Phelps Poll!

I think what Kyra was referring to is that he didn't run away from this.....does anybody else remember Halle Barry's hit and run? How about Wynona Ryder? I could go on, the point Kyra and I were trying to make is that YES, for CRYING OUT LOUD, Michael made a really stupid mistake. He's guilty of being human, and being entitled to make stupid mistakes, just like the rest of us. The difference between Michael and myself, however, is that if I do something stupid, and try and atone for it, I can reach maybe 50 people at my old high school. Michael can reach literally millions. What he's done that's "worthy of praise"is try and turn it into a positive thing for all the kids that look up to him. Because, let's face it, good or bad, people are still looking at Michael Phelps, and it's admirable that he recognizes that, and is trying to make a positive difference about it. So to settle this, or at least try (I hate it when people argue :(), What Michael did was stupid, ignorant, and just plain dumb and dangerous. What he's doing about it NOW to make it better (not right, better) is what makes him different from every other public figure I can think of that has made mistakes (drugs, alcohol, traffic accidents, shoplifting, whatever). MICHEAL is owning up to it, and claiming sole responsibility. He didn't resist arrest, he didn't offer no comment to the media, and he didn't have some management representative release a skip-around statement. He called the media himself, and spent time at a local Girls and Boys Club that he frequented even before this happened, and he talked to them about drunk driving. He apologized to the entire swimming community during his acceptance speech (actually, it WAS his acceptance speech) when he was chosen as Male Athlete of the Year at the Golden Goggles. He wrote an apology letter to his fans and it sits posted on his website (www.michaelphelps.com). That's the part that shows he's mature about this. He made a mistake. A pretty stupid one. He's owning up to it, and doing everything he can, HIMSELF, to make an example out of it, not "I'm really not the bad guy, I swear, please please don't leave me", but rather "I made a mistake, one that you should never make, learn from me, I'm sorry". That's the point, aquageek. We're not condoning his actions, we just like what he's doing to own up to them. That's all. ~Steph~ Also, in case you were wondering, Craig, getting caught doesn't automatically cancel out the "i didn't do it" card. Regarding that Halle Berry incident where she was in a car accident (her fault) and drove from the scene, injured, EVEN IN court, where they said, "Look, we know you did it, we have witnesses, we know it was your car, and you were in it, you had a cut on your head when you arrived home, blah blah blah," her "official" response was "I don't really remember it, I was confused, dazed, from my injury. That must be why I left the scene." How's that for "we caught you, but you're not admitting anything?"

I think what Kyra was referring to is that he didn't run away from this.....does anybody else remember Halle Barry's hit and run? How about Wynona Ryder? I could go on, the point Kyra and I were trying to make is that YES, for CRYING OUT LOUD, Michael made a really stupid mistake. He's guilty of being human, and being entitled to make stupid mistakes, just like the rest of us. The difference between Michael and myself, however, is that if I do something stupid, and try and atone for it, I can reach maybe 50 people at my old high school. Michael can reach literally millions. What he's done that's "worthy of praise"is try and turn it into a positive thing for all the kids that look up to him. Because, let's face it, good or bad, people are still looking at Michael Phelps, and it's admirable that he recognizes that, and is trying to make a positive difference about it. So to settle this, or at least try (I hate it when people argue :(), What Michael did was stupid, ignorant, and just plain dumb and dangerous. What he's doing about it NOW to make it better (not right, better) is what makes him different from every other public figure I can think of that has made mistakes (drugs, alcohol, traffic accidents, shoplifting, whatever). MICHEAL is owning up to it, and claiming sole responsibility. He didn't resist arrest, he didn't offer no comment to the media, and he didn't have some management representative release a skip-around statement. He called the media himself, and spent time at a local Girls and Boys Club that he frequented even before this happened, and he talked to them about drunk driving. He apologized to the entire swimming community during his acceptance speech (actually, it WAS his acceptance speech) when he was chosen as Male Athlete of the Year at the Golden Goggles. He wrote an apology letter to his fans and it sits posted on his website (www.michaelphelps.com). That's the part that shows he's mature about this. He made a mistake. A pretty stupid one. He's owning up to it, and doing everything he can, HIMSELF, to make an example out of it, not "I'm really not the bad guy, I swear, please please don't leave me", but rather "I made a mistake, one that you should never make, learn from me, I'm sorry". That's the point, aquageek. We're not condoning his actions, we just like what he's doing to own up to them. That's all. ~Steph~ Also, in case you were wondering, Craig, getting caught doesn't automatically cancel out the "i didn't do it" card. Regarding that Halle Berry incident where she was in a car accident (her fault) and drove from the scene, injured, EVEN IN court, where they said, "Look, we know you did it, we have witnesses, we know it was your car, and you were in it, you had a cut on your head when you arrived home, blah blah blah," her "official" response was "I don't really remember it, I was confused, dazed, from my injury. That must be why I left the scene." How's that for "we caught you, but you're not admitting anything?"