Michael Vick has Some Explaining to do!
His Official Website says that Atlanta Falcon's quarterback Michael Vick has pets; Birds and Dogs. He is a registered dog breeder.
A federal indictment against Vick would have us believe the superstar has been part of a brutal illegal backyard operation that raised dogs to fight to the death.
Which is the real Michael Vick? He needs to clear this up and NOW! Please don't insult us by parading a bunch of high priced lawyers out with a lot of legal crap! We need to hear from the guy that we allowed into our homes on Sundays to dazzle us with his blinding speed and Houdini feats on the gridiron. His jersey has been a big seller, even outside Atlanta, among African-American kids, who want to be like "this Mike".
It's the talk all over DC; From Ben's Chili bowl to the Florida avenue grill to the barbershop. Quite frankly I'm sick about it. I love my pet, a Boxer, and there is no way I could attend, support, own or allow such a criminal enterprise to exist near me.
Vick claims he rarely visited the Southeast Virginia location. Prosecutors say he's lying.
The 19-page indictment alleged Vick was highly involved in the operation, alleging that he attended fights and paid off bets when his dogs lost. It said he also was involved in the executions of dogs that did not perform well.
Vick's associates, Purnell Peace, Quanis Phillips and Tony Taylor, were indicted on the same charges. Even if Michael Vick only KNEW about the activity he needs to be sent to the sidelines by the NFL for a long period of time if not for good.
Vick's biggest challenge, for the upcoming season, won't be dodging blitzing linebackers, but staying out of prison. The federal charges could mean up to six years in prison if convicted. The $350,000 fine would be mere pocket change to this multi millionaire.
Federal officials claim to have found equipment associated with dogfighting, blood stains on the walls of a room and a bloodstained carpet stashed on the property. They reportedly removed more than 60 dogs from the property and there were remains that had been buried.
According to the indictment, Vick decided in his rookie season of 2001, with Phillips and Taylor, to start a dogfighting operation. Vick, who grew up in Newport News, paid $34,000 in June 2001 for a property at 1915 Moonlight Rd. and, according to the indictment, "used this property as the main staging area for housing and training the pit bulls involved in the dogfighting venture and hosting dog fights."
The men named their enterprise the "Bad Newz Kennels,". They built a house,a fence to shield the rear portion of the compound from public view [and] multiple sheds used at various times to house training equipment, injured dogs and organized fights," the indictment said.
The indictment details a series of dogfights in which members of the operation allegedly participated, including several fights in the fall of 2003 when Vick was sidelined with a broken leg.
The indictment said that in April 2007, Peace, Phillips and Vick "executed approximately eight dogs that did not perform well in 'testing' sessions by various methods, including hanging, drowning and/or slamming at least one dog's body to the ground." Vick also is alleged to have consulted with Peace before Peace killed a losing dog by electrocution in 2003.
Let's not rush to judgement; A jury and judge will sort all this out..but Michael Vick has some explaining to do, right now. We can't wait an entire season to decide if we should continue to cheer him or send him packing. We've got kids to raise.
posted by Bruce Johnson @ 11:35 AM
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In the long run I trust that Michael Vick and his unscrupulous AKA buddies will bring such notariety to this dastardly sport (sic) that stricter laws with longer prison time and larger fines will be attached if convicted. All revenue should go to the enforcement agencies and rehabilitation organizations that investigate this type of crime.
I will reserve additional comments until Vick and company appear in court and a verdict is rendered. Then it will be interesting to see what the Atlanta Falcons does with Mr. Vick.
I watched Vick's public apology with my little son who USED TO wear Michael Vick jerseys to school. It is disturbing to think a certain percentage of the population is honestly going to be swayed by Michael Vick's "enlightenment" carefully crafted by his overpaid attorneys. Call me a cynic, but I don't believe a man who has been allegedly torturing animals since childhood coincidentally has a religious epiphany as a result of getting caught and losing his job. I hope I am wrong.
If there is anything good about the Michael Vick story, it is that there is an emerging increased awareness about animal cruelty and animal fighting. There is so much anger about this issue. If we channel it into a positive direction, hopefully, something good can come of it. However...
I think it is a sad commentary that we, as a culture, are using the Vick story to compare "What's worse?" "What's worse", we ask, "carelessly fathering illegitimate children, or dogfighting?". "Dogfighting or gambling?" "Dogfighting or rape?" "Dogfighting or racism?" "Dogfighting or hateful nationalism?" "Dogfighting or (fill in the blank)....?" The comparisons to dogfighting have been endless.
Dogfighting is one more piece of evidence our country is in need of a spiritual transformation (please note I said spiritual and not necessarily religious). Animals are sentient beings - they feel pain, and they suffer, just like we do. They are not more important, or less important than human beings, but like human beings, they are important, too.
Dogfighting pits one dog against another until one of them dies. The survivor gets his flesh torn off, ears ripped off, eyes pulled out, etc., and the reward for being "a winner" is to writhe in pain until the next fight. Enough said. The pictures make my flesh crawl. The losers are tortured, beaten, starved, electrocuted or drowned. For what? Because these poor creatures were unlucky enough to be born a dog!
Every major faith teaches its followers to be responsible stewards of animals and the Earth. Please help us get the word out that caring for animals, just like caring for people, is an important part of just being a decent person and citizen. If we make this a priority, there will be no more dogfighting horror stories, and no more pointless comparisons of evils. Let us all rise, together, to be better people than we are today, shall we?
Chaplain Nancy Cronk
Founder, www.AnimalChaplains.com
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