George Bush destroys country- No Apology.. Michael Phelps..

[realitythink]

Smokes a bong, hurts nobody, forced to apologize. This pretty much sums up how screwed up our priorities are in this country.

[Buzz Clik]

1. It's part of being a big boy.

You can admit making a mistake.

[Rabrrrrrr]

2. Good way to look at it - at least Phelps has the integrity and manhood to apologize.

[lame54]

10. What was the mistake?...

smoking pot?

Or

Getting caught at something that might threaten his sponsorship deals?

[Buzz Clik]

14. Whether we like it or not, smoking weed is not legal.

I don't like speed limits, parking meters, seat belt laws, and other such restrictions. But they exist, and flaunting my disdain for these laws is a huge waste of my time as well as a sure way to waste my hard earn cash and potentially ruin my career.

So, the answer to your question is quite simple: both.

[immoderate]

21. So much for civil disobedience.

What other crime can you be photographed committing and nothing happens? :shrug:

--imm

[Buzz Clik]

22. Jaywalking? Underage drinking? Trumping your partner's ace?

[tridim]

3. Who did he apologize to? The media?

I realise he probably just didn't want any legal trouble, but why apologise for something most people do when they're young?

[Dappleganger]

4. The millions of fans who are crying their eyes out.

:sarcasm:

[tridim]

6. I just hope the millions of fans learn that Cannabis just may not be as evil..

as our government and our media make it out to be.

Because I guarantee Phelps smoked before he won his medals too.

[FormerDittoHead]

13. This is what pisses me off.

Obviously, being a champion athlete is VERY competitive. You can't phone it in, there are plenty of others wanting to knock you off your game and win the prize for themselves.

(let me continue)

Excellence and championships are not measured in feet, but in inches, not in seconds, but in 1/100ths of a second. Every little bit counts, and any possible weakness can make the difference between winning and losing.

So, how's it POSSIBLE for drugs (let's stick with pot) to be such a problem when these people can smoke it and still perform? Phelps isn't the first one, most every sport has had its people, and it hasn't always been with pot. I'm not talking about steroids, I'm talking about pot and maybe coke.

It's just that I don't see how people can talk about the 'damage' these drugs do to one's mind and body, and then we find out that these CHAMPIONS, who succeed using objective measures, smoke it too.

If you ask me, it sounds like almost as much of an endorsement for pot as it is for Wheaties, only pot ain't paying for their picture on the box.

I only wish we could grow up and clean out our jails of innocent people.

[JohnnyBoots]

16. Superbowl MVP Santonio holmes likes the Ganj as well. Was busted for it.

[Soylent Brice]

5. welcome to DU

the world is a funny place, isn't it?

[ZombieHorde]

7. Who is Michael Phelps? nt

[FormerDittoHead]

9. Olympic swimmer, won a lot of gold medals, someone got a pix of him smoking pot. n/t

[JackRiddler]

8. This is Michael Phelps's fault for giving lip service to the prohibition morality.

Even a candidate running for president could announce in speeches:

YES WE INHALED!

So to speak.

And this candidate won.

So Phelps should do a service to his country, to justice and to reason, and:

TELL THOSE PRESS WHORES TO EAT SHIT AND DIE - HE'LL SMOKE WHAT HE LIKES.

[backscatter712]

11. I wish people would lay off Phelps.

So he smoked the wacky tobaccy. Big fucking deal - I've done far worse. No doubt, there are a million authoritarian twats that want to take his gold medals away. Somebody needs to tell them to get a life.

[mdmc]

12. where was that dude's backbone

I'd tell it like it is.

[Javaman]

15. So the moral of the story is...

drink like there is no tomorrow and become a failure as a human and a prez* or smoke pot and win 8 gold medals at the Olymics.

:rofl:

[unblock]

17. but michael phelps is a ROLE MODEL.

no one in their right mind aspires to be like shrub, and if they did, an apology would only confuse them.

[tavalon]

18. Phelps is an adult, albeit a young one

Bush never has been.

[NM Independent]

19. Could not agree with you more.

It's absolutely upside down, and insane.

Meanwhile... Just a few stories I've read lately include: Man sentenced to three years for killing gay man, Woman to be paroled early (on a short sentence) for killing her children, Man sentenced to 4 years for DWI crash where an older man was killed, and Bernie Madoff on house arrest at luxury mansion after swindling $50 bln.

A few more: Feds raid MEDICAL marijuana operation (legal in CA), Drug trafficker sentenced to 25 years for 50 lbs of marijuana, Woman (mother of 2) sentenced to 2 years in prison for less than a quarter pound, and Man sentenced to 5 years for one pound.

Upside down, indeed.

[whatchamacallit]

20. Tell it! k&r

[lonestarnot]

23. Yes that is where we are at these days.

:(