vick-dog fighting

[SuzySunshine]

I'm all for him getting the worst punishment that is coming to him. I think the fact that the NFL hasn't taken a stand yet is shameful.

BUT I also think that the NFL needs to look at the rest of their policies. Vick gets punished for dog fighting but other players don't get punished for abusing their wives or girlfriends?

Screwy!

[Vanquisher]

Seriously...it's dogs. I just can't care.

[GrayMatterWife]

Seriously...it's dogs. I just can't care.

I'd be with you, if it were CATS.

Cats...the other white meat, known as roadkill.

[GrayMatterWife]

A society should not be judged on how it treats its outstanding citizens but by how it treats its criminals.--Fydor Dostoevesky

I think that it would be a proper extension of this logic to say that a man should not be judged on how he treats those who are capable of self-defense but by how he treats those upon whom he could prey.

It is reconciling these two ideas that is difficult. How should we treat someone who so blatantly lacks mercy himself?

[SuzySunshine]

Seriously...it's dogs. I just can't care.

You're right it's dogs and we all know you love them. IMO that's not the point, the point is he broke the law and is paying for it so why aren't NFL players that break other laws (i.e. assault) paying for it?

[Vanquisher]

Seriously...it's dogs. I just can't care.

You're right it's dogs and we all know you love them. IMO that's not the point, the point is he broke the law and is paying for it so why aren't NFL players that break other laws (i.e. assault) paying for it?

ITA that other laws that are broken should be paid for. I think that if an NFL player has broken the law and found guilty of any felony offense, they should not be able to play in the NFL ever again, PERIOD. For the amount of money that they make and the amount of children and people that look up to them, they do nothing to promote or endorse the integrity of the NFL when they are involved in illicit activities.

What irks me is that everyone seems more upset at the dogfighting thing than when people have been hurt in the past by players.

I am not saying that Vick is a role model, but I just can't get that worked up over dogfighting as a serious crime. Would I do it? No, and you all know that I really HATE dogs, but I don't equate them with people. I think that a DUI offense is much more aggregious, and people/players seem to get away with that all the time with barely a wrist slap.

Bottom line: You do bad things, your priveledge and right to play is GONE. I think Vick should be suspended from football, but so should a lot of other players.

[SuzySunshine]

What irks me is that everyone seems more upset at the dogfighting thing than when people have been hurt in the past by players.

Bottom line: You do bad things, your priveledge and right to play is GONE. I think Vick should be suspended from football, but so should a lot of other players.

ITA!

[Stella]

*stepping away now because I do think it matters that it was dogs*

[DCJenn]

It matters that it's dogs OR cats because there are bazillions of stories and studies out there that clearly indicate that animal abuse is one stepping stone to abuse of people. It would matter if it were iguanas or snakes for that matter.

It's all about socialization, people.

Now, those people who are crazy animal lovers, and I count myself as one, sometimes lose the forest for the trees. Of course it's awful that he did these things to animals who at one point in their pathetically short lives were innocents- but think about this for a minute. What was he like to people he cared about. How did he get angry? If you can strangle a 50 pound snarling and angry dog, what can you do to a 20 pound toddler who won't stop crying? or the elderly person who just crapped in their pants? or you wife who is pissed off because you were out late again.

That's the scary thing.

and I really wish EVERYONE was held to the same standards- doctors, lawyers, professional athletes, movie stars and rock stars. But they aren't because money will always be able to buy people out of trouble until they do something so heinous to themselve or others that people can't look the other way anymore.

The tragedy of the Britney/lindsay/Paris/Nicole garbage isn't that they became law-breakers, it's that people sat around and watched while they became fodder for the tabloids. They were allowed to spiral out of control because it was 'exposure'.

Vick took the deal, he'll serve some time, he'll get out and probably never play again in the NFL. But this country is so enamoured of the 'outlaw' that I can guarantee you that he'll be on Maury Povich and Montel Williams and all of the other secnod tier interview shows when he peddles his best seller. the proceed of which OF COURSE will go to the Humane Society. (in part, the bigger part will go to pay off the legal team)

Jenn

[Stella]

... and THIS is why I love you so much, Jenn.

Verbatim, everything you said, ITA.

[pstone]

To me the point is we don't want to tackle the larger problems in our society. It is therefore easy to point at dog fighting and say awful, throw away the key. We don't want to tackle thug culture, declining education, lack of or even a decline in highly educated Americans. We don't want to admit we as a society pay sports starts millions and millions while Microsoft has to higher foreign scientists and highly technical workers. We don't want to talk about how boys are failing miserably in our society, less go to college than ever, less graduate from high school.

Dog fighting is horrible, but what about boxing? or all the other gladiator sports....we are so Rome...so in decline...

[rainbabies]

what jenn said.

[Flynn]

It matters that it's dogs OR cats because there are bazillions of stories and studies out there that clearly indicate that animal abuse is one stepping stone to abuse of people. It would matter if it were iguanas or snakes for that matter.

It's all about socialization, people.
Jenn

ITA!

[Urowife]

I think what gets me upset about the dog fighting thing which makes me so angry is that people (who do have control over their actions) are taking innocent animals and forcing them to participate in something that they have no control over. They are raising them from a young age to act a certain way, but these dogs have no control over that; they have no choice. Boxing is different. Although still a violent sport, the fighters involved have control over whether or not they want to participate. The dogs don't.

[DrWahoo]

I'm sorry in an era where child molestors get off and we kill innocent fetuses I am with Vanquisher. Many NFL players and other sports stars beat their wives and get to play sports again. I do not think someone should be deprived over their livelyhood for a mistake that they pay their debt to society for. Ray Lewis a Baltimore Raven was convicted of obstruction of justice in a murder case and he is back playing in the NFL. Also I talked to a USDA agent who says that in beef slaughter houses they electrocute cows just as Vick supposedly electorcuted dogs.