OPINION:
I am reminded of a now-famous speech by football and baseball coach John Scolinos, which he gave to more than 4,000 coaches in 1996. Using the prop of a full-sized homeplate hung by a string around his neck, Scolinos waxed eloquent about the plate’s width of 17 inches, which has been the standard dimension in every league since baseball began. He pointed out that we don’t widen the plate simply because a Big League pitcher can’t throw the ball over 17 inches. Said Scolinos: “They send him to Pocatello.” This inspiring speech drove home the message that in today’s society, we are ’widening the plate.’ There are no longer any standards for people to follow, and there are no longer any people who will enforce them.
To wit, the Biden administration is widening the plate in many areas. The accepted and time-honored standard of leaving no man behind was shattered in recent months, as hundreds of Americans are still stranded in Afghanistan. The concept of an orderly and fair immigration system with recognized borders is being ignored as thousands of illegal aliens, along with drugs and terrorists, flow into our country with impunity. Our major cities are experiencing increased crime with shoplifting as a regular occurrence because of lax law enforcement. We insist that there are many genders despite the obvious. The standard introduced by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. of judging people by the content of their character rather than by the color of their skin is trashed by critical race theory. The administration attempts to mandate vaccinations. Inflation has hit a 40-year high. The list goes on.
This sad state of affairs has plunged our country into chaos. We are like flotsam and jetsam in a sea of apprehension, anxiety, mistrust and anger. The polls clearly show that whatever Biden “pitches” is missing the plate. Too bad there isn’t a Pocatello for lousy government. God help us.
RON PHIPPS
Annapolis
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