Up in smoke? So what?

Really...so what?

Okay, not that I condone any type of use of ANY illegal substance, but really.

Michael Phelps smokes pot. So What?

Was he out and about smoking it on the street? No. Was he tripped out and making a fool of himself in public? No. Was he endangering the lives of anyone around him or anyone period? No.

No, he was either caught by some paparazzi jerk with a long lens through a window, or some people he was partying with decided to carpe diem and grab a shot. Which is what I think happened, because the party in question was in early November, and the photo is now surfacing across the globe in the tabloid capital of the world, England.



Now, yes, he is a public figure and held to the higher standard that comes with being in the spotlight. One of the angles many of the round-the-clock news guys have been trying to pitch all day is, "Well, what will this do to the thousands of fans and kids all over the world that look up to him?"

Um, if when I have kids, his or her life is severely affected by one stupid move by a celebrity half-way around the world then I have failed as a parent. Because I for one would love to be THE biggest role model in the world for my kid.

I've been in high school. I've been in college. And I've been to Europe. And all I'm going to say is this. I will never, ever be suprised again in my life when I find out someone else smokes or has smoked pot. Trust me...athletes of all ages, business professionals, teachers, college professors, and students of all professions. It's always the same - the one's you would never expect would, do.

And I'm not speaking from experience: trust me, if you pulled out the longest drug test out there you wouldn't find one speck in my blood...or hair, or whatever it is they test.

The right to privacy is null and void the moment you leave your house. When a person is in the privacy of their own home, they have the right to do whatever they want. Who are we to judge? I'm very certain that if some idiot with a camera would peer into the homes of some of us regular people, they'd find some less than reputable activity going on sooner or later.

Should he have apologized? Sure, and he didn't take too long to do it, which means it's probably sincere. But my point is he shouldn't have had to. Because it's one thing to leave your "dirty laundry" out of the curb, but in this case someone pulled Phelps' dirty laundry out into the street for everyone to see.

In my opinion, it wasn't Phelps who should be worrying about what he does in his private time affecting the young minds of the world - it's the idiot who wants to make a buck by prying into the private lives of people with a total disregard for who it will affect all around.

Is it just me? What do you think? Grind that, and let me know!

Mik Tobias
Port Arthur News