Nevertheless, they felt this was yet another potential marketing ploy, and so they released the following statement.
"We originally built the relationship with Michael, as well as the other Olympic athletes, to support our association with the U.S. Olympic team. Michael's most recent behavior is not consistent with the image of Kellogg. His contract expires at the end of February and we have made a decision not to extend his contract."
This might be a big mistake, as already several groups are calling for a boycott of all Kellogg’s products.
The leader of one of the biggest legalize-pot organizations,
Marijuana Policy Project, called Kelloggs action "hypocritical and disgusting," and said he'd never seen his membership so angry, with more than 2,300 of them signing an online petition.
Also urging a boycott were the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, Students for Sensible Drug Policy and the Drug Policy Alliance. They encouraged their members to contact Kellogg to vent their views.
I am going to add my own name to the list, and to the calls for a boycott. Come on, people-let’s make Kelloggs the next major American business to qualify for federal bailout money.
It’s the least we can do. We can accomplish two things. We can come to the aid of an American champion, and make the point that the majority of American people want an end to the current ridiculous and oppressive marijuana laws, which remain on the books despite most of our wishes. Especially given the current state of the national economy, they are all the more inappropriate.
These days, the power of the wallet is the only power we really have-such as it is. Let’s make it plain, if you want our business, you might not want to piss us off by promoting policies most of us don't support or at least wish to see greatly reformed.
Seth Myers of Saturday Night Live also got into the act when, during a Weekend Update segment, he leveled the following criticism-
"Every one of your mascots is a wild-eyed cartoon character with uncontrollable munchies," Myers said. "Every one of your products sounds like a wish a genie granted at a Phish concert."
The USA Swimming team has nevertheless lowered the boom on Phelps, and issued the following public reprimand-
"This is not a situation where any anti-doping rule was violated, but we decided to send a strong message to Michael because he disappointed so many people, particularly the hundreds of thousands of USA Swimming member kids who look up to him as a role model and a hero. Michael has voluntarily accepted this reprimand and has committed to earn back our trust."
That of course might be the least of Phelps worries. Several of the South Carolina college students with whom he partied during the time in question have been arrested, and Phelps himself might be subject to future charges, according to Richland County South Carolina sheriff Leon Lott, who issued the following statement-
"This case is no different than any other case. This one might be a lot easier since we have photographs of someone using drugs and a partial confession. It’s a relatively easy case once we can determine where the crime occurred."
Aside from the concerns of a handful of South Carolina college students (one of whom probably made a fistful of dollars by taking and selling the photo to begin with), some people seem to think the government, and law-enforcement, have other things to deal with that are of far greater importance, and fear that Michael Phelps latest problems might provide a greater emphasis to push for more stringent enforcement of already overly harsh and out-dated marijuana laws, to say nothing of reducing the likelihood of marijuana and drug law reform.
Still others blame Phelps, not for putting himself in such an untenable position, but for kowtowing to the dictates of a repressive anti-drug policy, which they claim is based more on hysteria than anything. They urge him to more or less stand up for himself, and not apologize. In effect, they encourage him to "get off your knees".
Indeed, they seem to assert that he should wear the pothead badge with pride while pointing out that he is, after all, a fourteen time Olympic gold medalist. The following statement by a friend of Phelps who was present at the party in question would seem to suggest that it wasn't an unusual thing for Phelps. According to him-
"At one point someone asked him if he wanted to smoke some weed. Michael didn't hesitate and headed to a small back room, where he was immediately handed a big red bong. He grabbed the bong and a lighter and ripped a huge smelly bong rip." The source continues, "He knew exactly what he was doing. He looked just as natural with a bong in his hands as he does swimming the backstroke."
Be that as it may, it is probably unrealistic to think Phelps might suddenly become an activist for legalization or de-criminalization of marijuana. Phelps is first and foremost concerned with his future career and contract potential, to say nothing of the fact that he is probably not concerned with activism on this issue to begin with. This of course is the reason why he released the following statement-
Phelps issued the following apology:
''I engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment. I'm 23 years old and despite the successes I've had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner people have come to expect from me. For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public it will not happen again.''
The following statement seems far more contrite and personal, yet it is also tinged with an understandable hint of bitterness.
"It's time like these that you really get true support. I've been able to really find out who my friends and family are. It's by no means been easy - bad judgement, yeah, and it's something I plan learning off of. I don't take drugs. I get drug-tested all the time. You can look at the records and you can see. It was bad judgement and a bad mistake."
As for any future effect on drug laws, I doubt there will be any long-lasting effect. There will be some noise made “For The Good Of The Children”(tm), but after so long it will fade into the ether. By the time this is over, a good many of the children in question will be on their way towards mastering all levels of the latest version of Grand Theft Auto, probably while higher than hell. while Michael Phelps will have groped his seventeenth exotic dancer, thus continuing to habitually alienate yet another special interest group.
As for Phelps, when he fails to compete in the next Olympics, or if he fails to medal if he does compete-or even if he merely fails to break his own record-these same people will be blaming it on the pot, or perhaps a real or imagined gambling addiction, one that might well be enhanced by an attraction to cocktail waitresses and exotic dancers.
He seems determined to match or surpass his medal count with the number of outraged special interest groups he seems to constantly offend.
More power to him. Way too many of us seem to like our heroes pure, whether we are pure ourselves or not. Ironically, our kids could care less. They just like their heroes. After all, they need all of them they can get. Ironically, then can now identify with Phelps more than they ever could before, and this is including even the ones who never have and never would smoke marijuana, gamble, or frequent exotic dance clubs-or dance therein. Sometimes I think they understand better than do their parents that, in fact, there really are no perfect people, maybe especially including the heroes. The first people to drive this lesson home to them are, of course, their parents.
It’s only when we get older that we strive for perfection, probably out of some misguided need to atone for our own follies, or those of our parents. As always, we fall flat on our asses and continue the vicious cycle. Those who expect it from their children are engaged in the cruelest of follies, having learned nothing from one of the most important lessons life throws at all of us. Those who expect it from others are simply arrogant hypocrites.
4 comments:
It's strange to me that this is really the only way we have to express discontent with the current laws. What percentage of the population would you imagine think that the pot laws are stupid? And yet it's never even brought up in DC.
One thing the states could do, if they would, would be to send a message that if the federal government wants to enforce marijuana laws, they are going to have to do it on their own dime. If just a few states would grow enough of a spine to say that openly, and stick by it, it might have a ripple effect. Of course a good many states are fine with the laws as they are, pretty much, but if just a few of them would hold firm on this, the feds would be in an untenable position.
The laws are enforced hit and miss. If you are wealthy and discreet, you'll probably not fave arrest or banishment.
The War on Drugs is related to counterinsurgency in Latin America.
Revolution in Latin America, is a good first step, to changing drug laws.
I don't know, Ren, I guess that would depend on how it developed. If it went the way a lot of so-called revolutions went, it would probably make matters worse, unless the US just totally sealed its borders.
I see what you mean though.
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