I want to take the time to briefly breakdown this drunk-driving, weed-smoking, global "role model" Michael Phelps situation. And you know what's funny? I was TOTALLY (and jokingly) waiting for him to do something really stupid like this after Beijing 2008 just like he did getting caught drunk driving right after Athens 2004. To lots of people it isn't a big deal that he got caught smoking but it really is a big deal on levels that a lot of people don't really know...
Almost everyone in the world watched Phelps win Gold in every competition given to him, owning every competitor who stepped up. Kids are going to naturally look up to him, and I believe that, whether you want to be or not, every person with this kind of power and influence has the responsibility to be a great role model for them. The children of the world, especially the ones in 3rd world countries, look to these examples for hopes, dreams, personal aspirations, inspiration, work ethic, focus and values. Some kids sometimes study these stars to understand them and integrate components of their character into their own, and sometimes they shape their way of judgment based on their idol's perspective. So when Michael Phelps goes to Columbia, S.C. to party it up and blaze with the homies, these kids will tend to think that's it's ok to smoke too, to experiment and have fun with it (especially when they get older) when it's totally not ok!.
Some people think that smoking weed isn't that big of a deal, that it really doesn't do much harm to one's body and to society. It's actually an extremely huge deal because marijuana consumers keep drug cartels and smuggling going on, greatly increasing crime, illegal gun possession, collateral damages, major family conflict due to drug usage, impaired judgment, violence, deadly harm to police officers, and deficient morality. Even on an indirect level, the drug industry affects all of us, whether we have a friend who smokes weed casually or have a relative who has been killed as a result of drug relations, drugs are the corroding filth of our society, eating at our families like a cavity.So when people like Phelps does stuff like this, it's a VERY big deal, and it affects LOTS of people. Some teenagers and young adults will think that it's okay to do this, contributing to very evil people and continuing to fund their racketeering that plagues our society with violence and crime. Phelps just single-handedly created new peer pressure around the world equal to a thousand of your friends telling you "It's not a big deal, just do it and have fun..."
Role model injustice!
-gs1r-
LISTENING TO:Fireworks
by: Animal Collective
Strawberry Jam
Thats the downside to accomplishing great achievements, there are higher standards for you to meet as a person. But thats a burden that comes to all role models.
ReplyDeleteHater. Still love you though.
ReplyDelete-Strate
www.imstrate.com
agree
ReplyDeleteI have a very hard time categorizing mirajuana with all other major drug and drug trafficking problems we have in the U.S. Alcohol and tobacco can be much more dangerous than mirajuana. Its only unfortunate that Phelps didn't stand up for himself and the cause when he got caught. Unfortunately though this is prohibition that the government finally gets away with. And only because they can't figure out how to tax it
ReplyDeleteFirst of all i think the guy deserves to toke up a little after winning 14 gold medals. Second of all the damage marijuana does to you is totally blown out of proportion in this article. It does not make you violent whatsoever. And most of all marijuana is probably last on the list for profitable drugs that are smuggled into the US.
ReplyDeletewow, in respect, you totally missed the point(s) of the article, 2nd Anonymous...
ReplyDeletemichael phelps messed up and got caught. big deal. toking it up every now and then is like drinking every now and then. he's got the bills paid and put his mom in a nice house. who cares if he wants to hit the bong?
ReplyDeletei love him and he should NOT get in trouble
ReplyDeleteI totally agree. It sounds like people are let down when their "idols" like you mentioned are given high standards...I like how you mentioned : "The children of the world... look to these examples for hopes, dreams, personal aspirations, inspiration, work ethic, focus and values. **Some kids sometimes study these stars to understand them and integrate components of their character into their own, and sometimes they shape their way of judgment based on their idol's perspective." Wow!! Be careful who you idolize. In fact we shouldn't even be idolizing men and women of this world.... People will always let us down, shock us and disappoint us! It was bound to happen someday!!
ReplyDelete"Some people think that smoking weed isn't that big of a deal, that it really doesn't do much harm to one's body and to society. It's actually an extremely huge deal because marijuana consumers keep drug cartels and smuggling going on, greatly increasing crime, illegal gun possession, collateral damages, major family conflict due to drug usage, impaired judgment, violence, deadly harm to police officers, and deficient morality. Even on an indirect level, the drug industry affects all of us, whether we have a friend who smokes weed casually or have a relative who has been killed as a result of drug relations, drugs are the corroding filth of our society, eating at our families like a cavity."
ReplyDeleteOkay I completely agree with you here but the physical problems literally don't exist. I think marijuana has it's time and everyone tries it....I personally don't believe that marijuana should be illegal. It's america's number 1 cash crop...AND IT'S ILLEGAL!!!! Anyways sorry for drifting off point but I think Phelps should've been way more careful. People you get involved with after you become famous aren't your friends.....
"it really doesn't do much harm to one's body and to society." TRUE
ReplyDeleteand everything else you said about the problems that weed creates comes from people robbing eachother or violence that stems from it being an illegal industry that deals in large stashes of cash and robberies that cannot be reported to police.
Im so happy that phelps showed that you can be one of the worlds greatest athletes and achievers and you can still smoke weed and your not a bad person.
I love phelps for this!
The only good point he mentioned about weed being bad is that drug cartels (the one causing the violence) make money off of it; well heres an idea if it were LEGAL then the damned drug wouldnt make any money off it! DUH! it does NO bodily harm (except the side effects of inhaling smoke), it is NOT addicting, it does NOT make people violent, althouogh it IS safer then 99% of ALL medications at a drug store, and you CANT overdose, and it is used to actually TREAT certain diseases. I dont see one goddamned thing wrong with it.
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