ok...I guess I need to explain something...and that's Michael Vick. I realize that this is probably going to cost me followers/friends/blog followers but I am sick of people being surprised when they bash Vick and then see me rise to his defense. They're all like, "What's your problem, dude? He's a horrible person. He should be drawn and quartered. (look it up.) He is the very height of all that is evil. Satan himself said, 'damn, that's fucked up, man.' to Michael Vick." Michael Vick is none of these things. He is a misunderstood young man who was given a ton of money and made some bad choices. So, let's talk about this...
First, let me preamble that I hate dogs. Can't stand them. Though, it is not them in particular. I hate animals. All of em. Big, little, cute, ugly, useful, useless...I don't like pets. I don't like zoos. I don't like Animal Planet or 'NatGeo' (what a stupid fucking name for a channel.) I have absolutely no use for animals whatsoever. However, I am not advocating that you should hate animals (like I AM advocating that you should ease up on Michael Vick.) You wanna have a pet, be my guest. God Bless You. But recognize that it is your pet and your practice and you cannot impose those values on the rest of the world. Also, please note, that I am assuming you are not a fanatic. I am speaking to a normal, reasonable person, not a card carrying member of PETA who already has plans to go throw red paint on Rene Zellweger or whatever. Them, I can't help. Vick is their Satan, end of story.
Michael Vick's story is a common one. He came from a poor background and used his natural abilities at sports both as a personal escape from some life hardships and, ultimately, as a 'ticket' to a better life. Leveraging his natural abilities at football took him through college to the NFL where he was able to earn a large amount of money. However, as is common in this story, he used his new found wealth to finance some ill advised activities, including marijuana use, gambling and the crime for which he is famous, dog fighting.
And, see, there is the kicker. The 'dog fighting'. No one cares or remembers the pot. Or the gambling. Just the dogs. And that's what gets me. I won't defend his behavior. Or his crimes. They were mistakes and he paid the price for making them. But, in the court of public opinion, he still ranks below such winners as Donte Stallworth (DUI manslaughter; killed a 59 year old man named Mario Reyes), Adam "Pacman" Jones (allegedly assaulted a stripper and ordered a shooting which paralyzed a man) and Brandon
One of my favorite sayings is "Michael Vick went to jail for treating his dogs like dogs." The dogs were his property, to do with as he saw fit. No one has come forth and said that they owned one of Vick's dogs and there have be no charges of fraud or theft. Had Vick destroyed any other property he would have been fine...What if he bought some picassos and torched em? What if he bought several fully restored `69 Mustang Mach 1s and had a demolition derby? Ok...forget inanimate objects... What if Vick went to
I could try to argue that the dogs themselves are a problem. I could point out that Dogs killed 33 people in 2007. Or that 4.7 million people are bitten by dogs annually...800,000 of which require hospital level medical treatment.* But I won't. that's like trying to get us to ride bikes by quoting the damage to the environment statistics from cars. I could discuss such institutions as pounds or puppy mills (google it. On 2nd thought, don't. really. it's not pretty.) and then ask PETA if Vick's dogs are really the major issue here...but I won't...the fact that our society is already fucking over dogs doesn't excuse Vick's mistakes or behavior. They would only serve to create context that I don't even need to prove my point. My point is not that Michael Vick did something ok...my point is that we are overreacting, as a society.
Maybe we should look at the actions that have been taken by Vick in response to his mistakes. The money and time he has donated. Yes, donated. He didn't HAVE to. Sure, the $1million he gave to take care of his (I repeat, HIS) dogs when they were confiscated was requested and encouraged by prosecutors. But it was still his money and his option. Sure, the judge strongly suggested that he work with PETA and make public service announcements when he was being sentenced. But it was still his option. I would submit to you that everyone knows that Michael Vick fucked up. Even (or perhaps especially) Michael Vick.
Today, Michael Vick is a player for the Philadelphia Eagles. He is the third quarterback. A team rarely needs more than 2. One surmises he is an Eagle due to the support of Donovan McNabb, the main quarterback...who wanted to help Vick work his way back into the league. He has paid his debt to society. He lost everything...his fantastic career, his endless fortune (The Falcons actually took back what he had left of his signing bonus) and the respect of his fans and his family. It is entertaining to badmouth him...I had a conversation with someone who described him as all sorts of awful things...terms he does not deserve.
Yes, he screwed up. And he paid the price. I would argue he paid far more than the price. AS such, I am 100% his supporter. I would be disillusioned or disappointed if he 'got away with it.' If he did not go through the American Criminal Justice system and come out the other side with major loss, I would not be a supporter. However, he did. and if we can forgive PacMan, Donte and Brandon (and you do NOT have the evidence to tell me we haven't.) how can we not forgive Vick?
So, go ahead, call him a name in front of me. I WILL argue. When it's football season, I root for the Eagles. If I owned a football jersey, it would say 'Vick.' and if you want to hate me because I defend this horribly unfairly persecuted man, then go ahead and 'unfollow' now.
* Dog Bite Stats from here
5 comments:
"And, see, there is the kicker. The 'dog fighting'. No one cares or remembers the pot. Or the gambling. Just the dogs."
will, pots not bad (te-hehe, it's actually really really good) gambling isn't bad. what he did was bad. like you said, he got caught, so he acknowledges what he did was wrong (would he have if not caught? hmm...), he paid his debt to society and can now move on with his life. i still don't, nor will i ever, respect or like the man, but i'm sure in the grand scheme of life, that doesn't make an ounce of difference.
and i can respect your opinion, too. you don't like dogs. but to equate them to property is a little callous imo. i mean, i don't like babies, but do i think parents have a right to chuck them out the window when they start to cry? if only....
Callous, maybe. I am looking at it legally. Legally, dogs are property. When a dog bites you, you don't sue the dog...you sue the owner. Further, if someone takes your dog, you call the cops and, hopefully, they get them back. They then charge the asshole with theft, not kidnapping.
I recognize that some people are ... um ... attached to their pets. They refer to them as their kids and themselves as 'fido's mommy'. I know enough to say "I'm sorry" when someones pet passes away. But I can't understand raising a pet's life to the same level as a human life. Just can't wrap my mind around it.
if you're looking at it legally, then you should be able to see that there are laws against animal abuse, and not laws against abusing other property of yours, say your kitchen table or ipod. as well as there should be laws against animal abuse... it takes a certain type of human to want to willingly partake in vicious acts like those committed against voiceless helpless animals like pitt bulls in fighting rings. it's almost akin to the neighborhood kid who tortures bunny rabbits and grows up to be a serial murderer. but i digress..
i understand your aversion to the 'peta' groups... their extremism doesn't help anything. but pet owners may also be less willing to forgive and forget because of their emotional attachment to 'just an animal'. all i know is, my dog's never done me wrong yet there are plenty of people who have. granted, michael vick isn't one of them, but that's another point. he has those reasoning skills that animals lack. he knew right from wrong while doing it. he deserved his legal punishment, and now he's subject to the public's fickle opinions. some people won't be able to view him as anything other then 'that guy that hurt puppies' but that is his own fault.
i hear what you're saying, i really do. i just still think there is no valid excuse that could or would ever justify all the horrors that go along with dog fighting. besides that, he has helped to perpetuate the myth that an entire breed of dog (an awesome breed at that) is 'bad' and 'dangerous', and that pisses me off.
as for the other dudes that killed people etc... all i can say is, who? i don't watch sports... and i may have just proven your point for you :) you're welcome.
*popcorn*
Eloquently stated...and I'm not entirely sure that he does have the reasoning capabilities to know that it was wrong. We don't know what he grew up with...or damage done to his brain through football (have you seen those studies?!!?) Regardless, the man made mistakes, like we all have, he paid his dues, did his time and has tried to make amends...I don't condone his actions, but I agree that he has been over vilified.
Pets are not people. They should NOT be treated as such.
Side note: Veal. Yum. Especially as a parm...
Post a Comment