This is a letter in response to Pat Abdalla's July 22 column ("Focus on real issues with Bryant"). Get off your high horse.

You might consider adultery serious, but the fact is it isn't illegal.

And yes, I think everyone can agree that sexual assault is serious.

That's been established.

Well as for endorsement money, it apparently isn't even on your importance scale. And that's because you aren't involved in it.

You have your priorities straight, and that's good for you. For some people a priority is making money.

Right or wrong, money is a big deal in the real world, and celebrity endorsements can make or break a company's marketing campaign. Kobe's $20 million a year in endorsements aside, there is quite a bit more money at stake. Nike just invested $45 million in a contract with Kobe. The concept of the investment is to see a return on your money, preferably a profit. I'll bet you've never even seen that many pieces of toilet paper in your life.

Should Kobe potentially stand to lose millions just because he's simply been accused of a crime? Sure he isn't exactly poor, but it's still money.

Mr. Abdalla ends his column by judging Kobe Bryant, stating "No Kobe, you're not a man."

Who are we to pass judgement on a person we don't know, whose life we know nothing about?

It's pretty easy for a nobody to badmouth a man from 1000 miles away in some smalltime newspaper that he'll never read.

Ask any man of power and fortune and they can tell you that their lives are not as perfect as they seem.

Someone is always looking to cut you down from the pedestal they've put you on. Someone always tries to grab a little piece of the pie. Yes, he committed adultery. He isn't the first and he won't be the last.

If adultery is wrong to you, then don't do it, and don't give your wife reason to. Pretty simple.

But keep in mind the other teaching from that good book: Judge not, lest ye be judged.