AP:
Michael Vick has pleaded guilty to a federal dogfighting conspiracy charge.
The suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback arrived at the downtown court building in a sport utility vehicle and walked into court flanked by his attorneys. His supporters erupted in a roaring cheer drowning out his opponents, silently holding signs.
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Please don't allow race as an excuse for murder and torture of defenseless animals. This guy is only sorry for having been caught. You don't spend 6 yrs that KNOW of allowing dogs to eat each other to death, making a betting sport of it, and then torturing those who lose to death and that's just a mistake. NO. That's an evil heart that cannot be cured. This guy is only sorry he was caught and could lose millions for it. That's all.
I think the bigger picture and great irony may have been missed in all of this. What amazes me is all of the demonstrations, the public outrage, the demand for Michael Vicks head, etc. while many of these same people don’t seem to be all that concerned that somewhere between 500,000 and 1,000,000 (as reported by professional and respected sources) innocent Iraqi citizens have been killed and grievously injured, millions of families, homes, and individual lives physically, emotionally, spiritually, and financially decimated, and a nation laid to ruin as a result of this unjustified war in Iraq. Let’s not forget that number includes innocent men, women, and children. And in that process nearly 4,000 of our fellow citizens in the military have died and tens of thousand grievously injured, while the march for the continuation of this proven unjustified war (without any tangible positive progress to date) both from the Republican and Democrat “enablers” in Congress, and most in the current administration continues. Shall we also talk about the present human crisis in Darfur? And yet absent in all of this is diplomacy, human communication, dialogue, and political and diplomatic solutions. Yet, where is the same public outrage? Where is the media reporting and outrage? No, the outrage of the Michael Vick story fills the media instead, in addition to the daily antics of Paris Hilton, Brittany Spears, etc. instead (which are getting very, very old).
Don’t get me wrong, I think that sort of violence against animals reported to have been displayed by Mr. Vick is absolutely wrong, and should demand a just penalty. But what is disturbing is the obvious equal lack of tangible concern, outrage, and positive action toward their fellow man by many of those demanding Michael Vick’s head because of this incident. The bigger picture issues don’t seem to be getting their due focus.
Many need to sit down and ponder what God meant when he said that we also ARE “our brothers keeper”.
I wrote--almost verbatim--on a similar blog what you've clearly articulated. And too many (reading challenged) people misread our argument as giving Vick a "free pass"; excusing his action or playing the race card--none of which is remotely true or evident. It's always reassuring to hear from likeminded people.
To be completely fair, millions and millions of people worldwide have protested and demonstrated against the Iraq war.
You are correct in placing the blame on the media -- its not the public that is the problem, but the American media which seems to be making a conscious effort to downplay the larger issues and inflate the smaller (although still relevant) issues that plague our society.
How can Hilton's DUI compare to the slaughter in Dafur?
It can't -- but you wouldn't know that from watching the news.
The public is--in part--responsible. How so...Look, if everytime you buy peaches from the market they're mealy, and you keep buying them, I'd expect the marlet would keep selling them. It's incumbent upon the consumer to demand change if you're being served a product you don't want or you know is detrimental to your mental, physical or spiritual well-being. So let's not absolve oursleves and lay this whole thing in the lap of the ratings-driven media....
Oh nihilon_x:
Why do you waste your intellect trying to engage the armadillo and posthuarts of the blogosphere? I'm sure you can sense from their tone, vulgarism and lack of reading comprehesion that you might as well give a diversity speech at a Klan rally.
I agree with all you have written.
But, does your sympathy extend to all those millions upon millions of innocent children who have been slaughtered in the womb before they were even given the chance to be born?
I constantly find myself confused regarding the understanding and compassion given by some to the disadvantaged, while these same people promote the destruction of human life.
Can anyone explain this descrepany?
Easy, those fetuses were unwanted and better off not being born. How many more abused, orphaned children do you want ??? Have you adopted one of them today ? If not then shut the fuck up.
I can't believe he called his actions "immature". Is he kidding? He still doesn't get it at all. He should have said to the kids he's let down that violent, abusive, savage conduct like that in dog-fighting is never acceptible. Then, of course, he "found Jesus," through this experience. Give me a break. Funny how everybody who messes up suddenly finds Jesus. Like Jesus has been hiding all this time. He gets no points for standing up there and "taking responsibility" either because he had no choice. A jury trial would have ripped him to shreds like those poor dogs he tortured. I actually do understand how he could let himself be caught between his former "hood" friends and his current superstar life and in that he certainly did show bad judgement. I hope he can redeem himself and use what has happened to help lobby for stronger laws against animal abuse in all forms.
I still dont understand the idiolism over animals. Once again it is only a dog.Dogs do not have souls. i wish we cared for all of the foster children and homeless people the way we care for a dog. Sometimes i wonder what culture has created laws to protect animals....
How do you know who or what has a 'soul' ?
Seek mental help asshole.
It wasn't that long ago that rich football team owners treated football players the same way Vick treated his dogs.
THE MAN IS A RABID MURDERING PIG,A PRISON "GANG BANG" IS TOO GOOD FOR HIM.he's worth nearly 120 million,WHY AMERICA,BECAUSE HE THROWS A FOOTBALL,BECAUSE IDIOTS SPEND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO SEE THIS.i hope someday pit bulls attack and castrate this murdering bastard,it would be too good.OH,AND YES,HE'S "FOUND JESUS",ISN'T THAT CUTE,PIG,ANIMAL KILLER,BASTARD.AND WHILE I'M RAVING,LET'S BAN PIT BULLS IN AMERICA,HOW MANY INNOCENT CHILDREN HAVE BEEN KILLED AND MAIMED FOR LIFE,HERE IN PHOENIX,JUST RECENTLY A CHILD KILLED,EVERY MONTH A "INCIDENT" WITH THESE MONGREL DOGS,WHY,WHY,WHY ARE THEY NOT BANNED,THEY KILL MORE PEOPLE THAN BEARS,LIONS,WOLVES,WHAT PURPOSE DO THEY SERVE,BUT TO GIVE STATUS TO "WHITE TRASH" AND OTHERS,BIG MACHO PIGS WHO WOULD RISK HAVING THEIR CHILDRENS FACES TORN OFF,JUST TO TELL THEIR BUDDIES,THEY HAVE A PIT BULL.one of the most horrific things i ever experienced was hearing the "9/11" phonecall on t.v. of a mother who said,and i quote "my dog just tore my child's face off",this stupid evil bitch had just gotten her child out of a hospital three months earlier,THE DOG ATTACKED HER CHILD SEVERELY,AND HE REQUIRED SURGERY.just think,this disfigured child will grow up,KNOWING,his mother let that animal attack him twice,TWICE.what is it people,with these "dogs",and may michael rot in jail.
Knobgob, let's ban and let rot those raving lunatics who abuse their CAPS LOCKS key. I'm usually pro-life, but in your case, I'd have bought your pregnant mother an entire box of coat hangers to take care of you!
kiss MY CAP LOCKS YOU IDIOT,WHO THE HELL CARES,ONLY A STUPID COMPUTER RAISED GOON WOULD CARE,I HAPPEN TO HAVE BAD VISION DUMBASS,I CAN ALWAYS FIND MY,HEAR ME,MY ARTICLES BY THE LARGER LETTERS,GET A LIFE,WHAT THE HELL DOES IT MATTER IF IT'S this,or THIS,only in a small minded clown world would a jerk like you care!!
royjefferis GOON,any fool who would use abortion as a "alternative" to someone using "cap locks" should definately be seen by a psychiatrist,OR AT LEAST BE ON PROZAC. i really hate "liberals" with your snooty,uppidy attitude,how old are you jerk,and i usually do not reply to idiots,but really clown,who in the hell cares about "cap locks",i read things for the content,maybe you outta shove those coat hangers where they really belong,up your a**
A Pit Bull has to be abused as a puppy and
trained to be violent. There are Pit Bulls
I've known to be gentle and loving to humans.
ALL humans. There would be no barking and growling
when there was a knock at the door.
It's the people who abuse and train them that
make monsters out of them.
SaskiaStars: "Can anyone explain to me how the fact that this person tortured, maimed and murdered dogs - admitted to it even...."
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....just wish there was as much outrage for the tortured, maimed and murdered Iraqi citizens under the USA's illegal invasion and occupation of their sovereign country...............
.
More outraged!
Pit bulls are attack dogs. They even sometimes attack their owners. If you have kids in the house, having a pit is not the smartest choice you could make...in this case, fighting dogs for money is worth at least an animal cruelty charge, and gambling charges, too. But, the practice itself won't go away because of this,
some people really enjoy the violent spectacle that is dog fighting, and that's just a part of human nature that people don't really want to look at. People watch football for similar reasons, it is our modern day gladiator game,
and people bet on the outcome of football games, too. Too bad they can't take some of that money and energy and do something more gainful with it...lots of highways need repaired...
Seek some serious mental help.
They sure got quiet about that tragedy involving Ving Rhymes's dogs, didn't they?
SaskiaStars: "Can anyone explain to me how the fact that this person tortured, maimed and murdered dogs - admitted to it even...."
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....just wish there was as much outrage for the tortured, maimed and murdered Iraqi citizens under the USA's illegal invasion and occupation of their sovereign country...............
.
Believe me - I am MORE outraged about that. You are right on ......... the thing is, I was posting on point- you know a story about Vick.
This is baloney. Compare this to the dog fighting we witnessed daily on The View. Think about all the damage that did. I personally wanted to hang myself.
I wanted to hang myself but then I pondered about Rosie and thought I might be hanging an innocent man. Let's just see a Rosie-Arianna wrestling match -- just make sure they blot out the disgusting parts, i.e., the wrestlers.
Bill Clinton was asked to comment on the subject and he replied "I did not nor would I accept sexual relations from either of those, um, 'women'. Well, they all look alike with my hand on top of their heads and a cigar in my mouth, but my God, there must be other choices. Did I mention I'm pro-choice?"
Michael Vick is the new O.J.......
The media will give him a free ride because he has hired Jesus Christ as his P.R.
jack jett
So now his actions are comaparable to the slaughter of Nicole and Mr Goldman? You must be a School of Ideal Metaphors dropout. Oj didn't get a "free ride", nor will VM. I must admit, the press and baseball community was unduly harsh on Pete Rose. I never understood the shabby treatment, considering he bet on his own team.
Rus, I got an idea to break this tension on this blog. In Viet Nam they eat dog. So I think Jon Stewart or Colbert (Comedy Channel) should send somebody to Viet Nam and get their view of the Vick case.
BTW, an 18 month sentence is my prediction. If so, doesn't that mean he would miss 2 NFL seasons?
fIRST OF ALL, IN MY COMMUNITY AND MY CULTURE THEY ARE ONLY DOGS. ANIMALS. THEY WERE NOT MADEIN THE IMAGE OF MEN OR GOD. THIS IS ALOTOFHYPE FOR DOGS. MAYBE WE NEEDA DOG IN OFFICE....
You must be a foreighner; we already have one...
foreigner has no "h" in it...lol
That would mean you have no culture.
So because i dont like dogs iam not cultured.
You're just saying that because you're a CAT.
a pussyCAT...
Nihilon_x: Oh, I agree with many of your sage points, but I don't agree MV should be banned from earning a livelihood as a football player, a profession who's shelf-life is extremely brief. If the man was a judge, school principal, etc, I might be less flexible. He runs up and down a football field and throws a ball or at least tries...He's just an overpaid entertainer. And, we take entertainers way too seriously in America. You'd think they are as important as a heart surgeon or cancer clinical researcher. I think a person who starts and manages a soup kitchen to feed the homeless has more value to our society. But we put this athletically gifted, but flawed human beings on a pedestal, and when they mess-up, we demonize them. Especially black ones. How many people recall--without Googling--the name of the hockey player who cold-cocked a competitor in the head with a hockey stick (a potentially lethal action or paralysing action)?
I might change my view on Vick in the future if he shows a REAL change in his behavior. Much like Lindsay Lohan, its far to easy to get up there and say you're sorry, then go right back to doing what you were doing before.
I just think an example needs to be set, and Vick's actions warrant said example.
If Vick shows some real change in the coming years, then my opinion of him will likewise change.
Ultimately, it doesn't really matter, however, because we all know that so long as he can make someone a lot of money throwing and running that ball, they powers that be will find a way to enable him to do so.
To be forgiving is human. We all make mistakes of varying degrees. And, once we acknowledge our errors and display real contrition, not just though mea culpes, but through actions, then we would hope and expect a second chance. So, I apprecaite your open heart and mind.
A real change in his behavior? like playing with puppys in shelters before going off to practise?
He's into damage control mode,you can't change into a compassionate person overnight,you either are or you're not.
I want to see a Lassie episode where Vick is trapped and needs help,I'll let you guess the ending.
Todd Bertuzzi is the hockey player. The comparison is apples and oranges. Michael Vick is a major star, in a major city, in the most watched sport out of the 4 major sports.(Football, Baseball, basketball and hockey) Bertuzzi wasn't a household name before the incident. Just to give you an example. The superbowl was watched by 130 Million people worldwide. The Stanley Cup was watched by 600K in the states.
Agree for one reason and one reason only....When he serves his sentence and comes out, "he will have PAID his debt to society." And like all ex-cons, he has a right to rejoin society and make a living.
Two things struck me about this prick's "mea culpa."
1. He apologized all over the place and to many people and institutions. He failed to apologize to the one group most involved: This asswipe never apologized to the animals he tourtured, brutalized, and sent to horrific deaths.
2. But Oh Yeah: this thing has now led him to "FIND JESUS!" Key-rhist.
He didn't apologize to the dead dogs because like any abuser it was the dogs fault.
But he found jeebus! So we need to back off any and all criticism - right trolls?
When an athlete is good enough to become a public figure, he or she assumes a responsibility. They become role models for all the kids who follow them. Vick not only broke the law in a despicable way, he violated the trust of every child who admired him and hoped to emulate him. There's nothing on the books to cover that, but the judge in the case should take that into consideration when sentencing him. That would set an important example as well. I certainly don't see how he could ever be contrite for what he's done. It's not like it was a whim, an accident, a prank that went wrong.
And he got paid about a $ 100 million for that role. What an idiot!
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First Posted: 08-27-07 10:47 AM | Updated: 03-28-08 02:44 AM