Much Ado
Isn't it just like officious authorities to lose sight of the larger picture? But then, that's what the self-righteous of officialdom excel at. And, in a society that reveals its neuroses by institutionalizing the criminalization of recreational drugs one could claim - legitimately, as Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott has done - that no one is above the law. The law, famously, tends to asinine forfeitures of human tendencies.
That which might be licit becomes illicit, even while other substances proving to be similarly injurious to one's health are societally and lawfully accepted. A small indiscretion that has cost Olympic gold medallist Michael Phelps dearly is blown entirely out of proportion.
A world audience that heralded a world-class athlete capable of outdistancing in performance and endurance all previous contestants, looks on gape-mouthed at this man's fall from grace. Can we be serious about this? This is an individual whose genetic endowment has given him a massive edge over all other athletes in performing at the very highest level of achievement.
This is a young, active man, doing what all young men do from time to time. Present at a party, and partaking of recreational, slightly mind-altering drugs. For relaxation, for pleasure; simply perhaps to be seen as no different in that sense from any other normal, healthy male.
An indiscreet photograph taken of him sipping a cocktail would have elicited no censure. Why then, because he was photographed smoking the mildest of all possible drugs? Smoking marijuana? Please. Get a grip. For this his reputation stands in jeopardy, his likeness is emblazoned on the front pages of tabloids, and nervous advertisers yank his contract.
It's not as though, as the righteous objectors claim, that the use of marijuana represents a portal to the world of hard drug use and the collapse of civilization as we know it. The substance, in fact, is far less potent as a mind-altering drug than alcohol. At its worst, dependence on either is a plague, but like anything else in life, moderation is the key to balance.
Or is that balance is the key to moderation?
"It's a mistake I won't make again", claimed the much chastened 23-year-old, apologizing for his temporary fall from grace, a stumble off that marble plinth of athletic perfection. No, he won't; he'll take greater care to ensure that his little peccadilloes are not henceforth photographed.
That which might be licit becomes illicit, even while other substances proving to be similarly injurious to one's health are societally and lawfully accepted. A small indiscretion that has cost Olympic gold medallist Michael Phelps dearly is blown entirely out of proportion.
A world audience that heralded a world-class athlete capable of outdistancing in performance and endurance all previous contestants, looks on gape-mouthed at this man's fall from grace. Can we be serious about this? This is an individual whose genetic endowment has given him a massive edge over all other athletes in performing at the very highest level of achievement.
This is a young, active man, doing what all young men do from time to time. Present at a party, and partaking of recreational, slightly mind-altering drugs. For relaxation, for pleasure; simply perhaps to be seen as no different in that sense from any other normal, healthy male.
An indiscreet photograph taken of him sipping a cocktail would have elicited no censure. Why then, because he was photographed smoking the mildest of all possible drugs? Smoking marijuana? Please. Get a grip. For this his reputation stands in jeopardy, his likeness is emblazoned on the front pages of tabloids, and nervous advertisers yank his contract.
It's not as though, as the righteous objectors claim, that the use of marijuana represents a portal to the world of hard drug use and the collapse of civilization as we know it. The substance, in fact, is far less potent as a mind-altering drug than alcohol. At its worst, dependence on either is a plague, but like anything else in life, moderation is the key to balance.
Or is that balance is the key to moderation?
"It's a mistake I won't make again", claimed the much chastened 23-year-old, apologizing for his temporary fall from grace, a stumble off that marble plinth of athletic perfection. No, he won't; he'll take greater care to ensure that his little peccadilloes are not henceforth photographed.
Labels: Life's Like That
posted by Pieface | 5:39 PM
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