Give Lance Another Chance?

Have you ever thought about achieving something major? Have you ever wanted something so bad that you just couldn’t help but cheat your way to the top? Have you ever wanted to be an icon to many and hated by none? Well so did Lance Armstrong. Recently I have read an article called “Give Lance Another Chance” by CNN executives and many others about how Tour de France winner seven times in a row, Lance Armstrong actually cheated his way to the top.

 Most of us know Armstrong as a seven time Tour de France winner, a testicular cancer survivor, and the founder of the “LiveStrong” foundation funded by Nike. But most people don’t know Armstrong as the cheater he confessed to being on the Oprah Winfrey show. Armstrong confessed to the use of steroids before the seven Tour de France races. In the article, Frida Ghitis says “… Armstrong’s achievements--recovering from cancer and then breaking records in the cycling world—made him an inspiration, an icon of hope” which is believed to be true, but once people find out the truth, will Armstrong’s legacy be the same? Will “LiveStrong” still “Live Strong”? These are questions that must be answered.
           

            Kevin Powell, author of “ Barack Obama, Ronald Regan, and the Ghost of Dr. King: blogs and essays says, “Lying is not the way to live one's life, ever, especially if you've positioned yourself as a role model and a hero. But I am not here to judge nor convict him. We all have our flaws, we all fall short as human beings. So, yes, I do think anyone can be redeemed, and should be given another chance if he shows true remorse and make amends for his bad deeds.”

I agree with Kevin, because not only did Armstrong make himself an idolized human being, but he also is very close to getting that taken away from him. Although he admitted to using drugs before the public had found out on its own, he still was wrong because he tried to hide it for over a decade. Anyone who has done a misdeed, should be given a second chance, especially someone like Armstrong who had given millions of Americans hope for the future. I think that Lance Armstrong is a lucky man and should not be chastised for wanting a life filled with fame. He’s alive, right? Although he lost his seven Tour de France titles, he still won that battle against cancer.