Douchebag of the Week (Jan. 31-Feb. 6)
Maybe you saw the much ballyhooed photo in the news recently and thought the same thing as us: “Imagine the lung capacity that guy has!”
But this is America we’re talking about, so naturally the photo (taken in November, by the way) caused the usual outrage from the group of individuals that can typically be relied on to cast judgment on everybody else’s moral fiber.
But special attention in particular needs to be called to the sherriff of Richland County in South Carolina, Leon Lott, who on Tuesday, took the whole episode to another level by saying this:
“If he [broke the law], he will be charged in the same manner as anyone else. The sheriff has a responsibility to be fair, to enforce the law and to not turn a blind eye because someone is a celebrity.”
Um … Really?
Because to this independent eye, it sure as hell would seem like attempting to charge Phelps with anything at this juncture would be anything but “fair.” As a matter of fact, it would seem pretty clear that the only reason law enforcement would pursue anything like that is precisely because Michael Phelps is a celebrity.
But don’t just take our word for it; you can always ask this guy who served 34 years on the force, and puts it better than anyone else we’ve heard from:
The drug war mentality is clearly behind all the fuss surrounding the Olympic swimmer and his bong hit. You and I both know there are far more important cases law enforcement should be pursuing. Burglaries, rapes, robberies, car prowls, auto thefts, domestic violence, child abuse, home invasions, carjackings. Arresting Michael Phelps would only add to the absurdity of the situation, and paint you as a grandstander.
Of course, Phelps isn’t the only one who has a photo that grabbed him some attention, and whatever Mr. Lott wants to call that new toy he plans on using on “drug and gambling raids,” we’ll just continue to call him a douchebag.
