Athletes and entertainers have constantly been in the news for doing the wrong thing.
However, for most, doing the wrong thing will only mean they get a slap on the wrist as we’ve seen recently with former Dallas Cowboys’ player Josh Brent and what we’re about to see with pop star Justin Bieber.
Brent was sentenced to 180 days in jail and 10 years of probation for the December 2012 crash that killed teammate Jerry Brown, according to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN Dallas). Brent was intoxicated with a blood-alcohol level of 0.18.
So, just to be clear, Brent was drunk and killed a teammate when he lost control of his car. And his debt to society is six months in jail.
Then there’s the case of Bieber, who was arrested and charged with drunken driving, resisting arrest, and driving without a valid license. Police stopped Bieber after they saw him drag racing Thursday morning.
While it’s still early to say, more than likely, the 19-year old is going to get off with just a slap on the wrist. Why? Because he’s a star and he has lots of money.
Of course, there are the examples of athletes who did wrong and had to serve their time. Michael Vick and Plaxico Burress are just a few who did the time for their crimes. However, those are few and far between.
For every Vick, we have examples of former NFL player Leonard Little who killed a woman while driving intoxicated and only received probation.
In the entertainment world, we’ve seen people like Lindsay Lohan, Charlie Sheen and Mel Gibson. All have committed crimes time and time again and only gotten slaps on the wrist.
But that is where our society is at. People with money and fame continually get off with slaps on the wrist.
With any of these incidents, regular “Joe Schmo” would be in jail for a good amount of time. But not athletes or entertainers.
Athletes and entertainers are above the law. How else do you explain the scores of fans who cheered Bieber after he was released on bond? The fact that someone can shoot a basketball, throw down a rhyme, or recite lines in front of a camera has made them better than everyone else.
When is our society going to wake up? We need to stop putting these people on a pedestal and they must answer for crimes they commit, no matter how big or small they are.
They are not above the law. It’s time we stop treating them like they are.