Do Liars Like Lance Armstrong & Manti T'eo Deserve Our Forgiveness?

[Cafe Steph]

Liars Like Lance Armstrong & Manti T'eo Deserve Our Forgiveness

Posted by Maressa Brown on January 19, 2013

Every minute it seems, we're finding out another prominent person in the news lied (or cheated) in some way, shape, or form. Manti T'eo and Lance Armstrong just happen to be the two most recent ... And every time it happens, it seems like our general reaction is basically the same: "How could he?!" We're shocked, dismayed, and swiftly ready to write the person off as a bad egg forever. But maybe it shouldn't necessarily be that way. Maybe we're being too quick to judge.

See, while watching the Lance Armstrong-Oprah interview yesterday, I kept thinking that while he was totally coming off like a schumuck who reeeeally screwed up and tarnished his squeaky-clean, do-gooder rep, I could also understand why he did what he did.

I wouldn't go so far as to say as I feel sympathy for the guy, but it just seemed like he lied for many reasons ... One of them is because he was so immersed in a culture of deceit. He kept using the word "generation" to explain to Oprah how he wasn't alone. Not in a cowardly, finger-pointing way, but in a way that makes you take a step back and realize he wasn't alone in deceiving us all. Doping was a generally accepted trend in his world. What riders did (and lied about) to be successful. And once he figured he could get away with it, and everyone else was getting away with it, he just kept "riding out" the lie ... for better or worse.

Similarly, we don't know all the exact details behind the Manti T'eo mess, but it seems like the guy lied because he got swept up in the fable. Couldn't face the consequence of the truth coming out. (Not that that fear prevented it from happening!)

And really, who hasn't been in a situation like that? Even if it was a little white lie you told once, we've all been scared silly to admit the truth at one time or another ... So how can we judge these guys so harshly for doing the same very human thing -- that happened to unfold in front of cameras and entire country?

The way I see it -- it boils down to them just being flawed in a regretable but deeply human way. So the humane thing to do is to consider forgiveness.

How do you feel about Lance and Manti's lies? Do you think you could "forgive" either man?

[MaySheWillStay]

They don't deserve ire OR forgiveness. There is nothing to forgive. He wronged his team and his sponsors, not us personally.

The ultimate punishment for these people is not continued anger, or even attention. It's to forget about them completely. Which is exactly what I'm going to do.

[ExquisiteMomof2]

I'm going to say yes. However, that comes with stipulations.

I do believe that everyone deserves a second, third and sometimes more chance to get things right. I feel that people deserve to be forgiven and if said person is seeking true, genuine forgiveness, then I say we should give it to them. I also feel that in seeking the forgiveness that there should be an apology attached to it with the same amount of vigar as the forgiveness seeking. They have to be truly sorry about it.

[KymberleeAnn]

I would say of course if they truly sorry for their mistakes.

[Fields456]

I don't know enough about the manti te'o situation. But I am so sick of hearing about lance Armstrong. He did what he did. He can't take it back whether ppl forgive him or not but it is time to move on ! And weather u forgive him or not the more he is talked about the more he continues to be in the spot light! I don't really care either way since dope in seems to be more and more common in sports. I'm just really sick of hearing about it.

[lullabylily]

Armstrong is a fraud who have shown no remorse whatsover.
Te'o is just a kid caught up in a situation that went out of control.
To me there is a big difference between the two. I can forgive Te'o but Armstrong is another piece of crap that I would love to see go away .... Far... Far Away

[OrientalLily]

Armstrong, no I won't forgive him. His actions are dispicable. He's nothing more than a loser.

T'Eo, well, he's just a big weirdo......

[rennez]

I think anyone who is sincerely apologetic deserves forgiveness. We are all sinners

[raegansmom]

 I haven't followed either one of the stories too closely, but how did Armstrong "ruin peoples lives"?

Quoting tifbrown:

Armstrong pisses me off. He ruined peoples lives. And, now that he has come clean we are supposed to see him as a hero? Ya fucking right. Manti, I haven't heard the latest update on, I'll check out tmz after this, but I feel bad for him. If he really didn't know all along, then I do feel bad. He got duped and when he found out was embarrassed and didn't know what to do. Whoever is behind that is a sick individual to go that far and that deep with it.

 

[zoegirlsmom]

There is no comparison to Manti Teo and Armstrong. Armstrong should not be forgiven and has probably set American cycling back 25 years.

[tifbrown]

He has been accused of doping for years. He viciously went after other cyclists and had them banned from the sport and black listed. I'm sure Oprah touched on it in her interview. I read an article a while ago that said some of these people he went after had lost everything. 

Quoting raegansmom:

 I haven't followed either one of the stories too closely, but how did Armstrong "ruin peoples lives"?

Quoting tifbrown:

Armstrong pisses me off. He ruined peoples lives. And, now that he has come clean we are supposed to see him as a hero? Ya fucking right. Manti, I haven't heard the latest update on, I'll check out tmz after this, but I feel bad for him. If he really didn't know all along, then I do feel bad. He got duped and when he found out was embarrassed and didn't know what to do. Whoever is behind that is a sick individual to go that far and that deep with it.