We are all role models

The inescapable news of the weekend was the melee at the end of the Pistons-Pacers game at Auburn Hills, Michigan on Friday night.  For those of you who were just rescued from a desert island, with under a minute to go in the game, Ron Artest of the Pacers committed a hard foul on Ben Wallace of the Pistons.  Wallace took exception and shoved Artest and both benches decided it was time to vent some frustration.

 

As the referees attempted to calm things down, the fans decided to get in the act and one of them hit Artest with a full cup of some liquid refreshment.  Artest proceeded to unleash his rage in the stands and several players followed suit and the fans proceeded to give as much as they got.  The arena security detail was ill prepared for such happenings and at least one chair was thrown and an elderly person had to receive medical attention.

 

The most enduring image of the night, though, was the sight of two young children clutching each other for dear life with tears in their eyes.  I don’t know if these were children of spectators, children of players or what role the adults with them had played in this scene.  It really doesn’t matter.  I couldn’t get past their faces.

 

It took me back roughly ten years ago when outspoken NBA star, Charles Barkley, made the infamous statement, “I’m not a role model.”  I recall that statement being debated and discussed without a definitive answer given.  I don’t think we can avoid the obvious answer anymore.  We are ALL role models.

 

Someone is watching us as we live day to day.  Someone looks up to us.  Professional and college athletes exist because people watch them.  Sure, somewhere in our history, competition existed for the sake of competition; but now, competition exists for the show and the money such a show generates.  Every kid in the backyard throwing a football envisions himself as Peyton Manning or Bret Favre.  Every kid working on a jump shot or a lay up sees himself as Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant.  Unfortunately, when one of these folks screws up in their personal life, these same kids see that as well.

 

We might not be on television, but our kids are watching us as well.  If we berate an official or coach at a Little League game, our kids see it.  If we cut someone off on the Interstate and then give them the finger, our kids see it.  If we treat a spouse with disrespect, our kids see it.

 

Those kids went to Auburn Hills, Friday night, to see their heroes on the court and to spend time with their everyday heroes as well.  What they saw was not heroic.  It was not inspiring.  However,it was instructive.  This is how adults behave.  Is that what we want kids to see?  We are all role models.  We can never allow ourselves to forget that.

Reaching out?

The enlightened members of the national media didn’t even wipe the exit poll egg off their faces before they almost unanimously began asking if President Bush would “reach out” to the opposition, try to govern from “the center” and work toward “bipartisanship”. John Edwards, in his concession speech, if you can call it that, renewed his theme of “two Americas” and practically blamed the division in America on the Republicans. The media also reported that when John Kerry called President Bush to concede, he “lectured” him on healing the divisions in this nation.

Reach out? Heal the divisions? Note to the Democrats and their accomplices in the mainstream media: YOU LOST. Your agenda was rejected. Your campaign of hate was rejected. Your campaign of fear and envy was rejected. You folks are the last people to complain about division in America.

Look at the last forty years. Democrats have won elections by pitting black versus white, rich versus poor, employee versus employer, old versus young, women versus men, irreligious versus religious. To a Democrat, bipartisanship only occurs when a Republican sacrifices his or her principles and goes along with what the Democrats want.

The Democrats won’t see this, but this election is a repudiation of them, and perhaps for the foreseeable future. The Democrats do not have the Presidency. In fact they have only held the Presidency for eight years since 1981. Bill Clinton had to pretend to be a Republican to do that, and even then he never got fifty percent of the vote. The Democrats fall further and further behind in the House of Representatives. The Senate is closing in on being filibuster proof.

The American public isn’t leftist. The Democrats ARE, by and large, leftists. The American public believes in strong hawkish national defense. The American public believes in traditional faith based family values. The American public believes in low taxes. The American public believes in private enterprise. The American public believes in America’s sovereignty. The American public made this clear last night.

The American public does not believe in global tests regarding our security. The American public does not believe in license masquerading as personal freedom. The American public made that abundantly clear last night.

Will the Democrats see it? Can they even comprehendwhat they see? I agree, there needs to be a reaching out in this country. The Democrats need to reach out and rediscover the AMERICAN people. No, not the French people, the AMERICAN people.