That's a reasonable perspective but it doesn't really provide the impetus to put Barry ahead of Ruth or Hank.
I'm still hoping Hank remains where he belongs. Way ahead.
Personally, I say just let all the armchair has beens, never weres and never will bes both in the media and on this thread take their potshots. Those of us fortunate enough to have watched Bonds over the last 20 + years (including high school) know that whether you like him or not, whether he used illegal substances in the last several years or not, we've been watching something special. If he was crazy enough to use things that would slightly enhance his performance and possibly hurt him later, he's really only hurt himself. The enhancers don't explain the quick wrists, the pitch selection and the awesome swing. They may have helped him swing a bit harder, and hit the ball a bit farther, but they didn't make him a star. He was already a star before any charges were made, and there was any accusation of steroid use.
All the know it alls who think they should control whether he goes into the hall of fame, or has an asterick in the record books are free to make their comments and spew their statistics, but in the end, Barry is still one of the greatest ballplayers of all time. Get over it!
The fans have some culpability in this too. What were the attendance numbers in St. Louis (McGwire), Wrigley (Sosa) and SanFran? We showed up to see the fences cleared by ever increasing distances.
For me, I don't think an asterisk is necessary or called for. Those dingers came under the rules of the day.