Phelps Drama

Even those who don't follow much in the way of sports have heard of Michael Phelps. Can you name another American swimmer that's still active? When the Olympics ran, I could rattle off a few names, but since I haven't thought about them in 5 months, I can't recall any. Except Michael Phelps.

Recently a photo surfaced where Phelps was shown inhaling from a bong, a device, as I understand it, meant to make the inhalation of marijuana more pleasurable. I wouldn't know because I don't think I've ever witnessed its actual use.

Phelps has been in a bit of trouble before. In particular, he had a DUI incident and he apologized for that.

Now there's an issue of whether he should be in trouble for this incident or not. Some say it's youthful indiscrimination. Had he been a politician, it would have been ignored as a bit of youthful folly. Obama admits to it, as does Clinton.

Sports is a pretty conservative institution. They love to celebrate the military, especially in the US. They're supposed to uphold family values including avoiding illegal drugs.

Yet what makes marijuana illegal? Because the government says it is. There's evidence that shows it's illegal because African Americans used it, and the police or the politicians wanted legal ways to put African Americans into jail.

So some reporters are saying it is wrong and chastising Phelps because he is a role model. To the extent that the drug is illegal and his actions may encourage some people to use it, they have some justification to criticize Phelps. However, they could have also used it as a platform to ask, why is marijuana illegal? What is wrong with making it legal?

Why are cigarettes legal? Why is alcohol legal? Are they not harmful? We can't even make it illegal because people are rather addicted to both. Since we already have products out there that are legal yet harmful, it stands to reason that marijuana, considered less harmful than cigarettes and possibly a value to the snack industry should be legal.

Now if Phelps's sponsors want to remove his endorsements because they think he's no longer a role model (unlikely, it appears), then that's fine. Phelps may have to pay for his behavior with reduced income. But consider the numbers of politicians that have failed to pay taxes. Would Phelps be under more scrutiny if he hadn't paid his taxes?

It's time the government thinks about its stance on this issue, and while I doubt this incident will prove the tipping point to the repeal of this law, it would be nice if it were.