Is this really news-worthy? Michael Phelps busted with drug paraphernalia? Michael Phelps caught with marijuana? Personally, I’m more bothered by his 2004 DUI. Drinking and getting behind the wheel has predictably bad results and innocent people could be hurt or killed as a result of that stupidity. But this...who cares?

So long as he is not selling to kids; so long as no one else is getting hurt by his asinine decisions, I know that I don’t.  If anything, that he may occasionally partake in casual drug use makes his athletic feats even more impressive. I’m sure his competition, if he really had any, would prefer that he smoke more often and perhaps include tranquilizers or Nyquil to his casual use.

Then, at least, someone might stand a chance of beating him.  Alas, he has no competition and is proving to be his own worst enemy.

Now, I’m not saying that drug use is okay, nor am I, in any way, suggesting that marijuana should be legalized.  But regardless of his almost iconic status as an American and Olympic athlete, he is still just a 23 year old kid.

Let’s cut him just a little slack.

Every second of his life is organized and regimented from what he eats to his time in the pool. He’s done what no one else has ever done and he’s been a good ambassador for amateur sports.  Regardless of all of that, he’s still human and, shockingly, he’s going to make mistakes.

Other people in much more significant roles in society than Phelps have done much worse.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving claim that members of Congress escape DWI/DUI arrests by invoking their congressional privilege of immunity granted by Article one, Section 6. Section 6 states:  “The Senators and Representatives… shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other Place.”

This may or may not be true but it is believable. Ted Kennedy’s drinking and driving habits are well-known…or at least theorized about. In July of 1969, his drunken driving, allegedly, killed Mary Jo Kopechne. Worse yet, there was a pattern of behavior to show that this was not a huge surprise.

“Senator Kennedy's driver's license had expired ...driving with an expired license was only a misdemeanor, it did provide the evidence of negligence

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