I caught thisthis response to the general public, regrettably not Phelp's own words, but what he should instead be saying:
"It’s none of your goddamned business. I work my ass off 10 months per year. It’s that hard work that gave you all those gooey feelings of patriotism last summer. If during my brief window of down time I want to relax, enjoy myself, and partake of a substance that’s a hell of a lot less bad for me than alcohol, tobacco, or, frankly, most of the prescription drugs most of you are taking, well, you can spare me the lecture."
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"Here’s a crazy thought: If I can smoke a little dope and go on to win 14 Olympic gold medals, maybe pot smokers aren’t doomed to lives of couch surfing and video games, as our moronic government would have us believe. In fact, the list of successful pot smokers includes not just world class athletes like me, Howard, Williams, and others, it includes Nobel Prize winners, Pulitzer Prize winners, the last three U.S. presidents, several Supreme Court justices, and luminaries and success stories from all sectors of business and the arts, sciences, and humanities…"
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Then you have the money, sponsorships. Kudos to Swatch and Speedo, both extending support for him, and very clearly stating that they don't give a fuck. From the Huffington Post:Huffington Post:
"Two of Michael Phelps' leading sponsors expressed support for the Olympic great Monday, a day after he apologized for being photographed in a British newspaper inhaling from a marijuana pipe. Luxury Swiss watchmaker Omega termed Phelps' actions a private matter and "nonissue." Swim wear manufacturer Speedo called the 23-year-old American a "valued member of the Speedo team."
Phelps acknowledged "regrettable" behavior and "bad judgment" after the photo appeared Sunday in the tabloid News of the World."
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"Michael Phelps is a great Olympic champion," the International Olympic Committee said in a statement to the AP. "He apologized for his inappropriate behavior. We have no reason to doubt his sincerity and his commitment to continue to act as a role model."
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So basically, there are expectations that have nothing to do with anything at all, and yet take precedance. People are so shit scared of their children admiring a pot smoker, that they would see this true superman have his face smeared in the shit.
Seriously, fuck this. Every second tom dick or harry is happy to tell me how BAD weed is for you. No evidence, no ACTUAL REASON behind it, pure preconception. PreMISconception i should add.
So long as weed is THIS misunderstood, there is no hope for reason, rationality, or anything remotely like common sense. This is the triumf of propaganda over reason.
2 comments:
I don't have a particular issue with using weed to relax. However, the last time Phelps was in public trouble was after the Athens games. I don't even care so much that he was drinking while being underage.
The thing that cranks me up is that he got arrested for drunken driving! Do your own thing, but when you get stupid and take a chance on killing someone else, then it's definitely NOT ok.
So it's not the substance, it's the manifested lack of judgement that I don't want to see copied.
Hmmmm thanks for this addition. Seems he is hardly the role model then. The moral outrage is sickening, little people with stones.
Agreed on the drunk driving especially.
Strange that this makes "more" news than drunk driving, see the small ways we have the wrong ideas.
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