There's so many issues connected to Michael Vick dog-fighting controversy.
1) Because Vick is African-American, many feel that he's being picked on due to his race.
Just because someone criticizes Vick, that doesn't always mean they're racist.
Animal rights advocates criticizes anyone involved in dog-fighting or other animal abuse, no matter their race.
Many African-Americans are embarrased by Vick's involvement in dog-fighting including but not limited to liberal editorialists like editorialist Derrick Jackson, Jonathan Capehart, Cynthia Tucker and Leonard Pitts.
However, there are some right-wing editorialists whose criticism of Vick seem very suspicious. (ie. Michelle Malkin, Debbie Schlussel, Neal Boortz)
Many right-wing editorialists make fun of animal rights advocates as "peace pansy hippies"
But all of sudden, they're outraged that Vick is involved in dog-fighting.
I wonder if those same right-wingers would be outraged if a European-American NFL player is involved in dog-fighting. Especially if that white guy is from the rural areas of the South, Great Plains or the Rocky Mountains. I dont think so. That white NFL dog-fighting would be portrayed as a "hero fighting political correctness" by the same right-wingers who hate Micheal Vick.
To those right-wingers, Vick isn't just any African-American athlete. He's an African-American from the ghetto, who had braids, and is part of the hip-hop generation. That terrifies them a lot more than the cruelty of dog-fighting.
It reminds me of this NewsMax (right-wing website) article that portrayed rock-star Ted Nugent as a hero.
http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2007/8/20/113405.shtml?s=rss
Nugent is a hunter (ie. someone who irritates the same animal rights adovates angered by Micheal Vick), against gun-control laws (I agree with Nugent on that) and thinks immigrants should learn English (I think Nugent should lighten up on that issue and mind his own business)
That NewsMax article mentions Nugent's use of profanity and sexual innuendo in his songs, but they mention in a tone of "but he's still a good guy" But rappers who use profanity, carry guns, and have strippers in videos? The typical right-wing reaction is "Oh my god, they're so vulgar".
This past weekend, rapper DMX was busted for animal cruelty and possessing unliscensed assault weapons. Would the Ted Nugent defenders @ NewsMax defend DMX? Or is DMX too black for them?
2) Rush Limbaugh ( conservative radio host who once had controversy over his criticism of African-American quarterback Donovan McNabb) had some criticism of Vick's involvement in dog-fighting but also had an interesting big-picture perspective.
May we get serious here for just a second? Whatever Vick's accused of doing -- and, remember, these are just accusations so far. We've been here with the Duke lacrosse kids -- this amazes me -- and I have warned people, all of these indictments, these charges that come down from prosecutors, I have told you, we are inclined as human beings to believe what law enforcement says.
(skip paragraphs)
But to say that this is bigger than Ray Lewis, where a guy died -- two people might have been stabbed in that incident. These were dogs in Vick's case. Here's another one. Brian Maloof, the proprietor at Manuel's Tavern, "This is embarrassing to the city. It sure lets us know about Vick's character. The wrestler? (Chris Benoit) That's nothing." That's in print and it's in Sports Illustrated. He killed his son; he killed his wife; then he hung himself. He said, "It sure lets us know about Vick's character. The wrestler, that's nothing. Don't get me wrong; that's not really nothing. There was obviously some mental illness there -- the depression -- that that man had to suffer from to take your own life, and your wife's and child's lives. Even with steroids. But this is almost like some sick Roman bloodsport. It's just horrible."
(skip paragraphs)
So you have two instances here, the Ray Lewis situation where a murder took place, and I don't think we know who actually committed the murder in that situation, but Lewis was in the bar when it happened. It was very controversial, but a human being died. The Chris Benoit situation where three people died, one of the three killed the other two. The story in Sports Illustrated says, "Well, the Vick thing is far worse. It's just far worse." Now, can you come up, ladies and gentlemen, in your own minds with a reason why people are thinking this way?
In other words, Limbaugh is saying are people getting more worked up over dogs being killed than real humans being killed!
Limbaugh is right on that one
3) Should there even be laws against dog-fighting.
Here's Stuart Hayashi's take on that issue!
Upon first hearing about what Michael Vick was accused of, my personal reaction was: "What? He had dogs fight each other soviciously for his own entertainment? Ewwwwwww!! That's inhumane."
So I am free to avoid associating with anybody who performs actions upon animals that I do not approve of. If I don't like peoplewho arrange cockfights, then I don't have to deal with them.
Does my disapproval of dogfighting or cockfighting make it okay for me to demand that the government threaten violence against Michael Vick for doing what he wants with his own private property, without actually hurting any sapient being that is functionally *capable* ofadhering to other organisms' rights? Bear in mind that your pet cat can't even respect the "rights" of mice not to be "murdered." Ifanimals have "rights," then your cat should go to prison for all of the mice that it "murdered."
My answer is no, it's not right for the State to threaten violence against Michael Vick for exercising his property rights in amanner that I don't approve of.
4) My take on the issue?
I'm not big fan of dogs. I'm the type that don't want to have pets. I get annoyed when animals want to sniff me. And big dogs make me real nervous!
I think it's ridiculous that Hawaii bans chicken-fights! Legalize it!
As for dog-fights, I 've heard that dogs that were bred for fighting are so aggressive, that they're not allowed to be adopted as pets.
If someone next door is having dog-fights, I'll be very nervous about one of those dogs escaping! I might even snitch on that neighbor to protect myself from getting bitten by those dogs. (this, even though I agree with Stuart Hayashi's statements posted earlier this blog post)
As for Vick being involved in killing dogs that suck at fighting, he would've better off putting them up for adoption. Vick's killing dogs that "suck at fighting" is what really getting controversy! It's why some might never forgive him!
If the accusations were true, I think Vick took it too far by killing dogs who "suck at fighting". After all, he wasn't killed for screwing up games. However, I think Vick should get a 2nd chance!
After all, athletes busted for drunk driving, domestic violence, sexual harrasment, etc. have been getting 2nd chances!
