Georgie:

Here is a post I submitted to JR's blog this morning after he commented on pro wrestling, steroids, and Congress. I doubt it will make it onto his blog.

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Jim:

So you think Congress has more important things to do than investigate steroids in sports, particularly in professional wrestling?

I cover Congress on a freelance basis for mortgage trade publications, and write and anchor for Voice of America.

You can make the case that almost every subject Congress deals with is something it should leave to others.

I realize it is the company line to say Congress shouldn't waste its time on this issue, but what is more important than the health of young people, young people who are more heavily-influenced by nearly naked roided-up pro wrestlers than by roided-up athletes in team sports who wear uniforms that cover most of their bodies?

I have spent some time with the investigators at the Waxman Committee and I continue to encourage them to look into the abuse of steroids in pro wrestling.

If you care at all about the health of boys and young men in this country, and want to work to keep them from using steroids, you will encourage Congress to investigate pro wrestling (or at least remain silent on the issue), because surely WWE is incapable of keeping steroids out of pro wrestling. A brief viewing of any WWE TV shows is proof of that.

Yes, Congress does have many more pressing issues than steroids in pro wrestling, but Congress ALWAYS has pressing issues. It is not a zero-sum game here, Jim. Congress has many committees and subcommittees and thousands of staffers. It has the capacity to investigate pro wrestling without hurting its efforts in other areas.

If you oppose Congressional involvement in this issue please try to come up with another, more-original reason.

You said you hope Congress can develop a plan to solve the problem. I'm glad you admit that there is a problem, and pleased that you acknowledge that the players in the various games cannot come up with a solution on their own.
Its sad that your employer won't do this on his own. Then Congress could get to those more-pressing issues to which you alluded. Vince McMahon could save a lot of taxpayer time and money if he would just do the right thing, but I'm certainly not holding my breath on that one.

I look forward to your reply, but I doubt I'll see it on your blog, if at all.

Christopher Cruise

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Well Chris, I'm not sure JR will answer you either, but I thought your letter was worth posting here.

Georgie  [email protected]