Vick is latest to take rap for the rap in our culture (a black perspective)

St. Louis Post-Dispatch ^ | 07/20/2007 | Bryan Burwell

[newgeezer]

All the breathless debates about Michael Vick are missing the point. The bigger issue has nothing to do with whether or not he deserves the right of due process, or whether NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell should suspend him, or whether Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank should enable him or give him tough love. It's not even about whether ... Nike should be launching another designer shoe with his name on it.

All of those are minor distractions from ...:

How did someone like Michael Vick ever come to exist?

Are we really ready to have that conversation? Do we dare explore how a young man of such unique athletic gifts and such obvious on-field marketing appeal was allowed to turn into just another unfortunate mug shot and potential ruined life? How did that remarkable athlete get a $100 million contract with the Falcons, become Nike's poster boy, rake in endorsements ..., then find himself on the verge of blowing it all because of an incredible tale that seems to come straight out of some hardcore gangsta rap video?

... The ultimate symbols of black athletes in our society used to be men of substance and positive image. Men with social conscience and resolve such as Jackie Robinson, Curt Flood, Jim Brown, ... They carried a burden and deep-rooted responsibility to portray themselves with a sense of dignity, pride and purpose. Even ... rebels such as Muhammad Ali ... stood for something more meaningful than a multimillion-dollar shoe deal.

But somewhere between Jackie Robinson and Michael Vick, ... "Street cred" became the anthem of the modern black athlete, this misguided notion that the only way to appeal to the young demographic of the sneaker-buying public was to adopt the negative attitudes of the thug life popularized by black hip-hop/gangster rappers. ...

[Raymann]

Did you miss the part about them killing one of the dogs by throwing water on it and then electocuting it, or throwing one down on the ground to kill it. They don’t just enjoy the fights, but the cruelty of them, apparently. Is that an appropriate part of culture?

No I didn’t and no it isn’t. But find in there some facts about where someone’s rights were violated…then I’d agree with you.

[balch3]

when leftists smear FR as a kook site, posts like yours are what they point to.

[rattrap]

You are a disgusting POS.

[Dysart]

Not sure if this has been posted here, and at this point maybe just speculation or rumor, but apparently an Antl Journal Const reporter was heard to say on ESPN today that he believes Vick will be released this week.

Now I find that very hard to believe because of the dumb loyalty Blank has shown over the yrs, and the huge cap hit he would take if he releases him at this juncture.

[Huck]

allowed to turn into ...find himself on the verge ..."

As if Vick had nothing to do with it.

[thegreatmalcolmx]

“The ultimate symbols of black athletes in our society used to be men of substance and positive image”

What a crock. Jim Brown is a racist. Jackie Robinson was a racist. Muhammad Ali was a degenerate draft dodger glorified by the socialists of our country.

[Lucas McCain]

"All God’s creatures have right to be treated humanely..."

My perspective is slightly different than yours. I strongly believe that animals do not have rights. I believe that can be supported both by reason and Scripture. Does that mean we are free to abuse animals, as another poster has stated? Absolutely not! I strongly believe that we should treat animals humanely. Not because of their alleged rights, but because of our God given duty.

[Raymann]

Nice rational arguments guys.

Just for next time though, how about making your arguments a bit more complicated then ‘just cause’.

[windsorknot]

Please classify that life form, please.

[Joe 6-pack]

"I was in Thailand recently on business and took in a monkey chain mace fight. They are NOT to be missed!"

I would argue that you just haven't lived until you've seen a banana slug fight. Once they're dropped into the ring together, the tension is palpable as they ooze slime and slowly crawl aimlessly, extending and retracting their eye stalks. Eventually they bump into each other, and then the action gets really hot as they gulp air through their pneumostomes and continue to ooze slime as they wander aimlessly about looking for decaying vegetation as the crowd watches intently, eating their Doritos with strains of Pink Floyd playing in the background....

[ARridgerunner]

Vick And all those who support him and revel in animal blood "sport" should be imprisoned.

Dogfighting is extremely cruel and a true perversion. Hardly entertaining except for those with minds that tend to demonic.

BTW, You're the best justification for the animal rights crowd I've ever seen. A beast, yourself.

[AzaleaCity5691]

You realize that your argument could be used later on to ban hunting, right?

Fishing too?

Consider that PETA is the main interest group that is pushing this. No one else is. It is PETA and the media is giving them a firestorm because alot of people didn’t like Vick anyway, actually no one did unless they lived in Atlanta or Virginia because everyone had to play against him at some point. The fact that it is PETA who is screaming the loudest, makes you question the motives.

[beelzepug]

“My perspective is slightly different than yours.”

Nor really - I just phrased it a little differently, that’s all. Man was given dominion over the animals, agreed. With that comes the responsibility to treat those animals with compassion to the extent required, even those, as I stated, we intend to use as food. Most especially the animals you take into your home to be companions should be treated with care. I’m not an animal rights nut but every dog I’ve ever had was special and gave me every bit as love much as I gave him.

[normy]

Sure. There are humane standards and laws protecting domesticated animals. I honestly never understood the Cockfighting problem since chickens are used for food. Domesticated mammals have a higher standing in our culture than other animals. You cant just set your cat or dog on fire in the parking lot because you want to.

[ARridgerunner]

Hunting and fishing as sport cannot be compared in any way to dogfighting.

PETA does have an agenda. Ingrid Newkirk was bitten once by a pitbull and hates the breed. PETA doesn't hate dogfighting so much as it hates the APBT.

[Lovely-Day-For-A-Guinness]

I long for the days of Barry Sanders and Walter Payton. Score a touchdown, hand the ball to the ref and get off the field. None of this “Look at how great I am” crap.

It all started with Cassius Clay, his glorification by Cossell, and transmitting his classless posturing nationwide via television.

[normy]

Guys like Jim Brown but more so Jackie Robinson had a legit beef. I recently heard that Larry Johnson, RB for the KC Chiefs, was happy to have Herm Edwards as a coach because as a black man he didn't like to be ordered around by a white coach.

This punk went to college, his dad was a coach at Penn State his whole life. This is PC liberal crap giving spoiled kids the ok to bitch, nothing is their fault. guys like Vick and Johnson are more like extremely spoiled brats than poor victims of white oppression (not that you were saying that.)

[vox humana]

Raymann, you are one sick puppy. Pun intended. Mental illness can be treated. Please seek help.

[Raymann]

Domesticated mammals have a higher standing in our culture than other animals.

Ok, but does that give animals rights? I don't understand how a creature that does not have any rights gets protection from his owners right to do with his property as he pleases.

[normy]

Because the torture and killing of anything at the hands of its owner is inhumane.

Look, the dog catcher catches a dog and puts it in the dog pound. If that dog is not adopted the dog pound will kill the dog. It will not rip it limb from limb or set it on fire or skin it alive, even if workers want to do that. Its inhumane or inhuman to treat animals with such viciousness whether they are your property or not.