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
