In an example of how barbaric some human beings can be, football star Michael Vick faced an arraignment today after being indicted on conspiring to sponsor dog fights and travel between states for unlawful activity. While the judge allowed Vick and three other indicted co-conspirators to remain free without bail, the NFL has told Vick not to report to training camp. That’s the right thing to do, but in today’s world, when we know cruelty to animals is a gateway to potential serious violent crime against humans, let’s hope charges like this bench that man for good.
Falcons’ Vick Free Without Bail in Dog-Fighting Case
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick pleaded not guilty and was allowed to remain free without posting bail as he faces charges he and three other men operated an interstate dog-fighting ring at a house he owned in Virginia.
U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson in Richmond, Virginia, made the bail rulings today, allowing all four men to stay out of jail before a trial without bond. They will return to court Oct. 1.
A grand jury indicted Vick, 27, Purnell Peace, 35, Quanis Phillips, 28, and Tony Taylor, 34, on July 17, charging them with conspiring to sponsor dog fights and to travel between states for unlawful activities. The men ran a dog-fighting operation at a property in Smithfield, Virginia, that Vick bought for the purpose in 2001, prosecutors said. All pleaded not guilty…
Vick bought the Virginia property that became “Bad Newz Kennels” about two months after signing a six-year, $62 million contract with the Falcons in May 2001, according to the indictment. The property had training areas and housed pit bulls the men bought to train and use in dog fights, the government charged.
Participants established purses as high as $26,000 for the fights, which lasted until the death or surrender of the losing dog, prosecutors said in the indictment…
Losing dogs and those that showed little promise as fighters were sometimes drowned, hanged, shot or electrocuted, they said.
And they call the dogs “animals.”
The Humane Society has a couple of projects involved with this situation. First, they want you to keep the heat on the NFL about Vick, and they’re working to get Nike to cancel their contract with him. The less money this monster has, the less harm he’ll be able to do to the most innocent among us.
Related Links:
The Humane Society
Pit Bull Rescue Central
Sporting News: Falcons’ focus is anywhere but training camp
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Camp draws the curious and the furious
I think the Vick case is listed easily under “Malignant Narcissism” as well! Only a narcissist would behave so blatantly regarding a crime, because of course, a narcissist thinks he can do no wrong, as if he is operates in a vacuum, as if a whole world does not exist outside of him. This trait of narcissists: “invisibility/invincibility” would be hilarious if it were not so despicable! Think Scott Peterson. There is nothing in Vick’s behavior or commentary that indicates he is innocent of these charges. He could have come forward months ago, not just proclaiming innocence or guilt by association, but expressing how much he loves animals. But, he couldn’t do that for obvious reasons. That this is going to be a “hard fought” case is to be expected. This whole thing could be called “Son of OJ,” (Who, even as I write this is, of course, on the golf course somewhere looking for the “real killer.”) Let’s hope that at the very least an outcome of this very high visibility trial will be that a very much maligned and abused dog breed, pit bulls, aka American Staffordshire Terriers, can find some protection and peace. Vick in an orange jumpsuit would be a huge bonus! But, Scott Peterson went down after all. And, he had a high profile attorney as well. Sometimes the truth is stronger than a narcissist’s pipe dream.
After years of watching college and pro athletes get away with various crimes, I’m not the least bit surprised. Universities are recruiting known criminals in order to win games. The world is upside down.
Vick had heavy protection entering court today, why ? Where was protection for the dogs ? The lack of compassion for a helpless creature is a definite sign of a very serious mental disorder.
Between the botulism and this monster, it’s been kind of embarrassing to live in Georgia the past couple of weeks — I have the strange urge to apologize for all of us! 🙂
Unless you are an NFL fan, you may not have known that Vick has become an increasing problem here the past couple of years. Sadly, my lifelong pro-football lust continues to decline as the thug culture takes it over like it overtook the NBA. I’ve understood the Falcons’ desire to keep trying to wait him out and straighten him up, just as a matter of covering their investment. But at this point, I don’t see how Arthur Blank or Vick’s teammates can even look at him long enough to spit on him.
It has been interesting to watch the race game play out. A couple of the old bears crawled out and got their faces on the news again and a few “protesters” (of what, the ones standing at the Capitol bldg downtown couldn’t really say) have gathered to make noise, but the animal rights contingent — and just PEOPLE — put that to a quick end. Then one of our local sportscasters was interviewed on a national program. He was asked if this was being addressed as a “black-white issue” in Atlanta. He shot back, “This is not a race issue; this is an IQ issue!” Amen! If he had added it’s a “soul” issue, too, I would’ve shouted out twice. J
ROR on something like that, especially with the financial resources of an NFL player, is completely ridiculous and incomprehensible. The purpose of bail is supposed to be securing someone’s presence for trial: what exactly is now preventing Michael Vick from hopping the next flight to the nearest country with no extradition treaty?
The Vick news came on the TV in the vet hospital’s emergency office this evening. Appropriate that Tammy has something on this. But I need your prayers. Or, Lady does.
Lady is my 16-year-old daughter’s dog; her Dad/my husband gave Lady to her for her 6th birthday, July 23, 1997. Lady’s spleen is tumored or ruptured. Either way it doesn’t look good. If it is only a bleeding spleen, she lives. But chances are, they tell me 80%, that it is a tumor and fatal. We’ll know midday tomorrow ET. Great Border Collie, licked your face when you cried. She had a bout of depression last summer when my husband suddenly died. So, you see, the teen doesn’t need another loss. They’ve eliminated pet food (thanks to Tammy for telling me to ask!).
Disgusting that people like Vick can do what he did to such precious little beings that come our way.
Pray for Lady. See you online/blog tomorrow.
I was actually surprised to hear that he is suspended from the NFL. However, it’s not enough. He should have to rot in a cage, not much bigger than the ones that his dogs spent their lives in. He should not be allowed to walk until his next court date. I am glad to hear that he at least was charged. However, cruel acts towards animals should not be treated any lesser than those against human beings. Granted, the animals cannot speak, but they are still living, breathing, beings. This low life piece of scum should rot. I am glad to see the involvement of the Human Society as well as many other groups and organizations that to lend a voice to animals.
Ever wonder how Vick would have done against Dick Butkis in his prime? After the first time the “highly mobile slab of concrete” sacked him, he probably would have had to be put down. A rather pleasant thought.
Conversation in the vet hospital waiting room centered on Vick (again). A couple went into the race card aspect. I was stunned. She said, “rural whites say that rural African Americans just don’t do the dog fighting right”. This convinced the woman-in-couple think it was all racial (never mind, cruel). I was too other-focused to point out to her that Surry, VA where Vick has his property isn’t exactly a totally poor, rural, black-white stereotypical little town. You see, the real problem here is Vick was too stupid to realize (1) you don’t do this, period, and (2) if you do, you don’t do it across the river from PETA headquarters (in Norfolk, VA). Vick is just double-stupid. Lucky for his future animals he is and moved where he did; I don’t like PETA but I think his activity would not have become too broadly known had it not been for them nearby.
Lady Update: she had two nodules on her spleen and may have at least one on her liver. Her life will be guarded and shorter than anticipated. But isn’t that true of some of us? She’ll spend August with chemotherapy. Not happy but not as devastated as last night. Thanks for the blog. Back to the hospital tonight for one more overnight. Hope to avoid further Vick-watch.
One good thing that comes out of this is the vast negative exposure dogfighting is getting and the overwhelming public outcry against it. I hope the judicial system is listening. Political correctness has allowed this uncivilized behavior to become common practice in the inner city. Inner city dog pounds are predominantly filled with pit bulls. Police, prosecutors, judges, and the media have all been reluctant to expose or aggressively condemn animal abuse and dog fighting due to racial sensitivities. This is not a racial issue, but in the minds of the nauseating politically correct, everything is.
I was aggravated and sadly not surprised when a friend sent me this link: (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=dw-vickhearing072607&prov=yhoo&type=lgns) to a story written by Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports, entitled “Racial Divide”. Mr. Wetzel suggests that the crowds outside of the courthouse were racially divided. And perhaps, there was some of that. However, focusing on that, bring that in the limelight, is a mistake.
Here is an excerpt of that article:
“…Not long after Vick got inside the courthouse – and in a scene that was repeated when he left less than two hours later – the two sides clashed in shouted voices and dueling signs.
White people screaming for justice; black people asking if they still remember everything justice entails.
That a case involving dog fighting can break so quickly along racial lines is a testament to how it bubbles below just about everything in this country. We all wish it wasn’t so, including both sides here. No one wanted this. Almost no one even wanted to acknowledge it. But it was there, plain as day in black and white.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a racial thing,” said David Williams, an African American, in a hopeful tone. “It’s not racial. But for these animal rights people to take one person and crucify him isn’t fair.”
The thing is, the “animal rights people” here were an estimated 90 percent white. The pro-Vick/due process crowd was probably 95 percent black.
Obviously, both animal rights advocates and due process proponents come in all colors. And certainly a circus show like this, revved up by a massive media presence, isn’t representative of America.
But, then again, I also know what I saw and what I heard.
“They are not going to give the man a chance?” Williams said. “You’re innocent until proven guilty. He hasn’t even had a trial yet.”
There should be two undeniable, 100 percent agreed upon truths concerning this case: First, dog fighting is a barbaric felony and whoever participated in it on Vick’s property should get hammered by the justice system.
Second, Vick deserves the right to defend against the charges. The indictment cites four “cooperating witnesses,” but presuming each is a dog fighter himself, potentially facing prosecution unless they rolled on Vick, who and how reliable are they?
That said, the U.S. Attorney’s office is known for its detail and diligence – this isn’t some hack county prosecutor like the Duke lacrosse case. They rarely lose, so the challenge for Vick is serious and significant. But he has the right to fight.
“This is going to be a hard-fought trial,” agreed Billy Martin, Vick’s attorney.”…
*****
I wrote back with the following comment:
This is not a racial issue, nor should it be turned in to one. This is about the heinous issue of dog fighting, and mankind’s cruelty to another living creature. It doesn’t matter whose skin color is what. What matters is that animals have suffered at the hands of man.
Yes, Michael Vick should have his day in court, as is the right of all US Citizens. However, if he’s guilty, then I believe he should be punished to the full extent of the law. I also believe that today’s laws in regards to animal abuse and dog fighting are pathetic. We are in dire need of much stricter laws, and serious penalties for such heinous acts. It’s a well known fact that mass-murderer Jeffrey Dahmer started out abusing animals. People who abuse animals will eventually hurt people. And it is my strong belief that dog fighting is one of the strongest forms of abuse than any animal can suffer from.
Also, if Michael Vick is convicted, then I believe that he should permanently be banned from the NFL. In a perfect world, Athletes should be role models for young people. However, as we well know, this is not a perfect world, and many of today’s athletes are terrible role models for young people around the world.
The only “good” thing to come out of this awful story is that people (including politicians and lawmakers) are now very much aware about the horrors of the despicable act of dog fighting as well as animal abuse. Perhaps now, we’ll get stricter and better laws. After all, a dog is supposedly “man’s best friend”. We owe it to them to protect them, and all animals from cruelty and abuse.
Sincerely,
AGM
*****
Bringing the Race issue into this case is the worst thing that can happen. It will detract from the true case. This is about 4 individuals who “allegedly” were part of a dog fighting ring, and the dogs that were abused, tortured and killed. That is all, nothing more and nothing less.
After trial, assuming conviction, how could the NFL not expel this brute from the league? Don’t we frequently hear that the serial killers torture small animals? What should we make of this?
Now let’s see…they found dead dogs, dog training equipment, maimed caged dogs and he was seen placing bets, all on his property. Now let’s see, if it walks like a duck, looks like a duck etc. gee wheez it must be a duck. He is as guilty as the sin he committed. By the by, they always play the race card when there is nothing else.
Latest from Saturday’s Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
“Nike, Reebok, Card Company Sack Vick”
http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/falcons/stories/2007/07/27/vickjerseys_0728.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab
“Vick Co-defendant Strikes Deal”
http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/falcons/stories/2007/07/27/0728plea.html#
If this is all true, Vick is a despicable person. But we’ve seen people tried in the press in the past. At first, I thought the Duke Rugby players were despicable too. Granted, from what we hear on the news, this doesn’t look promising for Vick and he probably is an abominable excuse for a human being. We can’t convict yet. Given the strong circumstantial evidence circulating in the press, the NFL is doing the right thing.