Michael Phelps Has No Business Apologizing for Taking Bong Hits

[Better Believe It]

Michael Phelps Has No Business Apologizing for Taking Bong Hits
By Tony Newman
AlterNet
February 2, 2009

Here are a few of my observations on Phelps' bong hits:

Phelps struck another blow to the myth that marijuana smokers are lazy couch potatoes. Here is the guy who has won more gold medals than anyone in history, and obviously his health and accomplishments are not hindered by smoking some pot. In addition to his swimming skills, he is a successful businessman who has turned his swimming skills into an enormous public relations platform and money generator. Successful and honorable people who have smoked some pot are all around us, from President Barack Obama to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

While Phelps' statement said he acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, he did not pretend to have a drug problem and promise to go to rehab. So many times when celebrities are caught with drugs, they give tearful statements and promise to get help. Phelps doesn't appear to have a drug problem, and there is no reason for him to take up valuable treatment slots if he doesn't have a drug problem.

While society has made some progress on tolerating pot consumption, there are still many laws on the books that cause more harm than the smoking of marijuana. Close to 800,000 people were arrested for marijuana last year, and the vast majority for only possessing small amounts. Harry Levine and Deborah Small put out a report last year that found that between 1998 and 2007, New York City police arrested 374,900 people for low-level, misdemeanor marijuana offenses. That is more than eight times the number of arrests on the same charges for the previous 10-year period (between 1988 and 1997), when 45,300 people were picked up for having small amounts of marijuana.

Once someone is convicted of a drug offense, they can lose college financial aid, food stamps, public housing and, in some cases, even voting rights. Money wasted and lives ruined … and for what?

I like Phelps and don't think his bong hit should hurt him. If he truly wants to be a role model, he can take his comments and platform to the next level. He can say simply, "Yes, that was me smoking marijuana, and the laws that ruin peoples' lives for using marijuana should be debated and changed."

Please read the entire article at:

http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/124793/michael_phelps_has_no_business_apologizing_for_taking_bong_hits/

[corruptmewithpower]

1. The drug war is America's shame.

We're the most punishing nation on earth, and the drug war is an enormous partof that.



http://drugwarfacts.org/cms/?q=node/62

[rurallib]

3. I always call it Nixon's Revenge.

A rathole down which billions of dollars and thousands of lives will be tossed in order for Nixon to play on fear and paranoia to get elected. He left office in disgrace, but this legacy lives on to trap young and poor in particular. And to burn up government dollars that could be used for so much other good.

[corruptmewithpower]

4. Can we end our government's terrorism on the people?

[SmileyRose]

2. It's a matter of practicality.

He's wanting endorsement deals. A gold metalist has to be cleaner than milk to get it.

[Horse with no Name]

5. I tried to take a pic of this but my car was moving too fast and I was in traffic

There is a restaurant in Dallas called "The Taco Joint" and their billboard said "Michael Phelps loves this joint!":rofl:

I agree that he shouldn't have apologized and I hope Doritos endorses him.

[opihimoimoi]

6. Its Nancy and her "Just Say NO" failed slogan......I think Ole Harry A musta still been alive

Anslinger

[madinmaryland]

7. It's not exactly a performance enhancing drug, unlike the roid ragers

in Baseball that have oversized heads!

[4lbs]

8. Several NFL players have openly admitted to smoking weed. Besides Ricky Williams that is.

n/t

[AnnieBW]

9. GIve the kid a break!

He's spent his entire teenage years swimming, then peeing in a cup to make sure that he wasn't on anything stronger than an aspirin - including cold medications. He's taking a year off from training to be a normal college student. Taking hits off of a bong at a party is what normal college kids do.