Current caretaker of Michael Vick's surviving dogs releases a statement

[CreekDog]

(edited for copyright purposes proud patriot Moderator Democratic Underground)

Michael Vick & the Value Proposition
November 18, 2010 - By Francis Battista - Best Friends Animal Society

LA Times sports reporter Bill Plaschke wrote a compelling piece for yesterday’s paper on the resurgence of Michael Vick as an NFL quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles. Plaschke interviewed the caregiver of Mel, a pit bull and former resident of Best Friends Animal Society—and one of Vick’s former canine victims. Powerful stuff. Plaschke’s article boils down to is this question:

“Essentially, an ex-convict is dominating America’s most popular sport while victims of his previous crime continue to live with the brutality of that crime, and has that ever happened before?

Do you cheer the player and boo the man? Can you cheer the comeback while loathing the actions that necessitated the comeback? And how can you do any of this while not knowing if Vick has truly discovered morality or simply rediscovered the pocket?”

From what we at Best Friends know of the way Michael Vick has related to the animals he abused, the answer is clearly that he has “simply rediscovered the pocket.” Best Friends took 22 of Vick’s 48 seized dogs and the only contact we’ve received from Vick or his representatives was by way of some overtures from his agent, one of his attorneys and a PR firm specializing in reputation rehabilitation. They were interested in some public glad handing that would put Vick in a favorable light with the NFL, which at the time was still considering whether or not to reinstate him. We declined.

(snip)

http://blogs.bestfriends.org/index.php/2010/11/18/michael-vick-the-value-proposition/

[hlthe2b]

1. Bookmarking for the next time I am "demanded" to forgive Vick

by his sycophantic NFL fans.

K&R

[Liberal Veteran]

2. Being good at sports means instant forgiveness....

....and an express ticket into heaven, no matter how vile your crime was.

[Recursion]

5. OTOH, why should football fans be denied the ability to watch him play

just because he's a complete shithead?

[MindandSoul]

7. At least, he should be given a sizeable share of his fans' money to the cause of

abused and abandonned pets.

[Dr.Phool]

8. What we deserve to see, for Thanksgiving

Is a lineman give him the old "Turkey Jones Spike", that Joe "Turkey" Jones of the Cleveland Browns gave Terry Bradshaw back in '76.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-dwkco7uuM

[Recursion]

10. Ah yes... the kind of hit the NFL fines players $50K for...

...but then plays incessantly on the promo reels.

[blondeatlast]

37. So true... nt

[AndrewP]

31. +1 exactly

He can stick it as far as I'm concerned

[Kalyke]

33. Amen, hlthe2b!

What am I supposed to be forgiving him for, again?

:grr:

[Howler]

3. The Truth plain and simple!!!

No there is NO defense for what Vick is and has done. PERIOD.
The man shouldn't be allowed to play in the N.F.L or anywhere else.
As I said before I will never forget nor forgive Micheal Vick for who and what he is or what he did to those animals.

[lunatica]

4. I don't care about forgiveness. Just keep him away from animals

[alittlelark]

6. Best Friends has been one of my favorite charities

for 16 or so years. They do great work.

[TBF]

15. I haven't been able to visit the sanctuary yet, but I have a friend

who did and said they are just as amazing in person as you'd expect. They will keep those dogs forever even if they can't rehabilitate them, and let them live out their lives in peace. That is something Michael Vick would've prevented and quite frankly I don't have an ounce of forgiveness for that guy. The thought of him being seen as a role model to young people makes me ill.

[sellitman]

9. I am a HUGE Giants fan and will not watch tonights game because Vic is in it.

I will never watch a game he plays in. Even if he made it to the Super Bowl.

[Coventina]

11. Once a sociopath, always a sociopath. Wouldn't trust him with

any animal or child alone and unsupervised.

The only thing he learned is that some of his actions had negative consequences. Let's all hope it is a lesson that will stick with him and prevent him from doing any harm to another creature for the rest of his sorry life.

[bluedigger]

12. Anybody want to bet Best Friends sees a significant increase in donations this week.

I'm fine with that, and with them putting the focus on ongoing animal abuses.

[Dystopian]

13. KandR.

peace~

[Papagoose]

14. I'm curious if there is anything Vick could do to earn the forgiveness of those holding out

I have forgiven Vick, because it is in my nature to forgive. My forgiveness of Vick does not mean that I think what he did was okay, and should he ever return to his former life, I would be heartbroken.

I have friends who say that they will never forgive him, that he doesn't deserve a second chance, that he can never rise above the criminal that he was or still is in their words).

Forgiveness and second chances for all people, rich or poor, powerful or weak - this is one of the characteristics that defines me and I think defines being a liberal.

[hlthe2b]

16. the posted article pretty much lays it out...

Most want to be convinced his "contrition" is sincere and not simply a manipulation to get himself back in the world of NFL big earners.

[CreekDog]

19. Oh I don't know how about 1) Ask 2) Show remorse

0 for 2 so far. :eyes:

I have bigger concerns.

[Papagoose]

20. Really?

The guy has done both, tenfold.

Does he need to travel the country, knocking on 300 million doors?

[blondeatlast]

38. Both? Tenfold? Do tell. nt

[Obamanaut]

42. So you have forgiven him for the evil he perpetrated on creatures who

were unable to avoid that evil. Good for you.

If animals, upon which cruelty is inflicted, are capable of forgiveness, those are the ones to offer that forgiveness. But they cannot. He might consider visiting with all those victims and sitting with them, perhaps they might accept some petting from him. Wouldn't that be something.

I read somewhere that a dog knows the difference between being stumbled over and being kicked in the ribs. I think it's time to pay a visit to all the surviving victims and let him find out if it's true.

[Mad_Dem_X]

46. +100

[Greyhound]

44. Well making an effort would be a good start, something which he has failed to do.

Forgiving an unrepentant sociopath has nothing to do with being a liberal.

[SammyWinstonJack]

17. K&R

[emilyg]

18. k/r - I'm so happy

the Falcons didn't take him back.

[Still a Democrat]

21. The man paid his debt

Jail time, loss of a huge NFL contract, statements of apology and regret, community service, the list goes on.

Let's let him make a living. As for individuals forgiving him, that's up to them.

[northernlights]

25. nobody's stopping him from playing. just quit ordering us to "forgive" "move on" "get over it" ....

not you, personally. But the articles, the threads that ignore Vick's victims just as much as Vick has ignored them.

He had the fucking goddam balls to ask Best Friends to put in a good word for him....and not one word, one question, one dime, one sign or caring one fucking bit about what he did to those dogs?

He's a goddam fucking sociopath. He didn't just torture those dogs -- he did it for kicks. Why the fuck should WE get over a SOCIOPATH?

[Still a Democrat]

29. The article suggests he not be allowed to play

Any such notion is misguided. Don't allow the guy to run a kennel, but let him play football.

As for your forgiveness, he isn't entitled to it and I don't insist you give it. I haven't really forgiven him myself.

[AndrewP]

32. I'm tired of it to. If others want to buy his jersey and cuddle him

that's their problem.

[blondeatlast]

39. Exactly what I'm thinking. I don't owe him a damn thing and I sure as hell refuse to be guilted

or ordered into "forgiving" him--especially when his overtures seem so obviously driven by the desire for endorsement contracts.

[Obamanaut]

34. Spin that tale to the animals that were mutilated, not only fighting, but

to enable fighting.

[johnaries]

47. No, he didn't. He got a slap on the wrist. He should have gotten Life.

Did you read what he did to those dogs? What about the unwanted dogs he killed in gruesome ways? He is a monster. the statement from Best Friends shows he has no regret - he only wants another multi-million-dollar contract. He is a sociopath.

[Still a Democrat]

49. Get a grip

No one will or should get life for animal cruelty. Heinous as it is, it's doesn't rise to that level.

[northernlights]

22. K&R nt

[myrna minx]

23. K&R n/t

[Brickbat]

24. "Essentially, an ex-convict is dominating America’s most popular sport while victims of his

crime continue to live with the brutality of that crime, and has that ever happened before?"

Sure it has -- but the victims were women, so it was just one of those things.

[blondeatlast]

40. That's true as well. nt

[Starry Messenger]

26. k&r

[Rockholm]

27. Sickening.

[Rockholm]

28. Sickening.

[woo me with science]

30. Excellent letter. nt

[VMI Dem]

35. Vick would be better served if he was a big white quarterback who simply raped some women.

:shrug:

[blondeatlast]

41. they're equally loathesome. VMI is referring to Ben Roethlisberger,

who has been accused of rape and sexual assault several times.

[joeybee12]

43. Nope...they're both assholes...nt

[InvisibleTouch]

36. People don't suddenly develop love & compassion for animals...

...if they didn't have it before. Of course he never inquired about the dogs. They were never individuals and living beings to him. He might have learned to never do something that horrific again, but not because he suddenly realizes it was wrong and feels remorse; it's just because he knows the punitive consequences now. Personally, I would have contempt forever after for someone with such a view of animals - whether or not they've perpetuated abuse. "Forgiveness" doesn't even enter the picture.

Then again I am not a sports fan, so I can't compartmentalize and say "Well, I can enjoy his talent(?) in the game without approving of him as a person." I do like the work of some actors with whom I disagree politically, but none of them to my knowledge have done something has horrifying as this guy did.

[Withywindle]

50. It's possible to enjoy someone's work without respecting them as a person.

That's why I tend to have a problem with that "famous and successful= ROLE MODEL" thing. The whole history of sports, the arts, literature, entertainment, etc. is absolutely chock full of people who had great talent and skill but were pretty thoroughly loathsome human beings if you actually had to deal with them personally.

I don't have a problem with the idea of separating a person from their work and enjoying the latter, even if the person is totally disgusting (I love Wagner's music, god help me). I DO have a problem with the idea that I'm some kind of bad liberal or even a racist if I think that the "debt" Vick has paid is insufficient for his crimes and I don't think anyone has any kind of obligation to forgive him for anything.

So I guess I basically agree with you. The nature of what he did is such that the idea of me ever thinking of him as a decent person is pretty ludicrous unless he does something that really, truly proves sincere understanding and remorse. If I were a football fan, I MIGHT be able to theoretically enjoy watching him play (but rooting for any team he's on would be unlikely).

[Mad_Dem_X]

45. K&R

I find it impossible to forgive anyone who abuses/kills animals.

IMO, The Eagles made a deal with the Devil in hiring Vick; sooner or later the Devil's gonna come to collect. Just sayin'.

[moondust]

48. Exactly. n/t