Posted on 08/19/2009 1:04:19 PM PDT by AJKauf
Former Atlanta Falcon, now Philadelphia Eagle Michael Vick, fresh off Sunday’s appearance on 60 Minutes, sure has his loyal supporters, and they have surprising strength in numbers.
All seem to agree that Vick has done his time for running Bad Newz Kennels, his infamous dogfighting ring. So he tortured, maimed, electrocuted, drowned, and body-slammed a bunch of dogs. You want remorse for that, when other football players kill people? Leave the guy alone! Vick sat in jail long enough, he’s been punished enough, he deserves a second chance, now let him enjoy a full comeback to the NFL with all the benefits that brings.
Besides, isn’t one of Vick’s posse none other than the CEO of the Humane Society of the United States? Enough, already.
I’m no fan of Vick, but I’m trying to see things the way his fans do. And I’m actually starting to like the “he’s done his time” position. Because I can think of some others who’ve done their time and deserve a second chance: the dog lovers of Denver, Colorado...
(Excerpt) Read more at pajamasmedia.com ...
The Humane Society was smart for coopting Vick instead of continuing to protest him. They’d seem pretty petty and impotent in trying fruitlessly to prevent Vick’s return to the NFL. Instead they scored a poster boy for ending animal rights abuses, while seeming moderate and reasonable in the process. In this manner they can establish themselves as a sane group that can be worked with, unlike, say, PETA.
Vick served more time than most people who commit assults against people. He served his time. Get off of his back.
PETA can stick it with their defamation campaign.
HE SERVED HIS SENTENCE. Just because he don’t say the right things that the animal rights PETA pets think he should be saying. Get off his back. He served his time.
I fail to have an issue with a convicted felon seeking honest work, and finding it, upon his release from prison.
I couldn’t agree more. I live in the area and have been sickened by this coverage on the local news. There would probably have been less if he had been convicted for manslaughter.
I very much doubt that Vick is sorry for anything other than the fact that he got caught. That said, he probably does some good as a spokesman, however insincere.
Yeah, right. That’ll work out well for the Humane Society when Vick is again caught involved in animal abuse. Anyone out there really believe Vick learned his lesson? Or, was he just sorry he was caught??? I vote the second option. I’m still trying to understand how someone convicted of those charges only received 18 months. I’d be in jail for a lot longer period of time you can be sure of that.
He wasn’t convicted, he plead guilty, and actually got a longer sentence than his non-celebrity cohorts.
If I were convicted of a felony I would lose my job and never again be able to obtain employment in the field I’m in. Why is Vick different? Oh, in case you’re interested, it would not matter what kind of felony I was convicted of. I would never be able to work in this field.
...I don’t care about all this “he’s paid his debt to society” blather....I’m interested in the way he and his posse killed those dogs with electrocution/drowning/slamming ect...that’s very dark stuff...reminds me of adolescent cat torturers who later abduct, torture and murder women for kicks...at heart, Vick demonstrates a capacity for evil....I don’t think we’ve heard the last of him in that regard....the leopard don’t change his spots....
Vick just hung around with a bad crowd. Bunch of hanger-on losers who wanted to ride his jock. He never did any of this crap before he went to the NFL.
There are no quiet signings in the NFL, all signings are public information. And he is at a fraction of his salary, he’s down to $1.6 million from his previous salary of $10 million, and he’s going to be suspended for the first few games of the season so he won’t even get all the 1.6.
Pleading guilty to a crime is a conviction. Look it up. The longer sentence might have something to do with the fact that the fights took place on his property, and that he admitted to being directly invovled with the killing of the dogs after they were no longer able to be used for fighting. So, what’s your point?
I have mixed emotions about this issue but wouldn’t mind reading the thoughts of other Freepers.
Of course there’s the all-American argument that Vick has served his time and there’s a lot of truth to this, no?
There’s also the argument that the man has a right to pursue a livlihood after doing his time and this is true?
Finally, shouldn’t the decision be up to the fans when all is said and done?
For no matter how noble my belief that he’s served his time, I just can never forget that this man threw dogs into a pool of water while it was electrified and allowed them to be electrocuted, all the while as they screamed with the horrific pain.
I can’t forget that he picked up dogs by their legs and body-slammed them against brick walls, again with the screams of pain and if they didn’t die from that torture, he had them shot to a final peace with a bullet.
And for what? Because this animal living only by its instincts and with its major desire to please its owner, failed at providing Vick funds from his torture of other innocent animals by the gruesome sport of dog fighting. Every way you look at it this is a bad, bad thing and only really, really bad people can do stuff like this.
I’m not an Eagles fan but if the Ravens took up Vick on their team I’d never watch a game again, buy a product from any sponsor of the games or read another word about the team.
So I proffer the good and noble sentiments that I should have but my gut instinct is to completely dislike this fellow as much as I’d like to believe he’s changed his ways. But that’s just me.
New team, new city, new possition.
As a man of influence in the Philadelphia Cock Fighting Community, I intend to reach out to introduce him to a new passtime.
You are a soldier and a Dad I must guess. Because some of the commenters above your comment disillusioned me completely. How to defend this guy...tell us to “get off his back”?
Thank you for making me think I’m not the only crazy one that still thinks only an evil person can do what that man did.
He’s out of jail, good. He served his time, good. But no law says I got to watch any football game he’s in, good.
Vick and Plaxico, poster children for left wing extremists. Vick= PETA, Plaxico= Gun control anti 2nd amendment leftist factions.
This is a media feeding frenzy that most people dismiss as extremists because they are insignificant rants.
Oh, he's absolutely just sorry he was caught. But I think it's probably been made pretty clear to him that his entire image is riding on constantly demonstrating his remorse, and that the Eagles, the Humane Society, his own agent, and anybody else with a chunk of brain cells has told him that if it happens again his career will be over and he'll end up in jail for a decade.
I don't think he was addicted to dog-fighting, I think he just thought it was fun and thought that the animals didn't deserve to be treated like living creatures. I'm sure his ethics haven't changed, but I strongly doubt he'd ever consider going back to that sort of thing — too many people watching.
Of course, there's a long list of people who whose first stupid act did not preclude their second. We'll see.
Thank you....only bad people can do what he did, it’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.