I Really Liked What Vick Had To Say...

[Dean in Eureka, CA]

Two of my three animals left the ex's house on their own accord and moved across the street to be with me, so I guess it could be said that I'm loved by animals as well...

You live across the street from your ex???
Shoot... My ex wouldn't speak to me for 15 years... Of course, all my bud's said I was blessed!
Funny thing is, now after 17 years, we are friends again. Time changes a lot of things.

Yep...
Once the dog figured out I wasn't there anymore, he could still hear my truck coming home and would somehow scale the 6' fence... After a while of that, I just quit taking him back across the street.
It took the cat a little longer to move in full time... She'd come and spend the night early on, but it took her a few months before she quit going back.
It's been a good situation for the kids, they don't have far to go when it's time to come and go.
Its got its advantages, but also disadvantages... I have plans to eventually pull up stakes after the youngest turns 18, but it might be sooner than that...

[EZ]

Isn't he entering rehab of some sort? Usually that is what any celebs do. Admit you are wrong, find religion and enter rehab (not necessarily in that order.

EZ

[elmo]

But does that make you a criminal?

Yes....he was born in the U.S.A. were it is felony to even attend a dog fight. Bad up-bringing maybe a excuse when you are 5-6 years old, but this was a grown man with the ability to make and choose his own decisions. Nobody in their right mind would think that fighting dogs is a good idea...yet alone kill off a non-performer in the manner they were.

[elmo]

I figured out the punishment...Lets send Cesar and his friends over to his house!

[deputydogrick]

Not to belabor this subject but, Vick only plead guilty to the charges he thought that he could recover from and get him back into the lime light and good times again. Hopefully he's not done with prosecution yet and that he is not taken off the hook for the more heinous crimes. Try drowning an animal, or strangling an animal, or connecting wires and watching a dog writhe on the dirt. Evenif you only watched and did nothing, you are guilty!

[Eunice]

I have to jump in here, I dont think he should play sports. I dont want him as a model for kids. I hope he truly does find God. he needs it. He is going to be held accountable in a higher court someday.
He didnt "hurt" animals, He TORTURED them and for that there is no exucse. This has a lot to do with greed and I feel sorry for people like that.
I have to agree that I think it is only because he got caught that he is now sorry but thank God that he was caught or it would still be going on.
Hopefully he spends the rest of his life trying to make up for this.
Eunice

[Ira]

This happens all over the country every day in a thousand places.

While some celebs have recently been getting no sentences for certain infractions and people are incensed by it, nothing at all happens to thousands upon thousands of regular folks doing the exact same thing.

And no one gives a crap that it's happening.

We're all a bunch of hypocrites, and a lot of it has to do with the fact that he's a celebrity. Being black doesn't help either.

[deputydogrick]

Ira,
I will agree with you in some cases, but this is what I do every single day. I fight scum like this, I don't differentiate color, upbringing, social status or anything else. I defend those that cannot defend themselves, and belong to a group of people that have devoted their lives to do the same thing. We go out everyday, and hunt this type of activity down. Problem is that the people that are involved are so tight lipped that it is difficult to get into the circle. 4 months ago we raided a place when fighting dogs were being bred, 50 of them and shut him down. Each raid we execute is one more we take down. O tolerance

[Ira]

Ira,
I will agree with you in some cases, but this is what I do every single day. I fight scum like this, I don't differentiate color, upbringing, social status or anything else. I defend those that cannot defend themselves, and belong to a group of people that have devoted their lives to do the same thing. We go out everyday, and hunt this type of activity down. Problem is that the people that are involved are so tight lipped that it is difficult to get into the circle. 4 months ago we raided a place when fighting dogs were being bred, 50 of them and shut him down. Each raid we execute is one more we take down. O tolerance

You're DOING it and are on the front lines.

I'm talking about the 99% of the rest of the population who could care less if it wasn't for the fact that this was a celebrity.

What was the name of that HBO documentary, about a year or two old, about that guy abusing and selling dogs to research laboratories? (And a lot of those dogs were stolen.)

What changed since then?

[wolfix]

Podunkfla I was blessed!

I'll second that!

[Bobgorilla]

Dean, you are obviously much more "christian" than most by being able to forgive him. Personally I'd like to wrap in barb wire and set him on fire, but I've never been very christian. Ira, don't you think his place in our society he should be held more responsible, good or bad most athletes particularly high visibility ones like quarterbacks are big role models for kids (and some adults). I'll bet you'd be horrified if your kids picked Vick as a hero. (like my parents were, when about 10, I expressed an admiration for George Custer) my 2 cents

[Nitetimes]

Most of the people our kids pick for heroes are just normal people too whether they realize it or not. Being a celebrity doesn't make them any better than you or me, some of them just think they are.
That he got caught was his biggest mistake. If he wouldn't have it may have gone on for years and nobody would have been any the wiser and the fans would still be following him and he would still be a roll model for your kids and he still be fighting dogs. It never ceases to amaze me how people can turn on anyone in the lime light in the blink of an eye. I don't have any use for most of them anyway but they are gonna do what they do the same as you or I, most of them have lives outside of their chosen profession.
I don't agree with his methods of putting them down, that's just mean spirited, a bullet to the base of the skull is quick and cheap.
No I don't swerve to miss animals crossing the road and take a chance on wrecking my car, sorry that's just foolish and I've seen it happen way too often. I would really prefer you didn't miss a rabbit or squirrel on the road, I've got so many of them in my yard right now growing a garden is near impossible.
JMNSHO

[Podunkfla]

The sad fact is dog fighting has become popular in gang culture and some popular rap music that reflects that mindset. I think Vick and DMX are only the tip of the iceberg. Dog fighting has been a popular pastime of gang members and wannabes for a long time. Funny thing is when I was young dog fighting was a redneck good 'ol boy thing; now it seems it's mostly a big city street/gang culture thing. I also think when you are a high profile sports star or entertainer what you do and say affects a lot of young people who look up to you and try to be like you. All the more reason they should pay a severe price that sends the right signals to the young wannabes.



http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6960788.stm
http://lists.envirolink.org/pipermail/a ... 10422.html

[M B Hamilton]

Saying what you're going to do is easy, and proves nothing. Actually doing it is much harder. Afterall, OJ said he was going to devote the rest of his life to finding his ex's murderer (must believe the perp is hanging out at golf courses I guess).

Let Vick redeem himself and we all can acknowledge it, but we'll still be repulsed that he did what he did in the first place.

BTW, in no way do I feel Vick even needs to redeem himself in our eyes.

[caseydog]

Dean, I think I know what you are saying. I heard the news today, and I DO respect that fact that he is taking responsibility (so far) for his actions. At this early point, I don't think he has had time to really come to understand the sick nature of dog fighting, and look himeself in the mirror and have that, oh-my-god-what was I thinking moment.

For most crimes against people, or other living things, the person who did it has to come to feel genuine empathy for the victim before they can truly say they are sorry -- and really FEEL sorry. Some people never get to that point, while others do, and go on with life with a different way of seeing things.

Hpefully, MV will hit that wall, where he totally comprehends what he did to those dogs. Even if he does, a lot of people will never forgive him, but that's not the purpose of the exercise. If your goal is to be forgiven, you'll never experience real repentance, IMO, because you are still thinking about yourself.

It will also be interesting to see how hard he fights to keep the millions the Falcons want back. "I'm sorry, but I'm keeping all the money" will not go down well with the public.