Doping and Loyalty- Doing What is Right

"By not saying anything, you're part of the problem". This was said by former masseuse of Lance Armstrong and the entire United States Post Office cycling team, Emma O'Reilly, in 2000. Ms. O'Reilly has since admitted to being apart of the underground doping system Armstrong and his teammates ran. This primarily took place outside of the states, but purely to avoid domestic security and issues.

Ms. O'Reilly for some time remained loyal and trustworthy to Armstrong, but has since turned against him, and for the right reasons. She understood that she would be "part of the problem" if she did not speak out against the team, and she believes this purity in her life will give her better things to come.

I believe Ms. O'Reilly shows a couple of american values in her story. First, that Americans cannot get away with everything just because of the ego our country holds. Armstrong admitted that O'Reilly had enough information from her time on the team that she could "bring [him] down". So Armstrong knew that O'Reilly could be the mole in their doping scandal, but possibly could have had this strong individualistic ego and a nationalistic idea that he would remain clean. This clearly has backfired. Also, O'Reilly's story can show one how Americans ultimately have enough pride in their country to do what's ethically right and right under the Constitution. It took courage for Emma O'Reilly to come forth and say what she has seen in the Post Office cycling team camp, and she did what was right. She just wants to spring forward a new cycling generation, and it is taking the necessary steps to get there. What do you think Armstrong and O'Reilly tell you about America and cycling?

To see the full article, click the follow link: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/13/sports/cycling/lance-armstrong-aide-talks-of-doping-and-price-paid.html?pagewanted=2