Posted on 07/20/2007 6:58:03 AM PDT by ReignOfError
Editor's Note:Eric Sakach attended about a dozen dogfights as an undercover investigator for the Humane Society. Here, he gives AJC reporter Drew Jubera an insider's account.
The precautions taken to avoid detection are pretty extraordinary. In one case [in Arkansas], we were told to arrive at a motel the day before. Most of the people there were there to attend the same fight.
The day of the fight, later in the afternoon, we all received a call and were told to stand outside by our vehicles. A lone pickup truck with a couple of occupants made a slow pass by everyone. They then turned around and told us to get in our cars and follow them caravan style. We then drove in an erratic fashion for about 45 minutes, to throw off, or identify, any tails.
We came to a farmhouse on the outskirts of town and waited for several hours. As we were waiting in the field, it turned to dusk, and cars with their lights on — other caravans — were being led in. I always likened it to the last scene in "Field of Dreams."
(Excerpt) Read more at ajc.com ...
The people who participate in dogfighting clearly need to hang. But what about the people who so eagerly watch and wager on it? There would be no supply without demand. You can't tell me people who get their jollies from this kind of gore are people we want on the street.
You are so right.
The reason we have such felony laws now for animal abuse is primarily because we now understand the HIGH CORRELATION between abusing animals and abusing or violence ( including murder ) of humans. It is bad enough that animals are abused, but these people also abuse children and spouses or strangers. Most serial killers have a long history of animal abuse going back to childhood.
One TV show reported that in Chicago 25 % of inner city ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN have been to dogfights.
You can take the gangsta outta the hood but you can’t always take the hood outta the gangsta.
Although the leaked evidence thus far seems pretty solid, of course he’s innocent until proven guilty, but the only thing more idiotic than Vick’s ALLEGED participation in this career-destroying stupidity is the obscene salaries paid these clowns for hurling an oblate spheroid to one another. Those levels give some of them the idea that they’re bulletproof and outside the rules applied to mere mortals like the morons whose season tickets and product purchases make those salaries possible and give these guys hero status.
They are hardly heroes.
The REAL heroes are dodging bullets and IEDs in Iraq and Trashcanistan — at 1% (or less) of the pay these clowns get for dodging tackles.
Bracing for massive flames from “da sports fans” in here.
No flame from this sports fan. Our REAL heroes ARE overseas right now. We also have numerous ones at home, protecting our streets and people's homes from fire.
That said, the ones who have talent to earn these enormous salaries playing professional sports have an obligation to attempt to live lives of example, not promote gangsta thuggery to our children. In this instance, Goedell and the NFL have an obligation to walk their talk and suspend this "star" indefinitely... awaiting the outcome of his pending trial. They should do so immediately, consistent with their stated policy over the off-season.
I just wonder how long it will be before someone comes up with a way to provide such vicious fighting to the US? Videos of Cockfighting, Dog fighting, even gladiatorial fights could be smuggled in on DVDs or on the Internet, though that too is illegal. There might even be ways of betting on fights.
Check this out.
Life's losers getting off on misery - - if they weren't soooooo pathetic, it might be even creepier...
Michael Vick NEEDS to be suspended ASAP. It gets more sick by the day with this case. NFL needs to to do the right thing.
Customer (xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx) - 07/19/2007 02:23 PM
Please discontinue Michael Vick's endorsement contract. The actions he's charged with are beyond the pale, way beyond any standard of acceptable behavior in any civilization on our planet. Nike's reputation will suffer considerably should your association with Vick continue.
Sincerely, xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Response (Caryn) - 07/19/2007 02:25 PM
Thank you for contacting Nike regarding Michael Vick. Nike is concerned by the serious and highly disturbing allegations made against Michael Vick, and we consider any cruelty to animals inhumane and abhorrent. We do believe that Michael Vick should be afforded the same due process as any citizen; therefore, we have not terminated our relationship. We have, however, made the decision to suspend the release of the Zoom Vick V and related marketing communications. Nike will continue to monitor the situation closely and has no further comment at this time.
We appreciate that you took the time to contact us and your feedback will be passed along to the proper department.
Sincerely,
Nike
Nike is squirming around this subject, and needs more pressure. If you're interested in helping, contact them through nike.com customer service.
I haven't gotten a reply from the Falcons, and could not find a way to contact the NFL cowards.
They've frozen the campaign and put him in a drawer. Good enough. They can terminate their contract and sign a new one if he's acquitted; the gesture of terminating the contract, instead of suspending it, doesn't make much difference to me.
The Falcons and the NFL have a while to go before they have to decide whether he can play in a game, even an exhibition. I don't se a lot of hurry there, either. I don't need a resolution by the end of the week.
You can still order his sneakers, etc on the Nike site.
Um, just where do you think the fight described went on?
Videos of Cockfighting, Dog fighting, even gladiatorial fights could be smuggled in on DVDs or on the Internet, though that too is illegal. There might even be ways of betting on fights.
You can bet on anything on the Internet. On the Internet, federal law is just a local ordinance. I'd be surprised if there aren't already live streaming dogfights and cockfights online -- if there aren't, I can only attribute it to a lack of demand, because it's so easy to find a live show.
The same mentality would have no problem with christians torn apart by beasts in a Coliseum.. or a remote barn.. or a Police State..
We often have posts about kids attacked by pit bulls. Now I realize that pit bulls aren't all vicious, but when you take a breed and teach it to kill, then destroy the gene pool that doesn't kill, and only breed proven killers with proven killers, soon you have a lot higher percentage of killers. This is what has happened with pit bulls IMHO.
These dogfighters and breeders aren't only cruel to animals; they are creating a very real hazard for children and people everywhere.
I found them in a search, but they're not featured. Might be worth dropping a line to point out that fact and encourage them to drop those links. They'd be much more likely to notice and honor a very specific request than one of the blizzard of calls to fire Vick outright.
A police state? There's no show there.
Now if they'd put Lubiyanka on pay-per-view ...
bump
All of the freepers chiming in about how terrible and brutal pit bull fighting is and how some need to “hang” for their sins is just too effete and liberal for me. Get over it! Dog fights have been a part of southern American culture before your ancestors came to this country. Ya’ll were able to go on with your lives before this news entered your streams of consciousness and I imagine you’ll forget this particular attack on your righteous indignation cells and eventually latch your hysterics onto the next outrage du juor. FR is turning into a touchy feely Oprahesque women’s club. Butch up!
Agree wholeheartedly. I know folks who love their bull terriers. They swear they're sweet and good-natured, smart and loyal, and I've seen pits that will snap to heel, sit, stay, and balance a dog biscuit on their noses with as much calm and discipline as any other breed.
But in addition to your point about dysgenic selective breeding for temperament, pits have also been bred for physical power. There are a lot of nasty, foul-tempered chihuahuas and terriers in the world, but you'd have to lie dead still for about three days before they could bite you to death.
These dogfighters and breeders aren't only cruel to animals; they are creating a very real hazard for children and people everywhere.
Agreed again. They're not just building fighting machines like battlebots, which are just good messy fun -- breeding a fighting dog is the equivalent of building an unstable bomb and leaving it lying around.
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