I don't think anyone is suggesting Michael Phelps has committed a worse offence than the other examples you use- in fact everything I've read is quite sympathetic towards him- 'it's not performance enhancing', 'he's a young man enjoying his youth' etc etc....

He's merely the celebrity du jour so gets more column inches...

And in Robhinos defence he was arrested 'on suspicion of...' and is innocent until proven guilty... I can promise you there are plenty of slappers on this side of the pond who will make up a story about a footballer (soccer player) if there is any chance they'll get their name in the tabloids...

Phelps has admitted his guilt...

This line of attack on the press seems a complete non starter to me...

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This is a biased story. None of the examples cited compare with Phelps, who was named Sportsman of the Year by our country's biggest sports magazine. It's only a big story because of his stature, not because of pot. If Phelps had committed rape or other violent crimes, it would have been much worse.

I remember when Kobe Bryant's rape was first reported, people were screaming that he should never set foot on a basketball floor again. If he had been convicted, I could have gone along with that. Now it is a true stain on his career.

Other athletes who have weed problems have gotten past the issue. Warren Sapp dropped in the NFL draft because he tested positive for marajuana, but no one in Tampa cared, he was great and he won a Super Bowl for them. Ricky Williams took time off from professional football so he could smoke pot. No one made a big deal about it other than to laugh at him.

Bryant got it much worse than Phelps or Sapp or Williams. No one is suggesting Phelps quit swimming, they're just screaming "role model, role model"! Big deal, he'll get over it.

This is just a hack story from someone trying to defend pot. I don't see anything wrong with pot either, but the Phelps thing will dissipate by the time anyone cares about swimming again in four years.

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The guy that was involved in the dog fighting ring was "tarred and feathered" by our whole society and he was punished very harshly for his actions. But when it comes to mistreating women, well...that's a personal issue that we won't get involved in. Illustrating how little female humans are valued when it could impede the careers of "important" men.

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It's dumb of you to compare michael phelps (8 gold medals) with college athletes and a foreign soccer player. Phelps is much more famous in our country. If he had raped a girl, the coverage would be much much worse. Wait, why didn't you include Michael Vick and his dogfighting? ...probably cause you know it would contradict your point.

As for Kobe, he was never convicted, and his civil suite was settled out of court. Do you think that this man's life should be ruined because a hotel employee accused him of raping her? Why would you automatically assume the hotel employee is telling the truth?

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Your blue text contributes nothing to the argument that folks who harmlessly smoke pot don't deserve the legal stigma associated with it in the country where I have an equal say in my representation.

It's a study in your personal opinions, a study in your conflation tendencies between things that are unrelated, and a study in the tendency of folks to use hyperbole to advance their personal thoughts.

You have a great point, somewhere: pot smokers aren't necessarily bad people and shouldn't be subject to criminal prosecution in the way that we do it. The fact that there are, actually, bad people who do other things is a pretty awful place to start your argument from.

Now go figure out how to make a point better, and then try again.

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I too think it's a non-starter. Michael Phelps is a famous US athlete who blew away the competition in the Olympics. Robinho--a great soccer player--is just that: a soccer player. Since when do international soccer players (aside from Beckham) get any attention in the US media?!? The other athletes are college kids, and the same pretty much applies (yes, I know some stars get lots of attention, but it's not the norm).

There's an argument to be made that violence is overlooked in our society, but comparing Michael Phelps' situation to these other recent examples does not make the point very well.

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that the fact that Michael Phelps smokes some weed would cause people to say, "gee, it sure is dumb to criminalize such a relatively harmless activity, when OBVIOUSLY smoking weed does not damage one's soul but throwing them in jail sure can."

Mr. Phelps will probably get out of any legal trouble. But the mere fact that some look down upon him for smoking pot and that he could loose his endorsements is absurd. If he was photographed with a beer in his hand no one would say that.

I am so sick of the double standard I can't stand it. Especially since weed is less harmful than alcohol.

Can we act like grown-ups and stop pretending Reefer Madness was a documentary?

Granny's crazy videos = Go get a chuckle!

Luv,
Granny

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there was a college football player that left a steamer in some unsuspecting coeds laundry basket...(hot date)... that's right he runs back kicks in the nfl...If given a choice, i would much rather have a guy spilling a bong on my carpet than some guy growling in my laundry room and leaving me in shock when I get around to folding y clothes ....Way to go Mr. Davenport

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Vices Are Not Crimes
(dwrf thread) by Lysander Spooner, 1875

I. A Vindication Of Moral Liberty

Vices are those acts by which a man harms himself or his property.

Crimes are those acts by which one man harms the person or property of another.

Vices are simply the errors which a man makes in his search after his own happiness. Unlike crimes, they imply no malice toward others, and no interference with their persons or property.

In vices, the very essence of crime --- that is, the design to injure the person or property of another --- is wanting.

It is a maxim of the law that there can be no crime without a criminal intent; that is, without the intent to invade the person or property of another. But no one ever practises a vice with any such criminal intent. He practises his vice for his own happiness solely, and not from any malice toward others.

Unless this clear distinction between vices and crimes be made and recognized by the laws, there can be on earth no such thing as individual right, liberty, or property; no such things as the right of one man to the control of his own person and property, and the corresponding and coequal rights of another man to the control of his own person and property.

For a government to declare a vice to be a crime, and to punish it as such, is an attempt to falsify the very nature of things. It is as absurd as it would be to declare truth to be falsehood, or falsehood truth.
continued...lysanderspooner.org

Michael Phelps, Hypocrisy, & American Drug Policy

'Insane' Sheriff... with a Tank

Canada joins Boycott - MMM 5.2.9 - D.C. Convergence 7.4.9

Boycott Klogogs

A-Motivation.jpg

Pot Tarts are better for ya...jpg

"We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people."
- John F. Kennedy

Hypocrites Apologists tsk tsk

New Drug Bizczar

What to do with a problem child Drug Czar?

I used to say in the 90's before prop 215, when we passed measure A, that the cops don't come out of the box trained in not busting pot tokers, give em time.

Times way up. Any moron can see Ganja has medicinal value, isn't addictive and poses no threat to society, and still for 40 years they continue Nixon's lie. Is anyone that stupid, and if they are they shouldn't be toting live weapons. Expose the Lies... We doneed no stinkin Bizczars...

Nixon lied to schedule Ganja #1

The Drug Czar is required by law to lie

DAREyl SWAT Gates LAPDog Perversions

"A child miseducated is a child lost."
- John F. Kennedy

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