seriously i dont think what he did was THAT bad..i mean i dont agree with animal cruelty and yeah he should be punished for conspiring to support a gambling ring, but it is absolutely ridiculous that he is being painted in such a horrible light for these actions. People are seriously overreacting to this. The rodeo is time honored tradition in Texas but is so chalk full of animal cruelty its not even funny. I understand what he did was wrong, but the fact that hes being made out to look like some kind of serial killer makes you wonder why. Personally I think its a race thing. Its another chance to bash a guy who is a 'thug'. You know its funny, they had his plea bargain admittal today, the day of the Falcons first home preseason game on MNF. They have his sentencing on the day when the saints go to atl for a monday night game. I dont think thats a coincidence. It gives the media more opportunities to bash him and to make people feel a certain way towards him. I just dont think its as big of a deal as the world seems to make it.
I own two dogs who are like children to me. I am disgusted and angry with Vick and think he deserves to go to jail. He also deserves a second chance in life. The scale of outrage over him is disproportionate, if understandable, in my judgment. Society is getting out the pitchforks and torches for the wrong issues. See: Shredded, U.S. Constitution.
Who the hell is Nike trying to fool? They've got sweat shop labor rackets (some allegedly involving child labor) all over the globe and they're offended by dog fighting? Get the hell out of here. Hey Nike, if you guys are so self-righteous, what's up with abandoning Indonesia as soon as they start getting some semi-respectable labor laws? Seriously, Nike. Who the hell are you kidding?
And animal rights activists protest it every single year. However, it's hard to get people to care about the animals they've programmed themselves to believe don't feel pain so that they can go on enjoying eating them. People do love their dogs though.
Out of curiosity, what is the point of the usual one or two 'well we kill for food' posts that pop up in these threads? I don't understand their purpose. Also, the 'apology' is pretty lame but you guys can't honestly expect a man who was so fully involved in this - clearly enough to not realize how it was 'wrong' in the first place - to suddenly gain that ability. He'll probably never understand what is wrong with him. A look at the quote from his mom goes a long way toward explaining that.
Brutal culture of US dog fighting By Laura Smith-Spark BBC News, Washington http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6960788.stm Star quarterback Michael Vick's guilty plea on dog fighting charges has shone a light on a vicious blood sport that appears to be thriving in the US. Evidence gathered by animal welfare groups suggests that, despite the fact dog fighting is illegal in all 50 US states, it is both widespread and growing. An estimated 40,000 people in the US are thought to be involved in "professional" dog fighting, using some 250,000 dogs. These dog fighters train their pit bull terriers for maximum aggression before putting them in the ring to fight matches, publicised by underground networks. Crowds watch and often place bets as the dogs, their jaws trained to grip ferociously hard, seek to tear each other apart for an hour or more. As much as $100,000 (£50,000) can be staked on a fight between champion dogs, according to the Humane Society of the United States. The dog that wins will live to fight again. But the loser is likely either to die from blood loss, shock and injury, or be killed by its owner as no longer profitable. Meanwhile, tens of thousands more people - often gang members - take part in so-called street fighting, where dogs are pitted against each other in impromptu bouts in alleys or empty buildings. Dogs 'executed' Court papers in Vick's case expose some of the brutality involved in a practice that seems to be concentrated in America's South and eastern states. The American footballer and three others, all of whom have agreed plea deals, are accused of running an organised dog fighting operation called Bad Newz Kennels over several years. When Vick's property in Virginia was raided, 54 pit bull terriers were found, some with apparent dog fighting injuries, as well as training equipment like a treadmill and a stick used to pry open dogs' jaws. The men took their prize dogs across state lines for matches on which thousands of dollars were wagered, court documents say. Vick has denied betting on the fights but admits bankrolling them. Three of the men, including Vick, also "executed" several dogs that did not perform well in training, by hanging, drowning, electrocution and slamming them to the ground. Animal welfare groups point out that the 54 dogs found by the authorities will almost certainly have to be put down too. Although properly-raised pit bull terriers can make good pets, according to reputable Georgia breeder Tara Vickers, fighting dogs - having been trained to attack other animals - are impossible to re-house safely. In the UK, the breeding, sale or exchange of pit bull terriers is banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and people who already own pit bulls must keep them muzzled and on a lead in public. Gang culture No-one knows what motivated 27-year-old Vick, with his multi-million dollar American football contract, to venture into the murky world of dog fighting. Dog fighting has become popular in gang culture -John Goodwin, Humane Society of the United States But there is evidence to suggest that its growth nationally is related to its adoption as a part of violent street culture. John Goodwin, an expert on animal fighting for the Humane Society, says one way to track the prevalence of dog fighting is to monitor the number of pit bulls coming into animal rescue shelters. Whereas 15 years ago 2-3% of the dogs brought in were pit bulls, the breed now makes up 30% of the total nationally and 50% in some areas, he said. One shelter in Mississippi reported taking in 300 pit bulls, of which 60% had scars indicating they had fought. "Urban areas are where a lot of the growth has been and the shelters get inundated with the castaways from dog fighting," Mr Goodwin said. "Dog fighting has become popular in gang culture." He cites a study by the Chicago Police Department, which found that of 332 people arrested over three years for dog fighting and animal cruelty, three-fifths had known gang affiliations. Of course, many pit bulls, particularly in the rural South, do not make it into shelters, Mr Goodwin adds, because the owners simply kill them if they are no longer of use. Pumped with steroids Life as a fighting dog is neither pleasant nor long, according to investigations by animal welfare groups such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) and the Humane Society. Pit bull puppies bred by an organised operation will be taunted to make them more vicious and kept chained and hungry. They will be forced to run on treadmills with "bait" animals such as cats dangled in front of them - the reward usually being to maul them afterwards - and encouraged to hang by their jaws from chains to strengthen their bite. Their strength built up, they then progress to "test" fights against older animals. Only the young dogs that display sufficient aggression and "gameness" - the willingness to carry on fighting even when exhausted and bleeding - will be used in competitive matches. The others are usually culled. The fights, staged in a small, square enclosed pit, can last an hour or more. Some breeders cut off their dogs' ears so that rivals cannot bite onto them, file their teeth to make them sharper and pump them with steroids, said Dahpna Nachminovitch, of Peta. While the dogs keep winning, they can earn their owners thousands of dollars in gambling profits and by producing puppies with a "desirable" bloodline. But pit bulls that lose or give up in the ring will not normally live long, either dying from their injuries or being despatched by their owners. 'Power and control' So how do dog fighters justify the suffering caused to their animals? Dr Randall Lockwood, a psychologist and senior vice president of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, says that historically dog fighters did not see the dogs as sentient, feeling creatures, but did profess to care for them. However, he says, there seems to have been a shift recently towards more brutal and vengeful treatment of the animals as dog fighting has been increasingly adopted by gang culture. "Part of the psychology of dog fighting is the same as other forms of animal cruelty - a lot of it is about power and control," he said. Add to this the dog fighter's identification with his animal in the ring - and desire to win "bragging rights" - and the scope for violence is great. "The dog fighter sees his dog's victory as having a direct reflection on his strength and manliness, which I think is one of the reasons that we see brutal treatment of animals that don't perform well," Dr Lockwood said. "The failure of the animal is seen as a personal failure, an embarrassment, and something where you need to prove your strength and dominance by getting even." Strong penalties Those convicted of dog fighting in the US face up to five years in prison and a possible $250,000 fine. But the problem for the authorities is tracking down either the secretive organized networks or the individuals involved in street fights. Law enforcement officials are cracking down on dog fighting, in part because of frequent links to drugs and other organized crime, said Mr Goodwin. But the entertainment some find in its brutality - and more importantly the money involved - still make it irresistible to many people. "If you have $100,000 bet on two grand champion dogs that are fighting, someone is going to win big and someone is going to lose big," Mr Goodwin said. "But there is a potential for financial gain - that's why there have to be strong penalties there to discourage people."
they're fooling a lot of people......People (mostly in America) care more about Vick killing dogs than child labor/sweat shops in Asia.....They'll probably lose more consumers by keeping Vick than they've lost because of sweat shops in Asia.
By the way, I'm aware that the main thing they "got him on" was interstate commerce for the purpose of gambling... or whatever legalese they give it... conspiring... That was the charge... but the greatest of the cruelty involved the animals. Oh, and the post about "we eat animals" is to show the irony of the human... we condemn things when they are not as convenient to the whole, yet ignore things equally as horrible (especially to the animals themselves) when it is done for a more accepted purpose in society. And I agree also that the statement his mother gave gives a great deal of insight into his surroundings growing up. Parents that say things like that cannot possibly know that teaching your kids to obey the law, and respect all life are NORMAL things to teach. If I commit major crimes, I guarantee you that while my parents may not get on national TV to do it, they would tell me straight to my face that I was raised better... that I was raised to respect the law. Law is law. I also can promise you that I never killed an animal for the "rush" of it... not even on a hunting trip. I hunted, but never got a kill... mainly because I saw no point in destroying a life that I did not need to take in order to survive myself. I can buy beef and chicken at the local meat market (ironic isn't it). See? It's about what's acceptable. Killing animals, that are mostly kept as pets, for a thrill, and in the atmosphere of turning a profit at the animal's demise... that's a little more than not right.
I'm all about forgiveness. He showed contrition in his news conference. I think that's great. But I'm guessing you haven't read much or seen much of dogfighting and how these animals are trained. And I'm thinking you've forgotten that included in all of this was his involvement in torturing and killing dogs that didn't perform. Hanging them...drowning them...electrocuting them...smashing their heads to the ground.
