Whatever shall we do about Michael Phelps smoking weed?

Here's my thoughts on the Phelps' BongGate.

Get over it.

Thank you.


Oh.
You probably wanted more, huh? Seeing as how you traveled great distances through dangerous territory to get to this here blog, I guess I can oblige.

OK.
First of all, I don't think marijuana is bad. That is not a very popular opinion within the church I attend but so be it. I feel that used as an herb, marijuana can be helpful and useful to a range of dis-eases. If legal, my garden would contain a small plant snuggled right next to chamomile and lemon balm.

Sadly, it is not legal. So there will be no small plant in MY garden for now. I will not do any illegal thing that will give the govt reason to remove my kids from my ward. They are too precious to me.

I feel the govt has made a non-lethal helpful plant illegal for various reasons, including wanting to collect the revenue created by arresting those who ingest it.

Also, I don't think people should smoke anything. Putting something that is burning/has been burned into your body is harmful. There are much better ways to introduce it to your body.

And one more thing before I make this slightly relevant to Michael Phelps. This is rhetorical so you don't actually have to answer it, but - What is the difference between someone taking a prescription mood-enhancing drug (like say, Prozac) and self-medicating with a plant/herb?

So, having let you see a small amount of my philosophy regarding this, I'll actually relate it to the title of the post. Michael Phelps can do whatever he wants. His smoking weed at a party in SC has absolutely nothing to do with my happy little life out here in the Midwest. If he's high, 900 miles away, it doesn't affect whether or not I take my kids to the library, or whether I decide to play the Wii vs. studying, or what I make for dinner. (makes me sound kind of boring, huh?)

If he has broken some agreement between himself and his sponsors, or some rules within the various swimming organizations to which he belongs, then let them deal with it. I really don't think that banning him from competing in the next Olympics is a valid punishment for making a stupid mistake. Marijuana is a much less dangerous drug to take than alcohol, and yet no one bats an eye if an athlete wants to have a beer or 12 after a competition. And it's his off-season! I really think that his recent behavior has no bearing on what kind of swimmer he is.

But think of the children! Yeah, you do that. If your kid's role model is some kind of sports celebrity, then you have other problems besides whether or not Phelps can compete in 2012.