Message to stars and athletes: Don't do the crime if you can't do the time

After learning of Chris Brown's arrest for beating his girlfriend, after Michael Phelps's bong-smoking scandal, and now former football standout and current ESPN analyst Jamal Anderson's cocaine arrest, I now join the list of growing onlookers who are tired of celebrities, role models and other public figures who break the rules, the law, and expect that they should simply be given a pass.

The latest nonsensical event involves Brown, the 19-year-old urban recording sensation who was arrested in Los Angeles after reportedly beating his girlfriend, singer Rihanna, and fleeing the scene of the crime. Police say she had distinguishable injuries. Both stars were notably absent from the 51st Annual Grammy Awards Sunday at which they were to perform.

First, I sincerely hope, he didn't do it. But the evidence doesn't apparently bode well in his favor. Brown is out on a $50,000 bond and Rihanna's people have yet to confirm nor deny that she was the woman Brown supposedly assaulted in a car hours before the Grammy program.

This crime recalls memories of another award show in recent memory where an outstanding talent was a no-show because he was arrested. The show was the BET Hip Hop Awards in Atlanta in 2007; the star was then 27-year-old rap artist TI, whose real name is Clifford Harris. He was busted illegally trying to purchase weapons including some machine gun silencers in a drug store parking lot. Now he's crisscrossing the country doing community service on a $3 million bond hoping he can avoid a prison sentence a federal judge ordered him to serve after the community service is completed.

Over the weekend we also learned that former Atlanta Falcons' star running back Jamal Anderson was in a men's room snorting cocaine with a 20-year-old. Busted by an off duty APD cop, Anderson, 38, now faces charges, from the DA's office that bungled a murder case involving NFL player Ray Lewis. I remember interviewing Anderson when I was a FOX television reporter and he was about to head to the Super Bowl in 1998. He spoke of how it was a great experience and how he was thrilled about life and being a father of his daughter. So much for being a decent role model father, eh?

And what of Phelps? A University of Michigan man, caught smoking weed out of a bong! And all he can say is he has "regrets." Well actually, Michael, breaking the law is breaking the law.

Now granted, those of us who have not made any mistakes, broken a rule or run a traffic light, please cast the first stone. I'm not casting a stone with these words, just making a point about privilege. The argument most make in the defense of these privileged people is they are just like anyone else; they are normal people who make mistakes like any of the rest of us.

True that.

Therefore, they should be treated just like anyone else. If a no-name man beats a woman in a car and flees the scene, what justice is likely to happen to him? That's the justice Chris Brown should get. If a dude is caught smoking marijuana in a bong who is an everyday Joe (who can't swim a lick) what would happen to him in court? The same should happen to gold medal winner Phelps. Anderson's fame and fortune may not turn out to help him; however, he's stuck with a DA who loves trying to make examples out of celebrities.

Another sour note to all of this is the unabashed industries that prop up these stars and athletes; industries that make millions off these commodities. Yes Chris Brown, Phelps, TI, Anderson, they are all commodities. The industries will surely circle the wagons because they don't give a damn about the impression, or the negative impact on the innocent and vulnerable young people these mega-stars influence. The companies only care about the money they make and more importantly the cash they stand to lose if their stars fall from grace.

It is a shame that in this era of change, promise and hope, that many companies still put profit before people. I don't suspect that--even if he's truly guilty--Brown's label will condemn him. Do you really think radio stations, and their programmers are going to stop playing Brown's music? He makes them money too.

We have already heard from the Speedo company; it doesn't plan to break its endorsement deal with Phelps. I mean, he still is the fastest swimmer and most gold-medal-winning Olympian of all time, even though he's now the pot-smoking-most-gold-medal-winning Olympian of all time too. Why would you break from an affiliation like that if you're in the swimwear business?

America speaks loudest and best with its pocketbook. Since Speedo refused to cut its ties, even on a temporary basis with Phelps, then America's Mom's and Dad's should cut their ties with Speedo. Congratulations to Kellogg for getting it right. The cereal maker based in Battle Creek, Mich. said its endorsement deal with Phelps is history.

I'm not against any of these guys for making it, and making it big. I am, however in favor of being responsible and paying the price when you do wrong. Just because you have the capacity to make someone or a company rich, doesn't give you the right to earn a pass.

Just as I favored Michael Vick's payment for his crimes; when he's done with his time and his "debt to society" as they say, I will be on the cheerleading squad calling for his re-instatement in the NFL. I've watched T.I. do his community service--even producing a video documentary with civil rights legend Andrew Young about guns and violence. But I won't be fully on TI's bandwagon until after he does his time in prison, too.

Brown, Phelps and Anderson are the latest in what appears to be a terribly long string of mega stars who are running afoul of the law. They should not be let off easy, just because they're famous or rich. If not for maintaining our long tradition of "equal justice under the law," then at least so those young kids that look up to them will see that if "you do the crime, you've got to do the time."