Michael Vick, Rehabbed? Not Bloody Likely
And what of those who still feel outrage that the Philadelphia Eagles signed the player named Vick? They aren’t exactly shutting up and going away. In fact, they are urging fellow dog lovers to boycott — not just the Eagles, but the products and services of the team’s high-profile corporate partners (founding partners include Budweiser, Pepsi, and Verizon). Yet more Facebook groups have sprouted: Dog Owners Against Philadelphia Eagles, My Dog Hates Michael Vick, Mike Vick Hates Your Dog.
The Humane Society of the United States has high hopes that Vick will be an effective spokesperson against animal cruelty, and the 60 Minutes segment revealed Vick advising school kids to “love your animals.” However, the board of the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the largest animal-welfare organization in the City of Brotherly Love, wants nothing to do with Vick and refuses to work with him.
Author Jana Kohl is an animal advocate who’s worked for the Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies:
“I personally believe that redemption is possible,” Kohl says. “I’ve seen it as a psychologist and I saw it when I worked for the Wiesenthal Center in the case of a neo-Nazi, on a mission of hate, who went through a gradual transformation that ended in true redemption. It was a long and painful process for him to confront the issues in an in-depth way. This, in contrast,” she adds, referring to Vick’s televised profession of remorse, “is a farce. … Abusers weep for themselves, not for their victims. Unless they undergo intensive therapy and experience a major catharsis that pertains very specifically to the acts they committed — which means confronting the torture head-on, and that which preceded it earlier in their life — there’s no genuine growth or insight; only the masquerade of being rehabbed. They are rehabbed on the surface, but deep down inside the sickness remains. There’s no shortcut to redemption after being a torturer. And Vick hasn’t even begun the process.”
More important, Kohl adds: “Unless Vick turns over all the names and locations of other dog fighters to the Feds — and you bet he knows plenty — he hasn’t paid his debt to society. Unless he’s willing to participate in the arrest of those who are still torturing dogs in the fight ring, this business is far from over and will haunt him, as well as taint those who have helped rehabilitate his image for personal greed, corporate greed, or as a means to raise funds for their charity.”
In the end, nothing will bring back the dogs that were cruelly killed by the newest Eagle and his former cohorts. But that doesn’t mean those animals should be forgotten, either. Next month, Philadelphia’s non-profit Main Line Animal Rescue will unveil a very public memorial for those voiceless Vick-tims; the group plans to put this message on a billboard not far from Eagles stadium:
How great that Michael Vick is once again able to throw a ball. Too bad his dogs aren’t alive to catch it.
Amen.
Michael Vick lost a $62 million contract with Atlanta, did 18 months in prison, lost everything and had to declare bankruptcy. All of that was warranted but he paid the price, let him alone. Why do liberals always want to continue to punish people. They were the same ones that tried initially to pass the charges off as being racially disparaging and saying dog fighting was a cultural (read Black) thing. You are duplicitous therefor you are liberal!
I have met some well behaved Pit Bulls over the years and I know there are only a few lines that are bread for fighting but I really don’t trust the breed unless I know the circumstances under which the dog was raised.
Dogs are instinct driven and under the wrong circumstances their genetic heritage will overcome any training. I see this in my Red Tick Coonhound. She can be very obedient but in the presence of any small mammal she will drop everything, ignore my commands and be totally focused on the chase. Since I live in an urban area she cannot be let off the leash. This gets to the real point of my post. The owner has a responsibility to understand how his dog behaves and train the dog so that it isn’t dangerous to itself or others. This is critically important for any dog that has been bred for protection. The worst thing my dog will do if it gets loose is kill a neighbor’s cat. A Pit Bull on the loose is a potential lethal threat even if it is not trained as fighting dog or abused by its owner. It is always a shame when irresponsible people ruin it for everyone and I do agree that Denver has gone too far it its restrictions, none the less to ignore the Pit Bull’s potential risk to the community is an act of negligence.
The man did wrong!
The man did his time!
Leave the man alone!
What got Vick tossed from the Falcons and his contract torn up was gambling. Every NFL contract has a ‘moral turpitude’ clause, and gambling is generally enough to get a contract nullified. In this case it certainly was.
While the animal cruelty and torture were certainly enough to dissuade me from ever wishing well if Vick ever again, in the eyes of the NFL, whose Comissioner he looked in the face of and lied to, he is someone who ran a multi-State gambling ring. Pete Rose is still banned from Baseball for gambling, albiet on the sport itself, but who knows how far Vick’s wagers went?
To make a small pun, Vick is on a very short leash with the NFL.
I agree that what Vick did was wrong. I also agree he did his time. Where I get lost is the notion that Vick “deserves” to be returned to his million-dollar paycheck, with the perks that are no doubt included. Why?
‘Pac Man’ Jones was given several chances, and bombed. Same goes for Michael Vicks brother. I guess I would apologize hard for $7 million also.
I don’t follow football, or any other sports. I owned two black labs (both died of natural causes).
Two words on this piece: who cares.
I don’t know that he deserves anything, but the NFL is a meritocracy for the most part. If he can help the Eagles be successful, then more power to him. In terms of whether he’s truly rehabilitated, I don’t know what goes on in his mind, but I doubt he’ll get anywhere near dog fighting any time soon.
I know it’s tempting to make this issue into an excuse for liberal-bashing, but all the liberals I’ve talked to about this, many of them dog owners, think that he’s done his time and don’t see the need for any additional punishment.
We should unleash this poor man.
I always have feelings for an Underdog.
But I can’t wait till we play the Eagles-
Bark-bark-Bark-Bark-bark-Bark-Bark-bark-Bark-Bark-bark-Bark-Bark-bark-Bark-Bark-bark-Bark-Bark-bark-Bark-Bark-bark-Bark-Bark-bark-Bark.
‘Who let the dogs out?’
‘Who let the dogs out?’
I’m not a liberal and I don’t support Vick. Of course if he brings a title to the Eagles he’ll be “king” to those people, they won’t care …puke.
what he did is kill innocent animals that couldn’t get away . No type of animal fighting is right..dogs, chickens, doodle bugs, it’s wrong!!
Remember what we always here about serial killers…they killed or tortured helpless animals.
The whole point is the man knew what he was doing was wrong and illegal. he would have continued but for the law catching him…apology not accepted. Only time will tell on this man.
People who torture animals only feel genuine remorse if they undergo treatment designed specifically for that aberrant behavior, which Vick hasn’t. He never mentions the dogs when he speaks of remorse. He only does so if an interviewer steers him there and demands to know. Vick talks of remorse over letting his fans down, disappointing his family and friends, and calls himself “stupid for engaging in a pointless activity.” Does that sound like a man who feels remorse for torturing animals? Only when an interviewer demands to know how he feels about what he did to the dogs will he say. “Yeah, I’m sorry about the dogs,” but without a shred of sincerity or emotion and no elaboration on why he’s sorry. He’s a sociopath, also known as Anti-Social Personality Disorder, and doesn’t feel empathy for the suffering of others. If he’s sincere in his desire to make good, why hasn’t he turned over the identities of his fellow dog fighters who are still torturing animals? If he were truly rehabilitated, as they want us to believe, why does he never mention the pain he now feels since he’s come to the realization that those dogs lived in constant terror and died in agony? I’ll tell you why — because he feels no remorse, pity or empathy for them. He only feels bad for himself, like all sociopaths who get caught. Shame on the NFL and the Eagles for showing us that corporate greed rules the day and ethics go out the window when big money is at stake. They are no better than Bernie Madoff or the Enron crooks. And shame on any animal charity using Vick to raise money for their coffers. I applaud the Pennsylvania SPCA for saying they refuse to work with Vick. That’s the kind of integrity and backbone we need to see. Tough love is the only answer with sociopaths. If Vick gets mental help and turns over his fellow abusers, I’ll take another look. Until then I’ll be speaking out as a mental health professional and boycotting the Eagle’s and NFL’s sponsors – Pepsi, Verizon, Heinekin, and the rest Julia mentions – and anyone else who stands to make money off a dangerous man whose handlers have bamboozled us into accepting him as a changed man. They say he’s going to speak to kids’ groups. How can a man who is rehabbed on the surface speak honestly and meaningfully to kids about this topic? He can’t. It would be like OJ speaking to groups about prevention of domestic violence. Only someone who has gone through the proper steps of healing can speak to kids from the heart. Kids aren’t stupid. They know real remorse and real feelings as opposed to those being parroted from a script written by a slick PR guy. Thank God enough of us haven’t been fooled and will continue to speak out, including withholding our hard-earned money from those aiding and abetting this travesty of justice.
Julia:
‘But that doesn’t mean those animals should be forgotten’? What about those of us who never knew them in the first place? Why are you punishing us by never letting us hear the end of this? Since when are we supposed to be consumed with what’s going on inside others’ heads rather than what they’re doing in the world?
Cruel and Unusual Punishment
We seem to be a nation of contradictions. We have people who are indignant because our military has had non-uniformed enemy combatants held in prison. Essentially prisoners of war who, according to the Geneva Convention, can be executed summarily for not wearing a uniform. Yet we have people who are overly concerned about their treatment, diet, and health. Yet we should be so lucky to have American POWs treated with 5% of the civility that we use to care for these non-uniformed enemy combatants. We are told that if we treat their prisoners of war with kindness and love our soldiers will receive kindness. If anyone knows of such an example, I would appreciate knowing about the instance.
Yet a man who has paid a tremendous price for his crime, 18 months and millions of dollars, is expected by people to serve an intangible sentence that is determined by the people. The same people, who give their tacit consent and approval to a semi-load of aborted babies every month. The same people who elected a President who figures it is above his pay grade to determine at what stage an unborn baby is considered alive or whether partial birth abortions are ethical, but considers it within his pay grade to do away with all restrictions on killing babies that are in the womb, in the process of being born, or just out of the womb and breathing because the executioner fouled up and now has to murder the baby in a more conventional manner.
All this outrage over Mr Vick seems a little ridiculous to me. Sanctimonious and selfrighteous people usually overreact in an effort to hide their own shame. In this case we have more than enough shame to go around for electing this moral degenerate to the presidency.
It is generally the reaction of Progressive Socialists and Liberal Marxists to hyperventilate over perceived moral outrages; are we reduced to parroting the reactions and their absurd behavior over an inconsequential football player who may not even make the team?
We have a mission that entails the very Freedoms that this country is based on and one of those Freedoms has to do with a man paying his debt to society and then trying to rebuild his life with out cruel and unusual punishment being added on to his prison term. By the time this football season is over, there will be six semi loads of aborted babies to dump some where, do any of you have a farm to bury them on. Perhaps you could run the loader that unloads the semi-trucks while you persecute Mr Vick. At least we could understand your outrage and a system of priorities would be established.
One of the African War Lords, Shaka Khan, had new recruits gather a pile of thorns and on command all the new recruits would jump up and down for several minutes on the thorns; if one of the men showed pain and stopped jumping or fell off the thorns there were men, known as Tommy Knockers, who used a club to smash the recruit’s brains out of his head. Now Obama has become Shaka Khan and potential mothers are the Tommy Knockers ready to destroy any babies that are not good recruits. No one is jumping on thorns, except for Michael Vick, he is the only one that deserves cruel and unusual punishment according to the selfrighteous baby killers.
He is a sociapath anyone who could hang, electrocute, stab, drown and fight living beings is dangerous. The dogs had feelings and didn’t deserve this torture. Vick just goes about his life like he did nothing wrong. He doesn’t even offer to give money to the rescue groups that took the rest of the pitbulls rescued from his hellhole. All the money he makes should be going to animal welfare groups to educate kids to be kind to animals but that’s not happening and it’s true what Jana Kohl says what about the other dog fighters? SHAME ON THE EAGLES!
By all means.
Let’s crucify Vick and put a Pit Bull in every yard. That will make the world a better place.
…….please.
To the commentors above: try to pay more attention.
Why would you think that Julia Szabo is a liberal? Because she likes dogs? Because she champions the cause of the innocent?
People who stand up for law and for the poor and helpless are usually Christian conservatives. Also, she writes for the New York Post – not the New York Times.
It is the liberals who are lenient to crime, it is liberals who kill babies. It is liberals who oppose sending guilty men to be executed for heinous crimes but happily suck the brains out of the skulls of babies.
Vick is a sicko who has not repented in the least. The only people who would support him and consider that he has paid his dues are liberals. Money does not pay for sin and neither does time actually – he should rot in jail until he can act like a human.
I took the time to watch the Vick/60Minutes piece, because I wanted to look into Vick’s eyes as he answered some pretty tough questions from James Brown.
I’m not buying Vick’s sudden transformation into dog-lover. Granted, he served his sentence, and is free. And it is Roger Goodell’s call to reinstate Vick to the NFL, or not, at which time Vick will fail or succeed as a football player.
But to me, Vick is forever tarnished, the dogfighting episode having revealed profound character flaws, indifference to animal cruelty chief among them. I believe he is now making ‘all the right moves’, assisted by a battalion of PR flacks, because he desperately wants his NFL lifestyle back.
But I’m cynical: I suspect Vick isn’t so sorry he mistreated and killed dogs, as much as he’s sorry he got caught, went to jail, missed two years of play, and lost millions of dollars.
If you believe the Book of Genesis, then you believe that God entrusted the animal kingdom to Man, so that Man might be well-served by it. The manner in which we handle that trust is a measure of our humanity.
Vick failed.
The law means nothing. Only what you and your crowd think of Vick is what matters. Now I understand. And all the pit bull attacks are just “misunderstandings” by the victims that made the wrong type of sound or movement. Jeez. I didn’t know before that Denver prohibited pit bulls, but I’m liking it better already.
please read
…. #11…..not everyone that disagrees with Vick is a selfrighteous baby killer.
WHAT THE HOOT??!! Vick and Chaka Khan? poor analogy. Chaka Khan was an 18th century war lord. That was a way of life in that country….Vick is 21st century American and he knew what he was doing was against the law. Then you stick the baby killer in there…man are you grasping at straws.
Direct your ire elsewhere. Denver’s ban of pit bulls has nothing to do with the breed, and everything to do with the culturally bankrupt irresponsible unemployed cretins who allow, and in some cases even encourage, these beautiful dogs to act on their most base instincts. I love animals to a fault and have been known to drop by shelters just to visit, including pits and pit mixes, but I will surely shoot the first one I suspect is not properly cared for or disciplined if they pose risk to my son or daughter. You really ought to bag on the high percentage of pit owners that can’t be trusted to responsibly handle them, instead of a city that has decided it’s not worth the trouble — not because of the dogs, but because of the humans. They are the reason Denver bans pit bulls. It’s a ban on humans. I personally would love it if Denver banned liberals, but that’s like 90 percent of Denver’s population.
Yes, he did his ‘time’ but that doesn’t mean anyone has to like him, root for him or buy anything he endorses commercially.
Sports crap annoys the hell out of me anyway though. Wayyyy overpaid. They ain’t brain surgeons for cripe sake.
The NFL has given Vick an opportunity to prove what a creep he is again. Watch. He’ll get into some other kind of trouble. Violent trouble, because he’s a violent man.
I don’t bet on football but I bet he will end up in prison. Don’t forget what he did: he BEAT, ELECTROCUTED, HANGED and DROWNED dogs to death and enjoyed it. It means quite simply that he is a sociopath. Sociopaths don’t feel anything at all.
His return to football is not about redemption, it’s about making some money back–the money he lost. His association with HSUS is the perfect foil for him to get his profile prettied-up. He’ll be winking all the way to the bank and feeling very little. He’ll be shopping. Other NFL thugs (plenty of them) will fight their dogs further underground while law enforcement either looks the other way or actually profits.
Meanwhile, dogfighting is only a misdemeanor in too many states. Until it is a felony in every state, with DAs willing to prosecute and judges willing to give max sentences, dogs will continue to be tortured in this way because they are “property.” They deserve animal rights. That’s right, I said it. Animal Rights. The right to not be tortured by creeps like Mike Vick.
I understand the ban on pit bulls. They have the potential to kill. They do so at a disproportionate rate compared to, say a lab as has been documented numerous times. I don’t blame Denver for banning them. They’re akin to a chihuahua with a shark’s head.
Sicko Vicko, who has been convicted of a felony (and an atrocity against nature, to say the least), should never be allowed back into the NFL. He’s supposed to be a role model. What of ethics?
regards
As reprehensible as Vick’s actions were, conservatives ought to take care with slippery slopes. Giving “rights” to animals, no matter how circumscribed, might lead to all manner of future government intrusions into our freedoms. For example: giving trees a standing in court (reportedly the notion of the President’s Science Advisor) can degrade individual property rights. The scope of such unforeseen consequences includes the aforementioned intrusion of the state into deciding which breeds are “dangerous.”
If you have a problem with Vick talk to the judge who sentenced him. Blame him!
When a person commits a crime either by bad judgement or horrid behavior, you are sentenced and punished. After serving that time, anyone of us would be allowed to return to the job market. If you redeem yourself with good behavior and success then you have made a contribution back to society.
I know! he is just an f n football player. But this is his form of business. Judge the man in twenty years. If he f’s up, slam the hammer down. If he becomes a reformed man, that’s great!
To Philadelphia GO EAGLES!
All I know is that he got back in the saddle faster than most sports analyst were predicting. I can recall a couple of announcers at ESPN projecting that he would not play again until the 2010 season.
I guess you can call this another case of celebrity justice. We wouldn’t want the Paris Hilton types to be uncomfortable more than five minutes.
Vick tortured innocent animals who were helpless. What kind of person would do that? I am not a liberal. I am a pro-life Libertarian. I think what Vick did was morally wrong. I’m a Christian, and I believe God gave us stewardship over the animals – we can use them, but not abuse them. I don’t have any problem with people who eat meat or who keep a guard dog. I don’t think animals are more important than people. But, we still should be good stewards of God’s creation, including the animals that are a part of it. So I think we should treat animals humanely. God gave the Sabbath not just to the Jews, remember, but also to the gentiles and foreigners living among them and also to their animals – for even the beast of burden was to get a day of rest.
As a Christian, if I have a pet, I feel it is my obligation to be a good steward – to make sure my pet has adequate food, water, shelter, medical care, etc. For me to lose my temper and hit my pet is wrong. Not just because it damages the pet, though that is bad enough. But also because it builds up the bad habits of un-discipline, of giving in to my bad temper. If I give in to that bad habit long enough, how much easier will it become to abuse a child, or my spouse, or someone else? Someone who enjoys torturing an animal gives reign to that ugly, sinful nature that finds pleasure in the suffering of another living being – will the person who is ruled by those evil passions then have the discipline to stop at the torture of an animal? Or will he or she continue to seek greater thrills – like the Romans with the colloseums, who went from fights and chariot races to killing animals to brutally killing convicts and prisoners of wars and slaves (gladiators were slaves) and Christians…
What a bad move for Vick,Im sure hell be in more trouble soon enough.
nice article /thanks by the way
Lenny I agree with you and admire your post.
I’ve owned pits all my life and have never had trouble with them, raised four kids that were very well protected and still talk about the dogs of their youth and now my grandkids take turns pulling the ears and riding the dogs around the house, the dogs love it. I have never had anyone try to rob the place, unusual in the People’s Republic of California.
I am not an apologist for Vick. I don’t like pro sports. If Vick deserved more time he should have served more time. I think there is envy of wealthy athletes and their seemingly easy lifestyle. If Vick was some backwoods dog fighter, no one would remember his name; but since he is or was a millionaire football player it is a much bigger deal, why? Is he a role model? Maybe, but there are many others. Equal protection under the law, that is the law. I realize there is celebrity justice, but the rest of us are supposed to be under the same set of laws.
Sallie, it may have been a poor analogy, but you misread, I compared Obama not Vick to Shaka Khan. Improve your reading skills and the world will take on a whole new perspective.
I’d like to thank my fellow journalist, Ms. Szabo, for her thorough scholarship, fair reporting, and guts to come to the only conclusion that should be considered human and humane. Like sports heroes, I think all writers worth their $67 million paycheck welcome reader comments, but I have to admit that some I just read here make me glad you don’t live next door to me, as you’d likely bite my dogs.
I don’t understand the thinking that Vick somehow paid too high of a price for his crimes, or that he has repaid his debt to society. Is recompense preceded by a dollar sign – those who lose $1K aren’t as deserving of forgiveness as those who lose $1 mil.?
As for repaying his debt to society – we taxpayers paid for his room and board while he was in prison. Meanwhile private rescuers and rescue organizations spent many thousands of dollars healing his dogs and creating new lives for them.
We remember Vick’s crimes. He beat, electrocuted, drowned, and hung dogs who didn’t bleed to death from the fighting savagery inflicted on them. Somehow a human judge calculated that 18 mos. prison time would wipe that slate clean, and many of you concur. Dead dogs can’t talk so we couldn’t ask their opinion.
But aren’t you then being terribly unfair to pedophiles? The majority of pedophiles do not beat, electrocute, drown, or hang their victims. Some are actually quite sweet to the little tykes and give them bon bons and presents. Surely then pedophiles don’t nearly deserve a sentence so unendurably long as 18 mos. How about we release them after just 9 mos. and once they walk out the prison front gate we immediately forgive them and make them CEOs of our favorite companies? Fair is fair.
I doubt I’ve changed any of your minds about Michael Vick and the severity of his crimes, but in reading Ms. Szabo’s article and your comments, it has only more solidly cemented my opinion.
I’ve read the psychological profiling back and forth about Vick and a lot of the arguments about his character. I know from my upbringing, my ethics and morality, several decades of interactions with humans from all walks of life, and more animals to worry about since Noah had to on a rainy day – and I know there is a word that describes Vick brilliantly. SCUM.
Jim Willis
I was going to comment on this article but my order of Szechuan Fried Dog just arrived.
For all the folks who insist their pit bulls are well-behaved and not dangerous as long as they’re raised and trained properly…
Do you really know what you’re talking about?
Sure, your cute little pit bull is well behaved and angelic around you and your children. You’ve trained him to behave and he’s the most docile, wonderful little furball.
When you’re around, or when he’s in the environment you’ve crafted for him.
Because that’s how dogs are. You established that you’re in charge and this is how you want things to be done: no biting, no mauling, no savage attacks on the children. And since you’re in charge, the dog says “Yes, Sir!” Because that’s how dogs are.
But if your wonderful harmless little pit bull ever gets out, gets lose and ends up running around the neighborhood, maybe forming an impromptu pack with a couple other strays, all that’s out the window. You’re not around, so you’re not in charge anymore and your rules don’t apply.
The dog reverts to his natural temperment, and some breeds are predisposed to a violent temperment. Not their fault, they were bred that way, but they’re still dangerous is they ever find themselves on their own.
So if you have pit bulls, or dobies, or any of the other “cool” breeds of dogs that are “cool” because of their violent reputation, better make sure they never, ever, ever get loose.
For all the folks who insist their pit bulls are well-behaved and not dangerous as long as they’re raised and trained properly…
Do you really know what you’re talking about?
Sure, your cute little pit bull is well behaved and angelic around you and your children. You’ve trained him to behave and he’s the most docile, wonderful little furball.
When you’re around, or when he’s in the environment you’ve crafted for him.
Because that’s how dogs are. You established that you’re in charge and this is how you want things to be done: no biting, no mauling, no savage attacks on the children. And since you’re in charge, the dog says “Yes, Sir!” Because that’s how dogs are.
But if your wonderful harmless little pit bull ever gets out, gets lose and ends up running around the neighborhood, maybe forming an impromptu pack with a couple other strays, all that’s out the window. You’re not around, so you’re not in charge anymore and your rules don’t apply.
The dog reverts to his natural temperment, and some breeds are predisposed to a violent temperment. Not their fault, they were bred that way, but they’re still dangerous is they ever find themselves on their own.
So if you have pit bulls, or dobies, or any of the other “cool” breeds of dogs that are “cool” because of their violent reputation, better make sure they never, ever, ever get loose. Or better yet, just get an ordinary dog, skip the macho dog syndrome.
Let’s see. Scotland is considering releasing the scumbag (another peace-loving son of Islam) who blew up a commercial jet over Locherbie a few years back killing 270+ innocents.
‘Squeaky’ Fromm, of the Manson Murder Inc family just got released, and another of her compatriots is agitating for parole.
And you, representing the opppressed pitbulls of the world are still ranting about Michael Vick?
Time to get a life. Perhaps you can lash out at those dog lovers who insist upon giving their poodles ridiculous haircuts. And please remind your fellow dog lovers to have the courtesy of picking up the crap deposited by their beloveds on the daily walk. Tell them tht it is cruel to maintain a large dog in an urban environment.
I am not a “fan” of Vicks, but I am a fan of people. He is a person who did something wrong. Welcome to humanity 101. Every single one of us is on that list. Perhaps your greatest sin is your need to control how other people feel.
Unless you so called animal lovers start taking DNA off of shoes to see who killed an ant, I will not believe your self righteous indignation for an animal. Save it for the babies sucked out of their mother’s wombs, dismembered, allowed to die, thrown in the trash.
Once upon a time, sports stars were heroes deserving of emulation by their youngest fans. Something happened.
There is a very simple solution to the pit bull problem. If a pit bull attacks a person, kill the dog and kill the owner. How many of these thug wannabe losers would keep owning such dogs with that hanging over their heads?
JMH:
Good post. With a few exceptions, hunting dogs make the best family pets. They are bred to team with people, they are loyal, affectionate and are protective of their family without being dangerous.
Vick is a sociopath, no doubt, and if he didn’t moderate talent at a game, he would have gone to prison years ago and stayed there for years.
Vick is not sorry for what he did to those animals. He only sorry he got caught. Does anyone doubt that if he had not got caught, he’d be torturing dogs to this day.
The NFL is a amoral organization and if they didn’t think they could attract fans with Vick playing they would have never let him play again.
Well to the NFL and esp. the Eagles I say this. I will NEVER watch again. I will never spend a dime of my money on any NFL product or any product that advertises on an NFL game.
I can only take a moral stand for myself, and I refuse to support a unrepentant Vick and a profit hungery NFL.
To those who think certain breeds are problems…learn a little about dogs. Most of the time, the problem is the owner and NOT the dog. A dog, unless it has been badly abused, does not just “revert back” to violence. And even an abused dog that bites, only does so to protect itself, because someone made a move that reminded them of their abuser. (And YES, I DO know what I’m talking about. I’m working with an abused dog now, that I adopted last year.)
Some of the most vicious dogs you can have are the little toy types. But because they’re little and cute, they get a pass.
I tried to watch the Vick interview, and it made me sick. Sure he has remorse…because he was caught. As someone else said, has he turned over names of other dog fighters he knows? Has he helped to bust other fighting rings? After all these years of involvement, he must have a lot of knowledge and could help in that respect.
This “man” was intentionally cruel. He didn’t just make a stupid mistake. He set out to abuse and kill dogs. Had he accidentally killed a dog in some way, I could forgive agree that he paid his debt and he was sorry. But nothing about what he did was a “mistake”. It was thought out, planned and on going.
I don’t agree that Vick should be back in football. But, as long as he is, maybe all of his salary, except for the equivilent of minimum wage, should go to the place who took in his remaining dogs.
And to those who say to kill a “bad” dog, I’m sick to death of dogs being killed due to stupid owners.
Sure Vick deserves a second chance. Just not making millions a year playing in the NFL. Would you like fries with that?
Will the writer of this article write another article saying how wrong they were and apologize to Vick if time proves the writer wrong?
Good article. My neighbor has a pit bull. She asked me to walk and feed him while she was on vacation. I must admit, I was a bit afraid of walking into this home without having the owner present. Sulu is delightful. Even though he is much older now and his eyesight is going, he remains a joy to be around.
While I lean to the left, I cannot forgive Vick. I don’t understand how someone can torture and kill another living creature without knowing that it’s wrong.
I’m boycotting his sponsors, and I hope all of you will too.
Yeah, there are no bad dogs just bad dog owners. Checkout the elderly couple that were recently eaten by a pack of 14 feral dogs in rural Georgia. The authorities are now ‘deciding’ what to do with the dogs. Counseling, I would guess.
“Some of the most vicious dogs you can have are the little toy types. But because they’re little and cute, they get a pass.”
Fans of Pits make this argument all the time. Apples and Oranges. Little toy types don’t have heads and jaws like a vise that will grab your neck and not let go until your dead ….. Pits do.
I KNOW they can make great pets. I don’t need to be convinced of that.
The question remains. Would you rather have Micheal Jackson suddenly “snap” and attack you, or Mike Tyson.
I wonder what was going through the dog’s minds as he strangled them with his bare hands?
Did they think they had done something wrong? After all, they had just fought another dog in the ring for their master. This man is subhuman!
I watched Vick on 60 Minutes and found his words to be staged and hollow.
I think Vick is like many other violent criminals who have done their time. They have sat in a jail cell for a prescribed period of time, but sitting in jail does not create empathy within a human being. I don’t think a man who is capable of putting dogs in a pit to be mutilated, then strangling, beating, drowning, etc. the dogs that have not proven to be “good” at fighting can have a changed heart from sitting in jail.
I am a person who is willing to forgive people who are truly remorseful and who have proven they have changed. I have not yet seen this with Michael Vick.
Vick has heard enough times what he did is horrific, and he knows by society’s standards how he is supposed to feel about what he did, and he may even wish he could feel horrible about what he did, but I do not see or hear sincerity in his words that he is disgusted with himself for what he did.
I do think it’s a good thing Vick is speaking out to those who are at risk of following the same path as he took of killing innocent pit bulls. Those actions will surely deter a certain number of would-be dog killers.
Maybe the HSUS can put the Denver officials on the list of Vick’s public speaking engagements so that he can try to encourage them to stop murdering innocent dogs also.
Michael Vick is sorry about one thing—getting caught. Period. In his 60 Minutes interview it was obvious he was coached so that he would say all the right things. He cried in prison? He cried BECAUSE he was in prison, not because he had inflicted so much pain and misery on vulnerable living, sentient beings. My hope is that the HSUS keeps his feet to the fire and if/when he speaks out to young people who may benefit from his story, he emphasizes the pain & suffering of his victims and NOT himself.
Scientists inflict worse suffering on vulnerable living animals in laboratories every day, including dogs. Most Americans take no issue with that. So what’s the big deal with Michael Vick? If he’d done it in the name of science, it would have been ok.
Pete Rose bet on some baseball games and is still banned from the sport…Michael Vick tortures and kills living creatures,and Dante Stallworth gets plastered and kills a man and gets a month in jail…I want to see every convicted felon banned for life from the NFL
My complaint here is against those who state with such assurance that Vick has not repented, that it is unreal. Perhaps it is, but no one, especially including the professionals weighing in on the matter, has provided evidence for this. Starting from the assumption that there is a special, long, arduous treatment for animal torture – which voila! their profession promises to treat – is complete bunk. People have opinions, but there are no repent-o-meters in psychology, no scientific data to back these claims up. There is heaps of bad logic here, starting with the complete tangent about pit bulls in Denver, that suggests that folks are responding to emotional rather than logical cues.
Before people leap to conclusions about my knowledge, BTW, I’m not expert in the field of treating animal torturers, because there are no experts in the field. It’s not a field. I have been a psychiatric social worker for 30 years – I at least know the difference between treatment claims and treatment proof.
Once upon a time sports figures were held up as role models for those who enjoyed the sports in which they participated. By allowing Vick to play again, the Eagles has made a profound statement as to their philosophy of life. “It doesn’t matter what one does, as long as it makes money for the organization.”
The administration of the Eagles, and their sponsors, should be ashamed of the message that they are sending our youth. Yes. Vick “paid” dearly for his foibles. However, this doesn’t excuse the Eagles of their misguided decision to employ this man in a position as a player. At best he should be in a position, out of the limelight, and away from the kids out there who might see him as a role model. He’s shown himself to be barely human. Do you want your kid growing up to be like him?
I can only echo what Jim Willis has written in the comment above.
Michael Vick is scum.
It is not that he killed animals that should bother us – that happens all the time. It is the absolute barbarism and depravity of how he killed, and the lack of remorse he has shown for his actions, that should bother anyone with a shred of humanity or conscience. His actions are those of a monster who should be shunned by society – anyone should be able to see the difference between the kindly old uncle who offers candy to the little children in exchange for a hug and a chaste kiss, or the pedophile who sexually abuses small children. One is acceptable and we would not mind if he lived next door; the other is revolting, horrifying, and we would scream our protest to high heaven if he moved into the house next door.
Anyone who can embrace Michael Vick and condone what he did, anyone who feels he has “paid his dues” by being boarded on the tax payers’ dollars for 18 short months, anyone who feels he is a suitable “hero” for their children to emulate, needs therapy… and a lot of it.
Let’s not forget that Pete Rose was ostrasized from society for simply gambling! Michael Vick is a predator that sadistically electrocuted, bludgeoned and drowned innocent animals. As for the idiots who argue “well, no one’s making a fuss over players who beat their wives”. That’s rediculous! They shouldn’t be able to play either. This is about money pure and simple. I’ve already begun my boycott of all sponsors of the Philadelphia Eagles. I cancelled my 20 year membership with AAA and that’s only the beginning. Consumers have power.
I’m thinking that there are a lot of meth labs in the Denver area. Meth people LOVE pit bulls, because they keep the curious away from their illegal operations. It is a halmark of these folks to keep two or more, underfed and totally undisciplined dogs on their premises. My gut says that is the real driver against pit bulls in Denver.
Not sure what motivates much of the PETA light drivel I’ve read in here, but domesticated dogs are in a totally symbiotic relationship with humans, much as rats are. I have put down dogs because they fail the relationship. I felt badly about it, but I felt obligated to to what had to be done. I have, in far off places apparently not frequented by PETA types, eaten dog (though I admit it wasn’t exactly by choice). This new attempt to ascribe human sensibilities and attitudes, and to animals, and to assign life value equivilent to that of a human, is a recent and perverse development; not 50 years ago, where I grew up, animals mostly worked for a living, and when they stopped being useful that way, they were discarded as the property they were. Cruelty is not the question, because values and thinking has historically been widely different from the current PETA nonsense.
I think Vick is/was a product of a southern, black culture that STILL likes it’s cock and dog fights. I have yet to see Vick’s behavior towards property (his unfortunate dogs) to be translated into the sociopathic behaviors one would associate with say, a Ted Bundy, which is what you people are really afraid of. I think both of the Vick brothers were ill prepared for the prosperity and notoriety they instantly got in professional sports and they just kept being the Vick brothers.
You folks had better be ready to prosecute half of Virginia if you think Michael Vick is what you claim he is.
Dogs have instincts and revert to their instincts. Only after years of tolerating the dogs of friends have I come to this difficult conclusion. My friends’s dogs have killed my neighbors’ dogs, and they have mutilated my friends children. They have harassed my neighbor’s sheep. And all this according to their breeds. But my friends always maintained that their dogs are warm and cuddly and good with children. Clearly dogs were bred to do our dirty work. Cleaning them up and putting pretty ribbons in their hair will never change what they were bred to do in the first place: dirty deeds too dangerous for us to even contemplate.
This leads me to suspect that Michael Vick may have some shady ancestors, too. Just like his dogs.
ACT UP! Pit Bull Lovers March on Denver City Hall, August 25 -
DEMAND REPEAL OF BREED BAN!
“Pit Bull Ban Debate Getting Hairy”
http://denver.yourhub.com/Denver/Stories/News/Government/Story~645681.aspx
The Denver dog ban protest is at 1 p.m. Aug. 25 at the Denver City and County Building lawn, 1437 Bannock St. No dogs, please.
For more information, call Sherri Moore at 303-396-5327; e-mail jan@denverkillsdogs.com.
If you don’t know about the murderous “Breed Specific Ban” in Denver, please go to this website and read up on the issue. If you think it doesn’t effect you: you are wrong!
This is precedent setting; if Denver can continue to ban ……one breed, your community can ban another.
Imagine the authorities coming to take your pet away and kill him/her, and you have no recourse, no way to save your best friend… It could so easily happen!
The US government ranks the top ten “breeds most likely to bite” as
Pit Bulls
Rottweilers
German shepherds
Huskies
Alaskan malamutes
Doberman pinschers
Chows
Great Danes
St. Bernards
Other studies place Labradors, Poodles and Dalmations in the “most likely to bite” category.
black dog:
Thre dogs that bite and dogs that BITE. How many people have you read about who have been killed by Labs, Poodles and Dalmations?
Here is a list of the deaths by dog so far in 2009:
http://www.dogexpert.com/FatalDogAttack/Fataldogattackhome.html
You will find Pit Bulls to be prominent among them.
No rapist, seriel killer or seriel animal torturer and murderer is redeamable. Period!
Every time they are given a second chance they do it again.
It’s hard wired in them and that’s been proven. Vick will target animals again or move on to humans.
I’m glad to see someone has addressed this.
I don’t have a big stake in this story, but I’ve followed it and I think there is much to learn here.
For one thing, it’s a good example of the “contrition” industry at work. You satisfy the law, then you get the PR people to work, make your “apology,” and “move on.”
“Let the man alone!” say many of your posts. “Let’s get on with the GAME!” Fine, if that’s what matters to you.
There is nothing to say about the NFL decision to rehire Vick. It speaks perfectly well for itself.
Yes, Vick has paid his dues on this occasion, but I don’t believe a syllable of his “cried in prison” plea nor his “it was wrong” and “I’m sorry” contrition. He’s playing to a criminal subculture and trying to recoup his losses, while laughing at the outraged values of society. We are not fooled. We hear the true message loud and clear.
What Vick is mocking is the idea of self-examination, reflection, and reform in respect of yourself. I like something said in the movie Rob Roy: “Honor is a gift a man gives himself.” The same is true of other, genuine, manly virtues. The approval of your friends is no substitute.
I’m proud of this country for its strong response to this man and his crime. It was not mawkish nor over the top. It shows the depth of basic goodness in the American People.
I think #11, “mental health doctor,” is exactly right that Vick has more serious problems. We will hear from him again. Society still has laws, police, prosecutors, judges, and prisons. We know who this guy is now; millions will keep an eye on him.
The NFL would be on shaky legal ground if it banned Michael Vick for life. if that were to happen, Vick and his attorneys could argue that the NFL would be acting like an illegal monopoly, kind of like if all the companies that developed softward agreed amongst themselves not to hire a specific person. My guess is that the NFL does not want to fight this battle and potentially lose, since it probably is effectively an illegal monopoly and enjoys the benefits of being one. Not banning him for life does not mean that a team has to sign him, however, so you should direct your criticism to the Eagles if you think he should not be paid to play football.
Similarly, when MLB was investigating Pete Rose in the late 1980′s, Rose was suing MLB over what they could and could not do to him. Ultimately, Pete Rose and MLB reached an agreement that he would drop his lawsuit and accept a lifetime ban for “inappropriate conduct”, but MLB would not find him guilty of betting on baseball. After announcing this agreement during a press conference, the Commissioner said that he still believed that Rose was guilty of betting on baseball.
#16: “It is the liberals who are lenient to crime, it is liberals who kill babies. It is liberals who oppose sending guilty men to be executed for heinous crimes but happily suck the brains out of the skulls of babies. Vick is a sicko…”
In this case, Shawny, it takes one to know one.
OK guys. Let’s face reality. Dogs are DUMB. Sorry. Lovable, yes. Loyal, perhaps. But DUMB. Lookit…..if you were to fall over stone cold dead, face down, on the pacement, your loyal pooch would trot to your side, sit, and sit, and sit. Your cat, on the other hand, would sidle up to your cold, dead body, give you a little lick, and then trot off to find something to eat. Currently, there are a majority of dogs in
Congress, eh? I’ll put my money on the cats.
I no underestand this talk. Dog is dog. Good source of protein, Im my village, big dogs keep us healthy. Good protein. Good food. Feed my family. Why this mewing., Dog is dog. Live dog, good, dead dog, gooder. Build strong bodies eight ways.
In Summary:
Who lies with dogs shall rise up with fleas.
Latin Proverb
When one dog barks another will join it.
Latin Proverb
Suggestions:
Possible government quarantine if not regulations of the entertainment industry’s endorsement of felon and ex-felons as it diminishes the United States credibility as a just nation and thus weakens the strength of it’s “soft powers” of diplomacy .
Discuss.
Some of the postings here seem to be from people who hate dogs, perhaps all pets. But here is a true story thaat might change their minds:
Edna Simpson was driving carpool that Thursday, with a full load of six quarrelsome kids, including two of her own. All were belted in securely. Riding ‘shotgun’ next to her was the family dog, Rollo, a fine German Shepherd. Mrs. Simpson was distracted when two of her passengers began fighting in the rear seat. She momentarily turned her head to reprimand them, just as a fuel tanker, approaching her in the opposite lane swerved over the center line. She was not aware of this. But Rollo, her beloved and faithful companion instantly recognized the danger that they were in. In a flash, he leapt out of the open passenger side window just before the two vehicles collided in a fiery explosion. Rollo was one smart mutt.
Vick might just be a horrible person, but dog fighting is the least of my worries. Too many gang-bangers who kill actual PEOPLE get away with far too much. Nobody seems to be covering that news story. A dog fight and everyone is up in arms like its coming to a street corner near you.
To answer Kimp on how its not the dogs fault. I disagree. As a dog groomer for 25 years I can tell you some dogs are mentally off. That is no matter who the owner is they are untrustworthy under any circumstances. This has to do with poor breeding practices when it applies to pure bred and luck of the draw when it comes to mixes. Some dogs are not trainable and can never be trusted, some dogs are trainable but should never be allowed to run loose and some dogs are just not violent. You cannot train a mentally deficient dog to be trustworthy. I’ve seen enough examples of this to know its true no matter what the breed.
That being the case. benson, how can you explain the election of bArak Obama?
dck: “but I don’t believe a syllable of his “cried in prison” plea nor his “it was wrong” and “I’m sorry” contrition. He’s playing to a criminal subculture and trying to recoup his losses, while laughing at the outraged values of society. We are not fooled. We hear the true message loud and clear.”
Evidence, please.
Reply to 1 & 3.
Vick is not sorry. He would have continued his dog-killing behavior had he not been caught. I don`t feel sorry for him in the least……….
The province of Ontario, Canada enacted a breed ban on this dog a few years ago, with penalties including prison terms.
Its an easy way for politicians to make headlines at the expense of a few dog owners.
Disgraceful.