don’t lie to me

When I was a young boy I had to learn to live in my father’s world. There were rules to follow. They weren’t written down anywhere. They didn’t have to be. I knew the rules and I understood there were consequences to breaking them.

Depending upon the crime, the punishment might vary. If I was lucky and Dad was in a good mood, I might get away with a stern “talking to” or be grounded for a week. The more serious offenses resulted in more severe consequences. Without going into detail let’s just say Dad lived by the old saying, “Spare the rod and spoil the child.” 

But there was one rule that stood out above all others. You might say it was the last one on the list. That rule was, “If you break any of the above rules, you’d better not let me catch you lying to me about it.”  If I got caught trying to lie my way out, you could bet my backside would pay the price. The simple act of sitting would become a very unpleasant experience.

Dad was a man to fear – that is if you were his son and used the bad judgment of playing with the truth. I learned real fast that to commit a transgression was one thing but to lie about it – well that was an entirely different matter. When I did stray outside those boundaries he had set for me, I figured out that my best course of action was to fess up and take my medicine. I didn’t do so out of guilt or on any moral grounds. It was simply a matter of self-preservation.

Barry Bonds obviously didn’t learn that same lesson. Oh, I’m sure his father, Bobby Bonds, and his godfather, Willie Mays, tried to teach him but for whatever reason the lesson didn’t stick. And now, perhaps the greatest baseball player to ever walk onto a baseball diamond is paying the price. Bonds was indicted last week by a federal grand jury on four counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice. Translated that means he lied to the wrong people and got caught. As a consequence, the all-time homerun king’s future in baseball is up in the air.

Bonds testified in 2003 before a federal grand jury investigating the illegal distribution of steroids, as did many other professional athletes. He put his hand on the Good Book and swore he never knowingly took steroids. The government believes it can prove that was not a true statement. According to published reports, prosecutors have evidence that Bonds actually tested positive for steroids.

The sad thing is that Bonds wasn’t the subject of the investigation. He was nothing more than a witness and was given immunity. Nothing he said could be used against him. All he had to do was tell the truth. If he had admitted to taking steroids, that would have been the end of the story.  Jason Giambi reportedly told the same grand jury that he used steroids and he is stilling hitting homeruns for the New York Yankees. Giambi’s reputation may have been a bit soiled but America has forgiven him and the slugger continues to receive cheers from adoring fans. Bonds, according to prosecutors, took another route and now his legacy as the greatest homerun hitter of all-time is in jeopardy – not to mention his freedom.

Bonds’ supporters are already out there protesting the treatment Bonds is receiving. They’ve already played the race card. Everyone knows Mark McGwire and Jason Giambi, who are both white, used steroids and they aren’t being prosecuted. That is true but the white guys didn’t lie about it under oath to a federal grand jury. Bonds isn’t being prosecuted for using banned substances. He’s being prosecuted for lying about it. He’s in hot water because he may have committed a federal crime.

We are also hearing claims of selective prosecution. According to this line of thinking,  Bonds is being singled out because he isn’t a popular guy. McGwire and Giambi are more popular and it would be harder from a public relations standpoint to prosecute them. Maybe, just maybe, the thinking is they would be harder to prosecute because they didn’t lie to a grand jury. What is there to prosecute? McGwire may not have been forthcoming with his pleading the fifth before Congress but saying nothing is better than lying.

Barry Bonds is a gifted athlete and a great baseball player. Too bad he’s not as good with the truth as he is with a bat in his hand. Too bad, he didn’t learn that final rule when he was a kid.