THOSE CRITICIZING MICHAEL PHELPS MUST BE STONED

Reefer Madness

When Michael Phelps was awarded a record eight gold medals at the 2008
Summer Olympics, it was a moment of great pride for the young swimmer
and his country, a cause for celebration and quite possibly the
highlight of his life. It also would have been the perfect occasion to
smoke weed. Whether or not Phelps smoked marijuana to celebrate his
Olympic achievements is something we do not know, but Americans
shouldn't be the least bit surprised if he did. Nor should we be the
least bit shocked that Phelps was photographed smoking marijuana at a
party in Columbia, S.C., a scandal that made worldwide headlines.

This single moment threatens Phelps' legacy and could result in
criminal charges.

Already, the Olympic champion has lost at least one corporate
sponsor.

In contemporary America, smoking marijuana is a lot like speeding on
the highway - many consider it wrong or dangerous, while still
practicing the illegal activity or keeping company with those who do.
That such a pervasive and relatively harmless activity like smoking
marijuana remains illegal is often compared to the prohibition of
alcohol in the early 20th century, when quaint, age-old traditions
like heading to the local pub or cocktail parties were suddenly
forbidden by law and declared an affront to morality and decency.
Prohibition was a farce and everyone knew it. And in 1933, after 13
years, the hypocrisy of Prohibition ended as America sobered up by
partying down. In 2009, it's time Americans were honest about
prohibition once again. Writes Paul Armentano, deputy director for
National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML),
"According to national and federal surveys, nearly one out of two
Americans have tried weed ... America's current president said that he
smoked marijuana regularly as a young man. Supreme Court Justice
Clarence Thomas, former Vice President Al Gore, former Republican
House Speaker Newt Gingrich, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger,
and legendary astronomer Carl Sagan all have admitted using marijuana
at different times during their lives."

Despite his tremendous athletic ability, Michael Phelps, the son of a
police officer and a middle school principal, remains by all accounts
a typical, middle class young man. Even in condemning him, Colorado
Springs' The Gazette seemed to recognize Phelps' all-American
attributes, writing in an editorial, "He was the poor kid from
Baltimore who lifted himself with endless, torturous hard work. He was
one of us, even if he seemed half-fish/half-man. This homogenized
image of Phelps is just a mirage. Behind the facade, a flawed young
man was hiding.

And this young man likes to party." Damn straight Phelps likes to
party.

Hell, I like to party.

And there's no telling how much fun I might have if I were a
23-year-old Olympic gold medalist worth millions of dollars.

If it was reported that Phelps spent his evenings at home completely
sober playing Solitaire, I'd be shocked.

That he was out partying and smoking weed isn't the least bit
shocking.

Phelps isn't an embarrassment to America as The Gazette and so many
other editorials are now suggesting. Phelps is the quintessential
young American - warts, weed, and all. This is not to say that
marijuana use should be encouraged, as the consumption of alcohol
shouldn't be encouraged. But contextually, marijuana use is now as
much a part of America's cultural fabric as alcohol consumption, and
arguably, the societal dangers of the former far outweigh the latter.

I do not care for marijuana (the harsh, pungent taste clashes with my
cigar smoking), but I do like to drink alcohol and enjoy the company
of others who do the same. Does this make me a "flawed" person or a
bad American, comparable to the current criticism of Phelps? Or is it
simply the illegality of the substance - an archaic and asinine legal
designation for marijuana - that makes those who enjoy it "flawed?"
Are those who break the speed limit "flawed?" Illegality does not
necessarily equal moral depravity. And given the choice between
sharing a beer or a joint with a normal, young American of great
accomplishment or joining the chorus of self-righteous pundits who are
now pretending they've never heard of nor done such things, I would
gladly choose the company of the partygoer too stoned to make the
right decision over the critics who are too stupid to know the
difference.