namely, he was talking about journalists, athletic officials, politicians, and gov't officials. To cite one of his examples, he talked about his local school board. Apparently in some sort of legal action with his local board, he offered to take a lie detector test with the State Police and encouraged the school officials to do the same. He claimed it was a matter of public record, the lie detector tests, and he passed, while the school guys declined. I guess the explanation was "seeing things from different perspectives." Yeah, right.... That's like "misspeaking," is it?

In the end, who cares about these college sports? Again and again, the NCAA and member schools have shown what a sham "student-athlete" is. They have demonstrated their hypocrisy and dishonesty. (Can you say Ohio State and Sugar Bowl--or whatever bowl it played?) If fans want to admit that it's all a joke, then cheer away! Alumni (and I heard this AM on the radio, for the umpteenth time, "he's an alumni;" these people get paid to fracture the English language) should be (but, of course, aren't) insulted, embarrassed, furious at what is happening at their alma maters. Speaks volumes to me....


But the larger question is honesty in the media. I won't go so far to say the media are dead, but it is telling that I read recently that a poll held blogs in higher confidence/trust than the mainstream/lamestream media. Those journalists with any integrity should be ashamed of that and should be working to make things better. Of course, they won't be able to, just as the best teachers can't make any real inroads to improving schools.

Before making cookies with Ashley, one more thing. Have you noticed the President's czars (regulatory agencies) are doing what Congress didn't pass? The health care death panels, that we were assured wouldn't be created? They have been, by agency directives. The cap and tax carbon taxes that were defeated by Congress? They've been enacted, by agency directives. When will members of Congress step up with some courage and integrity and stop this madness of government, not of the people, by the people, for the people, but by executive fiat and bureaucracy? Don't hold your breath. There's more, including a move by the Dems in the Senate to limit filibustering, something they vehemently opposed about 16 years ago--when they were in the minority!!!! Hypocrites.

I believe it really is a battle for the soul of our country and culture and the good guys are losing, badly. But, who cares? The OSU players got to play and won the game for the Big Ten!