DU this poll on Michael Phelps

[Hello_Kitty]

Should Kelloggs have fired Michael Phelps for smoking pot?

It's 52 to 48 Yes right now.


http://news.aol.com/political-machine/2009/02/09/hot-seat-michael-phelps/

[Canuckistanian]

1. Done,

And North Dakota has the highest "no" vote score.

Bizarre.

[Idealism]

2. Stupid Floridians voting "Yes"!

[ixion]

4. I know... how stupid...

most of Florida is comprised of pot smokers. :smoke:

[Cha]

10. Bunch a santcimonious

hypocrites.

[Idealism]

16. Thats us!

The same people who still think Jeb Bush was the best thing to happen to Florida since sliced bread

[jonnyblitz]

3. I wasn't expecting "Yes" to be ahead.

:eyes:

[The_Casual_Observer]

5. If he had shoplifted, should he be fired?

[Hello_Kitty]

6. I don't consider them morally equivalent. eom

[The_Casual_Observer]

8. It a religious rather than legal issue then.

[Hello_Kitty]

15. Okay, I'll play

What if Phelps had gotten a parking ticket, which is the legal equivalent of personal possession of pot in many jurisdictions?

[The_Casual_Observer]

17. In many places it is not & apparently when given an opportunity

to make an argument like that, even Phelps chose not to.

[hay rick]

7. And what if he stuck a banana in his speedo?

[The_Casual_Observer]

9. And... ?

Is that illegal?

[opihimoimoi]

11. Bush did that on the Lincoln....LOL

[NCDem60]

12. I think Kelloggs was correct in dropping Phelps. Here's my reasoning.

First whether you think it should be legal to smoke MJ or not it isn't. Phelps was not involved in any kind of protest against what he felt was an unjust law. He was just getting a buzz at a party and was dumb enough to do it where a camera was present. While certainly not what I consider a serious offense it is enough of one that Kelloggs is justified in not putting his image on its products promoting him as a hero to children. It was a stupid thing to do and doing stupid things have consequences.

BTW he may have more problems over this. Today there were eight arrests in connection with this party. Not Phelps. Yet. The sheriff there is somewhat of a nut job and he was embarrassed over how this was played in the press. You don't have to live n the south too long to learn it is NEVER a good thing to mess with a southern sheriff. Especially one that last year bought a tank with a 50 caliber machine gun.

http://www.reason.com/blog/show/128482.html

[barb162]

13. I think Kellogg's was right too.

Besides, I'm sure he's not suffering monetarily with his other endorsements. This will teach him a good lesson.

[The_Casual_Observer]

14. Phelps certainly didn't defend what he had done, did he?

However, I doubt he would have offered up any spontaneous confession after that party had he not been caught red handed.

[Hello_Kitty]

18. Consider this

Maybe in the case of an obviously unjust law, such as the prohibition of MJ, bystanders could use the Phelps situation to protest the law instead of supporting the actions of Kellogg's and the IOC because "well, it's illegal". It SHOULDN'T be. And don't hand me the "hero to children" crap. If he'd been chugging a brewski, no one would have said boo.

[NCDem60]

19. Bad analogy. Chugging a brewski is legal. I find it

strange that you find the hero to children aspect to be crap. It isn't, and it is a factor in more situations than you think. If Phelps was a teacher and that photo surfaced he would be gone. A factory worker would probably not have a problem. It's just the way it is and until things change those in sensitive positions would do well to remember it.

[Hello_Kitty]

21. Miscegenation used to be illegal.

Guess if it were 1959 you'd be saying "If Phelps were a teacher and a photo of him dating a black woman surfaced he would be gone. It's just the way it is and until things change those in sensitive positions* would do well to remember it."


*Since when is "swimmer" a sensitive position?

[NCDem60]

40. This is not a

racial issue so don't bring up that straw man. You are arguing based on how you want things to be. I am arguing based on how things are. If you are in a public position you have to base your decisions on reality. What is happening to Phelps proves it once again. As I said, it is not a rare occurrence. I support making MJ legal. Until it is there will continue to be various consequences for some who use it.

[Raine]

41. I think so too

he violated his agreement with Kelloggs,it's their right to have a spokesperson that abides by the contract they signed.

[elocs]

20. You are assuming that DU is one giant self-think monolith?

Frankly I consider online polls to be a waste of time and basically of little or no value.

[Hello_Kitty]

22. Now that we know what you think of online polls

Why don't you elaborate on your views on pot? Because really, I'd like to know who the authoritarian DUers are.

[emilyg]

23. I voted yes.

[Hello_Kitty]

25. Good to know

Like I said to the person just above you, I like knowing who the authoritarians on DU are.

[emilyg]

27. Let's just break all the laws - who the hell cares.

[Hello_Kitty]

28. Yeah, because all laws are justified.

:eyes:

[emilyg]

29. Then work to change the ones you don't find

justified. I don't pick and chose which laws to obey. Try to be a law-abiding citizen as much as possible.

[Hello_Kitty]

30. Part of that "working to change the ones I don't find justified"

Is voting "no" to someone getting fired for breaking them. I can't imagine being so focused on following and enforcing the rules that I don't examine the rules themselves. I just can't imagine going through life like that.

[emilyg]

32. Each to his own. I managed nicely for 70 years.

[Hello_Kitty]

33. 70 years.

No offense, but that explains it.

[emilyg]

36. What it explains is that I have common sense and respect for others.

[Hello_Kitty]

38. What does that have to do with marijuana?

What are your actual views on marijuana? Should it stay illegal?

[emilyg]

39. I have mixed feelings on it. If it's made

legal - won't upset me.

[girl gone mad]

42. If you had common sense, you wouldn't support such draconian drug laws.

Marijuana prohibition is nothing more than a means of domination over liberals and minorities and a cash cow for right wing authoritarian groups.

[emilyg]

44. Calm down

where did I post I support this.

[silverojo]

24. I voted "yes"!

If this had been his first problem, I'd cut him some slack. But he made a phony apology for his DUI, and now he shows up at a party where witnesses say he was ALREADY drunk/doped up before this picture was even taken.

My father was killed by a DUI driver, and Phelps has at least TWICE risked hurting or killing someone else by driving when he's not sober.

He had a chance to straighten up, so fuck him.

[Hello_Kitty]

26. Do you know he was driving that night?

If he wasn't, then what's the big deal?

[emilyg]

31. from Guardian Sports

swimmer Michael Phelps, who won six gold medals at the Olympics in Athens, has been charged with driving under the influence by police in Maryland.

Police stopped the 19-year old from Baltimore, after he jumped a red light. He was also in violation of a driver's license restriction.

Phelps has already admitted to, and apologized for the incident. "It was a mistake. Getting into a car with anything to drink is wrong," he said.

"It's dangerous and it's unacceptable. I'm 19, but was taught that no matter how old you are, you take responsibility for actions, which I will do.

"I'm extremely sorry."

According to the Baltimore Sun, if Phelps is convicted of driving while impaired, violation of a licence restriction and failure to obey a stop sign, he could receive a year in jail, a £540 fine and 12 points on his driver's licence.

[Hello_Kitty]

34. Was that the same night?

I was under the impression it wasn't. Besides, how is it that the DUI didn't get him fired from Kellogg's but the pot did? Kinda whacked out priorities, if you ask me.

[emilyg]

37. It should have. He talked his way out of it.

[emilyg]

35. I am sorry about your father. My

daughter endured many months of physical therapy when a drunk driver ran a light. She and my grandsons are lucky to be alive.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

43. There's no answer for "Who gives a shit?"

Oh, well.

[Raine]

45. Some multi-millionaire jock

with more brawn than brain lets himself be photgraphed violating a clause in his contract and I should care what Kelloggs does about it :eyes: no thanks. :yoiks: