I'll admit it, I'm not a huge sports fan. Its quite rare for me to get excited over a football or basketball game (although baseball is the exception) and I generally prefer the Winter Olympic games to the summer - come on - you know you love watching curling.
Despite my lack of enthusiasm for watching sports, I could not help but feel inspired when swimmer Michael Phelps won 14 gold medals, more medals than anyone else. Its astounding that right now Phelps is in the spotlight not for his amazing athletic abilities but for a stupid picture of him taking a bong rip at a college party.
Because of the picture, USA Swimming has suspended Phelps from competition for 3 months (which Phelps has accepted as being fair). As of now he has only lost one of his sponsors, Kellogg's. The cereal and junk food company decided to drop him because "Michael's most recent behavior is not consistent with the image of Kellogg." So according to Kellogg's, smoking marijuana at a party completely undoes the fact that this young man earned 14 gold medals for the U.S. in the Olympics? Its not like this picture ended up on a box of fucking Frosted Flakes.
Kellogg's needs to hear from the public that their decision will hurt their company far more than Phelps's marijuana use. Please contact Kellogg's today and tell them that you will boycott all of their products until they reverse their decision on Phelps's sponsorship. You can contact Kellogg's by visiting this page.
Just cut and paste the following message into the webform on the Kellogg's website (or edit it if you like):
I am deeply disappointed by your decision to drop your sponsorship of Michael Phelps simply because he was photographed smoking marijuana. Over half of all adult Americans, including our last three presidents, have smoked marijuana during their lives. It is outrageous that Kellogg's would hold Michael Phelps to such an unreasonable standard, rather than standing by a 23 year old who has brought more inspiration and joy to millions of Americans than most will accomplish in a lifetime. Until you reverse your decision to drop Michael Phelps' sponsorship, I will be boycotting all Kellogg's products.Phelps' current situation so clearly shows the stupidity that is marijuana prohibition. Clearly, our schools, both high schools and colleges, are flooded with marijuana despite decades of prohibition. Marijuana use hasn't caused Phelps any problems - marijuana laws have. This is what students all over the country are facing every day. Straight A students that fail drug tests are expelled from school or banned from extracurricular activies. Others lose thier federal financial aid for a first time marijuana possession charge.
I know I won't be eating any Kellogg's products any time soon (well, not until they apologize to Phelps) although I might just consider buying myself a speedo - try that image on for size!
SSDP has created a facebook petition to show our support for Michael Phelps. If you're on facebook please sign the petition and tell your friends about it!
Of course, the more support SSDP has, the more we can give to Michael Phelps. Please donate!
