As a kid I spent a lot of time being grounded. Some of the time, I was at fault, other times I wasn't. Most of the time I was given the opportunity to plead my case before the punishment was given. My dad warned me that if I told the truth, I would be given less punishment than if I lied to him. While at the time of receiving my groundings and whippings (paddle, belt, hand, etc.) I didn't feel like I was getting less punishment, but I guess in the end I was. When I would get grounded I would lose the rights to everything in the house. No TV, no computer, no phone, no ping pong...you get the point. I was even grounded from my car for a week for skipping school the Friday before spring break. It's a known fact that attending school that day is pointless. When I do have a child, I will keep them at home that day just for the hell of it. Back to the point, when I was grounded, all of my freedoms were taken away. I eventually learned my lesson and came out with the truth as soon as I was asked. So, why can't everyone tell the truth?
Michael Vick learned this lesson a very hard way. Had he told the truth in the beginning, he probably wouldn't have served much, if any time. Instead, he stuck to the "no snitching" policy that is so popularly endorsed by many hip-hop artists and athletes. I was on ESPN.com the other day when David Cornwell was having a legal chat about the future of Vick. It answered a lot of the questions that I had and it is a very interesting read. At one point Cornwell states that by not cooperating with the investigation, Vick added time to his sentence. Now, he will be gone for 23 months, less for good behavior, but his career is certainly hanging on by a thread. Not to mention, he lost around $100 million and is being sued for millions more. He will spending his time in a federal prison, probably spending most of his time alone, not mixing in with the general population. He will probably have a TV and cable and access to whatever he wants while he is in. That sounds fair to me (sarcasm).
Marion Jones was one of the most dominant track athletes of our time. It is a shame that she was cheating the whole time. When she was married, her husband was caught using steroids. Then her boyfriend tested positive. Meanwhile, she denied ever using and even denied knowing her husband and her boyfriend were using. AND...we believed her...to a degree. Sure, there was the skeptics, but as a whole, we wanted to believe she was clean. Now that we know that she was cheating, what is the punishment? She lost her medals from the 2000 Sydney games and is banned from competing at Beijing. It is also possible that she could be banned from other games. POSSIBLE??? She was caught cheating and she admitted to it!
While telling a little lie here and there get people through the day, some lies are very damaging. These two athletes are just a small sample of what can go wrong. Jones eventually told the truth and got a lesser punishment than if she would have if she tested positive for steroids. Vick decided to disguise the truth, or tell a twisted version of the truth and it landed him in a federal pound me in the ass prison.
So, I ask...what is the truth worth in the long run?
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