When did society deem it acceptable to achieve a goal by doing something unethical, illegal, or morally reprehensible?
It seems that this is the state of society in which we live.
This past week’s ugly news concerns the Houston Astros major league baseball team, which won the World Series in 2017. It turns out that the team did so with the aid of electronic-aided sign stealing.
In the case of most sports, a champion is typically stripped of his title when cheating has been uncovered. Not so with MLB: a couple of management employees were fired, a very modest fine was levied, and some future draft picks were lost. That’s it…the cheating Houston Astros remain the 2017 World Series champs!
What kind of message does that send?
One wonders how many of the other 29 major league teams would gladly suffer these minor penalties in order to claim the World Series title? Probably every one of them, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, who were cheated out of a title by the Houston “Asterisks”.
As one sarcastic ballplayer said, “Evidently, if you ain’t cheatin’, you ain’t tryin’!”
Speaking of dishonorable behavior, the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump will convene shortly. He is accused of using his position as head of our government to extort the head of another nation to smear the President’s likely Democratic opponent in the 2020 election. And, then, he orchestrated an obstruction of a Congressional investigation into the same plot.
It is expected that the G.O.P. majority Senate will acquit the President, sending him the message, “Please feel free to make up your own rules, Sir!”
Of course, this unseemly drama closely follows the shenanigans of the 2016 Presidential campaign, wherein Russian interference helped elect Donald Trump in the first place. I wonder if the Houston Astros learned anything from this “win”?
(Which begs the question, “Why would our Russian enemies want Mr. Trump elected?”)
Amazingly, a large number of American citizens haven’t given much thought to that question…or don’t care what the answer is.
A sign of the times, I’m afraid.