Possibly I shouldn’t have said anything last week about the International Olympic Committee and the high standard they were trying to uphold.

Since submitting my essay, the Committee has shown a total disregard for any standard. The lack of disciplinary action against the Canadian girls hockey team was inexcusable.

What kind of example are both these girls and the Olympic Committee setting for our youth?

If the Olympic athletics, supposedly held to a high standard, can get away with what these girls did on the ice, what kind message is being sent?

Public smoking by any athlete should be grounds for action by their organization, amateur or professional.

It goes against everything that is being done to curb smoking in young people.

Because of the action of this hockey team, smoking could be deemed macho by our youth. What a shame.

Then there was the drinking even by an underage individual in Canada.

Who provided the alcohol for these girls? What action, if any, was taken against that individual? Where was the coach? What a shame.

Someone Needed to Take Charge

In my estimation, the Canadian girls hockey team made a mockery of the high standards that the Olympic Committee claimed they were striving for. Worse yet, the Committee itself chose to do nothing.

How about taking this situation a step further?

Was the lack of discipline due to the fact that this was a team from the host country?

What if this would have been the American girls hockey team? The Olympic Committee did ask an American boy to leave for something that was not illegal and did not take place in the arena.

Could there be a double standard for the host country? I believe so.

You have read about the person who flew his airplane into the IRS building, in Austin, Texas. The Midwest also has such a story.

A man who lived near Cincinnati was upset that the bank was going to foreclose on his home. He bulldozed it down. Here was a home worth over $300,000, crushed to rubble.

Both of these men were frustrated with the system.

However, the Texan might have had other problems. It’s sad that these individuals felt that such drastic measures were required. They got so upset with a system that, although not perfect, does work.

Nothing is perfect. However, we are fortunate to live in the USA.

With the IRS, you are guilty until proven innocent.

But you can reason with them and work through problems.

Unfortunately, many of our tax laws are subject to interpretation, and there can always be a difference of opinion.

April 15 will be here before we know it.

Mr. Hennessey may be contacted at pmhenn@sbcglobal.net