This one decision shouldn’t prohibit your whole career
Yesterday saw the Olympic ban on British athletes overturned. As most thing in sport, there are split opinions on the decision. It was said that a lifetime ban was too long of a ban in simple terms, meaning athletes would now only be banned for two years. One thing which has been annoying me about all the media coverage is this constant reference to the “cheat”. I don’t really know how the drug thing works in athletics, if my thinking is right, you take drugs to enhance ability and then when you stop taking the drug, it stops. Due to the comments it seems as if once you take these enhancers it can’t be overturned. The debate is, why should cheaters be allowed to compete? I’m a reformist and believe in reform. People can change their ways and lead a different life, why can’t drug cheats? The constant plague of they are still cheaters is unnecessary, if they don’t take drugs for performance now they are not cheaters are they? They have been subjected to the past tense and are no longer cheaters but people who cheated. There’s a very big difference between those two tenses, one is present and one is past. What if someone constantly highlighted you cheated in a test to get a job, although now you take the test and still pass? You wouldn’t want them to hold it to you because people make mistakes in life.
I believe in punishment for change and I believe punishment is a deterrent, however a lifetime ban is a bit steep in my opinion. That being said, the new two year ban is a bit short in my opinion too. Perhaps a four year ban, or a ban that ensures you miss the subsequent Olympics. I find a real big problem in people casting judgement who do not experience the pressures of the situation. For example, most judges sending people to prison haven’t experienced the lifestyle. Most politicians haven’t experienced the lifestyle of the majority of people in their respective constituents. Most of this people in authoritative bodies have not experienced the same scenario or are just too far away due to time.
We all deserve more than one chance, God showed/shows us this regularly.
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