When Sha’Carri Richardson was suspended for a month, a decision that means she will miss the Olympics, many in the nation were furious.
AOC used this as a way to push the racist narrative again, only her claim has been completely debunked.
Looking at past suspensions of Olympians, Richardson may have gotten off easy.
The Suspension
Rules are rules, I get that, but this suspension is ridiculous.
Marijuana is not a performing enhancing drug and it is legal in almost half the states in this country.
But, again, Richardson knew the rules when she signed up, something even she herself had admitted.
She is not looking for empathy and she does not want to be a poster child, but that is what AOC is trying to do.
After Richardson was suspended, AOC tweeted, “The criminalization and banning of cannabis is an instrument of racist and colonial policy.
“The IOC should reconsider its suspension of Ms. Richardson and any athletes penalized for cannabis use.”
When looking at past suspensions of white athletes, however, AOC’s narrative is completely debunked.
In 2009, a picture surfaced of swimmer Michael Phelps with a bong.
Phelps NEVER tested positive, but that picture got him suspended for three months.
In 2016, Ryan Lochte got into trouble for peeing outside because a gas station bathroom was locked while he was in Brazil.
The story grew legs and got worse when Brazilian officials went into attack mode.
Lochte was eventually charged with filing a false police report, and he was suspended for 10 months.
Both athletes also lost major sponsors from the fallout, but nobody cried racism or “colonial policy” when those suspensions were handed down.
Of these three cases, one could make the argument that Richardson’s is the worst.
She knowingly used a banned substance, yet her suspension was a small fraction compared to the other two cases.
Rather than cry racism, AOC may want to look at possible favoritism given to Richardson because of the political climate in this country right now.
One thing is for sure, however, and that is that her race had no negative impact whatsoever in the penalty that was handed down.
Source: The Blaze
