Rich white men.

Here’s a story for you...

Gary Sheffield is out in the woods with a group of friends during baseball’s off-season. They’re out having a good time, just a lazy day, doing some hunting. Somewhere along the way - Gary shoots one of the people out in the woods with him. It’s an accident but, the man he shoots winds up being hospitalized and subsequently having a heart attack. Later on, details come to light that one of the party was a medic and tried treating the injured man at the scene. Further, while the wounded man was given prompt medical attention and subsequently bought to a hospital, there was a delay in reporting the incident to the local law enforcement authorities.

Okay, so at this point do you think there would be cries about having an investigation?

Even if the guy who was shot claimed it was an accident. I have to imagine, Sheffield would be crucified in the press. There would be questions about the validity of his story and inference that he abused his position as a famous athelete to escape repercussions stemming from the incident. Further, I would imagine Sheffield more than likely would be facing the prospct of some jail time in his future as a result of either his actions with the firearm or his failure to report the incident promptly to the local authorities.

I’m only using Gary Sheffield to illustrate a point in this instance - mainly because he has gotten a rep as a bit of a surly guy in the media. The fact that he is black and is a professional athelete are also part of the reason I’m using him as an example.

You see, fat, rich, white men are held to a different standard in this country.

Our VP, Dick Cheney shot someone!

The way they’ve kept Cheney in hiding over the last few years, I wasn’t even sure if the guy could come out into the light of day without bursting into a pillar of flame a la some Anne Rice character. Not only did he shoot somebody, the guy he shot is in the hospital, had a heart attack and there was a delay in reporting the incident?! Cheney is trying to downplay the whole thing and the administration is responding in a testy and combative manner when reporters ask questions about what happened.

Now, I don’t know if Cheney is trying to wrestle the title of ‘Evil Dick’ away from our departed former president of the late 60’s, early 70’s but, clearly there is some skewed attitude being displayed in response to the whole event. I didn’t even think they allowed these guys to play with guns while they were in office! I mean, they have access to all kinds of nuclear weapons, tanks, aircraft carriers, fighter jets and the like. Don’t you think that would be enough for their macho joneses?

Besides, isn’t the only reason we have a VP around is in case something happens to the main guy? Why would you let the guy out there in the woods with guns? Hasn’t this guy had a bunch of heart attacks already? The government was so afraid of OSB zeroing in on Cheney they had the guy in lockdown and now he’s out in the woods with guns?!

Beyond the stupidity and lapse in judgement there is of Cheney being out in the woods hunting, the fact he’s out there shooting the other people in his hunting party shows incredibly poor judgement. So, I ask you, think Cheney should slide on this one? Are they making a big deal out of nothing? Or, is it just another example of the growing disconnect between the White House and the nation? Is it emblematic of how the current administration feels they are somehow above the standards the rest of us are held to?

You make the call.