TAKE A DRAG AND MOVE ON

A Country Up In Smoke About Absolutely Nothing

Michael Phelps smoked pot. It's best to just come out and say it. There's no
beating around the bush, no sugar-coating it. Now before everyone hops on
the phone demanding that Michael Phelps be banned from this country for such
atrocious crimes, why doesn't everybody take a deep breath and look at this
situation?

For those who are uninformed, a picture of Michael Phelps using a
"smoking apparatus" has popped up on the Internet. Following right
behind it is the uproar of thousands of shocked parents.

"How could this happen? How could a young man in his 20s ever think of
trying marijuana, even just one time?"

Phelps has lost one sponsor, Kellogg's, and has been suspended for
three months by USA Swimming. It's amazing how quickly things can turn
around. Just months ago, Phelps was a national icon. Now, he's the
center of a media firestorm of a whole different kind.

Before he is stoned by the masses, let's take a minute to look at
this. A photo pops up on the Internet of someone who looks
suspiciously like an Olympian swimmer smoking pot. When Phelps is
confronted with the accusations, what does he do? He comes clean. He
admits that it was him. No PR, no cash settlement, no lawyers. The guy
just comes out and says he did it and it was a mistake. This may be
the first time in history that an athlete has been accused of doing
something and just admitted to having done it.

After the admission, the bottom fell out. People were in a panic,
wondering how this icon could tarnish his flawless golden image like
this.

Phelps is human. He makes mistakes. He was caught for a DUI in 2004
and he pleaded guilty. Again, he didn't hide or try to run. He faced
the charges with honesty in the face of public scrutiny. Now he's
faced with this picture that threatens to damage his career and his
reputation, not to mention his income. Still Phelps doesn't flinch,
but admits fault and accepts his punishment. That shows someone who is
much more mature than his 23 years would indicate.

Despite the sponsorships, despite the gold medals, he is still only 23
years old, the average age of most college graduates and some seniors.
Phelps is quoted as saying he "demonstrated bad judgment" and "acted
in a youthful and inappropriate manner."

Everyone makes mistakes in their time. I'm not condoning what Phelps
did, and neither is he. But the people of this country need to lighten
up. How many people let their children listen to the Beatles, a band
that used drugs? Is Paul McCartney not allowed to make music anymore?
Or how about President Barack Obama, a role model and icon for
millions? He has openly admitted to drug use, yet no one is stripping
the presidency from him.

Phelps didn't take performance-enhancing drugs like so many baseball
players. He just went to a college party and did something stupid and
irresponsible. He regrets it and hopes the American people can forgive
him for his transgressions, and they should.