The Halifax Chronicle Herald recently ran a story titled "Armstrong Can Be a Hero Again, Oprah Says".
The story was reporting on Winfrey's recent interview with Lance Armstrong where he discussed his use of performance enhancing drugs while he was racing in the Tour de France.
According to Oprah:
“…if he is willing to do the work … he can be a real hero.”
I am not so sure. I watched the interview. It appeared to me Armstrong was being far from candid. The interview looked like a cynical ploy to gain public sympathy in the face of the overwhelming sanctions and avalanche of lawsuits he is likely to face for lying, cheating, and basically stealing millions of dollars over many years.
As Eric Turkewitz also points out in his article Lance Armstrong and Fraud on the Court, while the public may be forgiving and Armstrong’s sponsors may decide not to try to recoup the millions of dollars they paid Armstrong to use his image, the Courts themselves may not be so forgiving.
Armstrong filed a number of lawsuits against people who accused him of drug use, claiming libel slander and defamation. As Turkewitz points out, by filing those claims, Armstrong was essentially perpetrating a fraud, not against the public but against the Courts themselves.
It will be interesting to see if any of the judges in the numerous courts where Armstrong filed defamation lawsuits decide to “forgive” Armstrong for his deception or decide that someone needs to educate Mr. Armstrong and what it means to respect the rule of law.
Lance Armstrong can be a hero AGAIN????
I am sorry Ms. Winfrey, but Armstrong cannot be a hero "again" because he has never been a real hero. He simply impersonated one. His accolades have all been based on lies.
This Is What A Real Hero Looks Like
Oprah, if you want to see a real hero, you do not need to talk to Lance Armstrong.
Take a look at Canadian Terry Fox who started a cross-Canada run after having one leg amputated for cancer to raise money and awareness for cancer research.
He didn't have any sponsors providing him with sneakers or gear and he wasn't running for millions of dollars in prize money.
Terry was doing it because he felt it needed to be done, whatever the cost to himself.
Terry Fox died before being able to complete his run, but the Terry Fox Foundation has since raised more than $550 million dollars for cancer research.
Armstrong pretended to be a hero. Terry Fox, on the other hand, showed every Canadian what it takes to be a real hero.
Photo Buzzbishop.com
A version of this article was previously published on the Halifax Personal Injury Lawyer Blog.
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