Right from Wrong . . .

 

My parents always taught my brother and I right from wrong, and that included no lying, no cheating, no hurting anyone. But this week the news has been about well known and admired people who didn’t seem to learn those lessons early in life or just don’t care. Their actions show their indifference to the moral codes of conduct and integrity. These are people who really should know better, people in respected positions, people who are well off and have absolutely no excuse for committing their wrong actions and then not taking ownership of them when confronted. It's disgraceful.

We had weeks of Bill Cosby’s accusers coming forward to speak up about how he drugged and raped them. He was already famous and could have had many willing sexual partners. Instead he chose innocent women, some just young girls, to victimize. Why did he hurt all these women who trusted him? Because he could? Because he has an arrogant massive ego? Because he knew he would get away with it? He knew it was wrong, time nd time again, and he did it anyway.

We had the number one football team in the country, the Patriots, deflate footballs to give themselves a game winning edge that they didn’t even need. They were willing to tarnish their reputation by breaking the established regulations of the game. Why? Because they felt they are too important to the game to be punished? Because they needed to win by an extra point or two? Because winning by cheating is more important than an ethical loss by fair play? They knew it was wrong, but they did it anyway.

And let’s not forget the biggest cheater in the history of cycling, Lance Armstrong. Armstrong took steroids and used other unethical medical means to gain an advantage and “won” seven Tours de France. The whole time he denied ever doing anything against the rules. When he finally confessed and apologized on Oprah, long after the cat was out of the bag and he was disgraced, his apology wasn’t the least bit sincere. I say that because he summed up every single unethical act, over the course of seven years, as “one lie.” I was disgusted with his so called apology. Can a man like this sink any lower? Yes he can. This week Lance Armstrong was driving, hit two parked cars, and then sped off. When authorities caught up with him, he had convinced his girlfriend to take the blame and say she was driving. Lance’s luck ran out when his girlfriend wasn’t nearly as skilled at lying as he is. Her story wasn’t consistent and authorities soon figured out Lance was driving that car. Why did Lance lie? Because he has a massive ego? Because he is arrogant? I don’t get it. He knew it was wrong, but he did it anyway.

And then we have highly respected news anchorman, Brian Williams, of NBC, who just signed a 5 year contract for 10 million a year, misremembering “facts.” Yes he apologized for conflating the details of his stories, to inflate his own self importance. He altered the facts when he is supposed to be reporting the truth. His career lives or dies based on his credibility and yet he put that credibility and his career at risk. Why? To make himself sound more important than he is? For the glory? To make himself a more newsworthy subject in addition to a reporter? He knew it was wrong, but he did it anyway.

When my parent instilled the principles of right and wrong in me, they stuck with me. My parents lead me to believe that good citizens in society would behave according to the same code of right and wrong. I’m sure most people do. I like to believe most do. And maybe what really bothers me about these four situations is that these are powerful, influential, people who are well known and have significant wealth. They are in the public spotlight. They are looked up to and respected. They should be setting examples and acting as role models. Instead, they are liars, cheaters and rapists that walk around unpunished with their heads held high. How do they look themselves in the mirror? I have no idea.

The Lance Armstrong Confession...

First of all, before I begin, let me just say I only watched an hour and a half of the interview. I have read a few things and heard some in the news. I think this is just the beginning of what we are going to see. I do not think he was being totally honest or said anything that was not already out there and investigated. He just finally got around to admitting it or some of it. As for Oprah, I love her, but she used this interview to put her network on the map. People who didn’t even know what channel she was on were searching to find it to watch this huge interview. I can’t blame her for that, but people use each other to get what they want in this world.


Now what do I think Lance wanted or had to gain? Well Lance got to tell his story in his own terms. He got to do it where he could refuse to answer questions he chose not to answer. He was able to tell it without anyone to refute or correct what he was saying. And, Lance Armstrong is a professional liar. Let’s not forget that. He has been lying, manipulating and controlling things for a long, long time. He is a cheater. He cheated his way to winning seven Tour de France competitions. He single handedly ruined the reputation of cycling, which has been synonymous with his name for as long as I can remember. He claims he bullied people. He didn’t just bully them, unless you call death threats and intimidation bullying. It was pure coercion and it was used to stop people from telling the truth. He did it many times. He also sued people who came forward to tell the truth. He ruined careers and lives.

He was asked why he decided to come “clean” now. According to what I heard, he said he heard his oldest son was defending him and he suddenly felt compelled to tell him not to defend him and to tell him the truth. But, the truth was about to come out anyway. The proof and evidence had been found. The USADA already has all it needs without this “confession.” The evidence is massive and includes irrefutable laboratory test results and eleven of his team members now willing to testify. Lance Armstrong simply ran out of ways to deny any wrong doing. So when he says he was moved by his son defending him, that may be only because he knew the truth, which came to a head in October 2012, was going to result in prosecution and become public. So I don’t think he wasn’t being so honorable by admitting to “everything,” he is still trying to control the outcome of the charges against him by garnering sympathy from Oprah, her audience and the world before this all explodes in court.

Someone with an ego as huge as Armstrong’s, who is a professed liar and intimidator, who is extremely controlling, is not going to turn into an innocent lamb over night. I got the sense he was using Oprah and her platform to try to get a leg up on the criminal case pending. To plead his case to the public before dealing with all that messy legal stuff. Can you even begin to imagine the number of charges against him? I can’t. If every single incident of cheating, coercion, bribing, doping were documented, the number would be staggering.

Now, I actually heard him say a couple of things that riled me up as he tried to insult our intelligence and manipulate us. He said, he considered all his lies just ONE BIG LIE. So he wants us to reduced those massive charges down to one lie, one continuous lie. Right. It ain’t going to happen. Then he had the audacity to say he wanted to or should be allowed to compete again. Yes, I heard that. Who in their right mind is going to say that right before significant, irrefutable evidence is about to be released? He brings up his five children and how it isn’t fair for them to live under this cloud he has created. He wants us to feel sorry for them and say, “Oh well, we forgive, now go play?” One second he says he deserves to be punished, but doesn’t say how, the next second he wants to compete again?

I don’t think many people thought he was really sorry for what he had done, as much as, sorry he has to face the consequences for all his crimes. Don’t forget, millions of dollars were spent on this team of his. Don’t forget he got tons of endorsements. He made plenty of money from cheating and lying. I don’t think anyone will ever be able to figure out how much. He even offered to make a deal with the government, but they turned it down. He offered them 5 million dollars and his testimony. Five million must be a drop in the bucket for all the money he pocketed. Why would they need his testimony anyway? At this point lab tests and several team witnesses are more than enough to convict him without him having to say a word. It’s outrageous that he wanted to be let off such a big hook by offering so little bait!

Now for the lies he is said to have told Oprah during the interview. Yes, they say he lied to Oprah too. First, he said he stopped doping in 2005. There is evidence in the report to show he doped in 2009 and 2010, but he denies it and is upset by the accusation and alleged proof. Investigators say that Armstrong’s blood shows evidence to the contrary.
Why is Lance picking 2005 as the last time he doped? Well because the statute of limitations may have expired on criminal charges against him if that is the case. Even without a criminal case, there are three civil cases against him which will cost him millions. Is that really enough?  Not for me.

The next thing I expect to hear from Lance is that the public humiliation is punishment enough. He can plead his case, make excuses, create his own justifications and truths, but he isn’t going to change my mind about all the despicable things he has done over the years. It wasn’t just ONE BIG LIE. It was a well thought out, premeditated series of ongoing actions, on his part, that created this miserable mess, this web of lies, that involved so many people for so long a period of time. What is a fair punishment for something this huge? I have no idea.