Enough is Enough!

I read today that yet ANOTHER sports figure signed another record deal with his team. Before I get into that, let me make something clear. This is NOT about bashing athletes or celebrities. I am a football fan. My husband has commented more times than I can count that I "bleed black and gold" (guess it won't take you long to figure out my favorite team is!) But with that being said - enough IS enough!

James Harrison of the Pittsburgh Steelers signed a six-year deal today for nearly $52 million, guaranteeing him $20 million. Please don't get me wrong, Mr. Harrison is a fine football player and no doubt should be compensated for his ability. But lets put things in perspective. Mr. Harrison, along with all of the other highly-paid athletes across the sports world are just that - athletes. Athletes and celebrities are not doctors capable of saving a life. They are not firemen who can pull a body from a burning building. They are not policemen who put their lives on the line EVERY day to protect and serve. And they aren't Soldiers who sleep in trenches in foreign lands to protect our freedom. Nor are they teachers, responsible for educating and preparing our children to one day lead this country.

The same policemen, firemen and Soldiers I mentioned above who put their lives on the line day after day for ALL of us, make a pittance compared to what these "stars" are being paid. Some of them, after giving their lives in the line of duty, barely have enough left to give them a proper burial and sometimes nearly nothing is left for the families they leave behind.

We have school districts coast to coast who struggle to keep the doors open to educate our kids. Yet the "Big Business" of sports and entertainment are guaranteeing large salaries to drug users, drunk drivers and criminals.

Almost daily, we hear of another family that has fallen victim to a murder/suicide situation over the stress of being unemployed, homeless and unable to provide their families even the basic necessities of life. What does this say about our priorities as American citizens when we continue to condone this behavior by forking over our hard-earned money for outrageously-priced tickets to sporting events, concerts and movies?

Here we are in the worst economic situation since The Great Depression. We have families living in the streets or in their cars because they can't afford to pay for their homes. We have senior citizens forced to eat crackers and cat food just to have enough money to pay for life-preserving, life-saving medications. We're bailing out large companies and allowing executives to collect exorbitant bonuses, while the working class people of this country struggle to keep their heads above water, something many are unable to do.

We see advertisements on television and the Internet asking for our hard-to-come by, hard-earned money to feed starving children in poor countries. Wake up! We have starving, homeless children living in our streets here. Don't take my word for it. Visit a downtown city near you and you'll see for yourself. I'm not saying that there are not those who may be worse off than we are, but as the old saying goes, "Charity begins at home." Lets take care of our own before we try and save the world.

Let me just make this point once more. This entry isn't about begrudging anyone of anything. I am not trying to take away what these athletes and stars are able to do. They are entertainers. They provide us with a break from the daily grind. But, please, lets keep things in perspective. Do we really need to pay these celebrities these large amounts of money just to entertain us? I think not.