Look at these pictures. On the top is Michael Phelps, fourteen time Olympic gold medalist and American hero, standing proudly on the Olympic podium with his hand over his heart, honoring his country's national anthem and representing his nation to the world. The bottom is the same Michael Phelps, using a marijuana bong in his apartment. This last picture has sparked a lot of talk about whether or not Mr. Phelps is still a national hero. Police from the area Michael lived at the time are threatening to arrest him, and people around the country are putting him down as a lowlife, and a degenerate. These two pictures depict seem to depict two very different people, but they are in fact one in the same. Americans seem to think that in order to be a national hero, you must in fact be perfect in every way. If you have ever made a mistake in your life, you are not worthy to call The United States your home. However the truth is, none of us can ever be truly as God-like as we need to be to be recognized as a "good person". No matter how long ago or how far away it was, if you are a recognized hero, your past will catch up to you. No matter how desperately people need a hero, they are just as desperate to find flaws, and tear him down. If you are anything less than perfect, you will be shot down, and made an example of. But if we are so harsh on people for their mistakes, it only encourages them to be secretive and sneaky. Why try to be great when you know that people are going to try as hard as they can to demonize you? What is there to stop people from just giving up and falling into mediocrity? We need to stop turning the pedestal into a chopping block. If we keep tearing down these heroes, soon we will have no one left who is willing to step up and be great.
