Can you feel the love in the air? February is a time for lovers, romance, and in 2006 the Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy. At this time, I want to give some love to the Italian government. Why, you may ask? Because the laws that govern the country of Italy cannot be broken or bartered with.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has been after the Italian government to lessen their penalty in cases involving drug use. In Italy the law prohibits using any form of drugs to enhance an athlete's performance. Now the IOC fears for some of its athletes because if any person is caught using drugs they are arrested. In past games those athletes were simply disqualified and sent home. Not in Italy, though.

The problem facing the IOC is that any athlete who tests positive for using performance enhancing drugs is incarcerated and deported.

One such drug is the one created by Victor Conte, the man who founded BALCO, the company that supplied many athletes like Rafael Palmeiro, Mike McGwire and a few U.S. Olympic athletes with performance enhancing drugs. This has recently been a hot topic. Olympic athletes caught using this steroid have been suspended.

But the idea that a country should change its laws to protect the guilty is preposterous. If these athletes want to use drugs, then I say, if they are caught, they should be punished to the full extent of the Italian law. Otherwise, have them stay home!

The idea of the IOC asking the Italian government to relax their penalty for any athlete testing positive for such drug use is "unfathomable." I am proud that the Italian government said, "NO!"

I applaud Italy's leaders for turning down this request. I assure you if the IOC or even America's past-time, Major League Baseball, had stiffer penalties for their players' drug use, this epidemic would not exist.

And let's not forget the Olympic spirit. These games are about competition, brotherhood, and fair play. It is not supposed to be about personal achievement, so leave the personal enhancing drugs where they belong…out of sports!