Innocent But Still Guilty

I've been away at sea for awhile and had to take a break from posting while dodging garbage in the South Pacific. I love this story. Clemens had a teammate, Andy Petitte, who testified that he took steroids using the guy Clemens used as a trainer. The trainer testified that he gave Clemens steroids. He also testified that he gave steroids and HGH to Clemens' wife. But Clemens claims that while all these people around him were using performance enhancing drugs he was not using them.

Clemens has a reputation as a fierce competitor. One example of this was his confrontation with Mike Piazza. In retrospect this looks like a classic case of 'roid rage, but since he wasn't actually taking anything we'd have to draw another conclusion and just say he's an asshole.

But the jury must be correct, right? I heard a story that Mrs. Clemens had a bad reaction to an injection and Clemens said "it will pass" and told her to lay down. Now if MY wife said she took a performance enhancing drug and had a bad reaction I would take her to the hospital. Strikes me that a guy who reacts the way Clemens did has some familiarity with the drug, and that gives him the confidence to bat his wife away like a pesky fly instead of taking her to the emergency room.

But what do I know? Everybody else using drugs, but Clemens...NOT using drugs. I suppose this is a logical conclusion because in America even though you are plainly guilty if a jury says you're innocent that's the end of it. If they could acquit the cops for beating Rodney King after seeing that video this should come as no surprise.

O Happy Day.

A jury acquitted Major League Baseball pitching great Roger Clemens on Monday of all six criminal counts against him in a trial on charges that he lied to Congress when he denied using performance-enhancing drugs.

Clemens, dressed in a beige suit, blue shirt and tie, showed little emotion as the verdict was read, but choked up during brief comments after he emerged from the federal courthouse in Washington.

"It has been a hard five years," Clemens said, as he thanked his wife, family and teammates. "I put a lot of hard work into that career. I appreciate my teammates that came in and all the emails and phone calls from my teammates."

Jurors deliberated for a total of about 10 hours before coming to a decision. The verdict was another setback for prosecutors who insisted on pursuing the case even after their first effort ended in a mistrial.

One of the greatest pitchers in baseball history, Clemens was charged with one count of obstruction of Congress, three counts of making a false statement and two counts of perjury. He did not take the stand in his own defense during the two-month trial.

If convicted, Clemens would have faced a maximum prison term of 30 years, though under federal sentencing guidelines he most likely would have received 15 to 21 months.

[Reuters]

Nothing To Fear But Burning Yourself To Death

I found this interesting because the reaction of the Chinese government is to DETAIN these people. Now if they are willing to set themselves on fire, what impact do they think detaining them will have? What's a little detention versus being willing to burn yourself to death?

Also interesting that these "self immolators" are being called terrorists. I'm not sure suicide equates to terrorism, but I'd like to review this equation with the Chinese security officials if they are available for comment.

Finally, is this an effective form of protest? Why don't the Chinese just ignore it? If enough of them set themselves on fire there's really nothing more to worry about. If I have a problem and I set myself on fire that's pretty much the end of it, right? It's a problem that's solves itself. Obviously there's something about setting yourself on fire that disturbs the Chinese. Whatever problems you have they want you to deal with it straight up and not light yourself on fire. They must think this has symbolic value and will galvanize the world to sympathize with the Tibetans. Maybe the problem with the Chinese is that they don't watch enough TV and they don't realize that most people are incapable of any kind of galvaniz-ation or anything beyond going to work and complaining. Americans might be better equipped to take this kind of thing in stride.

Hundreds of Tibetans in Lhasa have been detained by Chinese security officers after two self-immolation protests against Chinese rule over Tibet, a U.S.-broadcaster said, stoking concerns of spreading unrest among Tibetans in China.

On Sunday, two Tibetan men set themselves on fire in Lhasa, state news agency Xinhua said, the first time in four years of a major Tibetan protest against Chinese rule. One of the men died.

China has branded the self-immolators "terrorists" and criminals and has blamed exiled Tibetans and the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, for inciting them.

At least 35 Tibetans have set themselves on fire since March 2011 in protest against China's six-decade rule over Tibet, according to Tibetan rights groups. At least 27 have died.

[Reuters]