Michael Vick vs. Dog Lovers

Apparently my Facebook status got a few friends of Fido a tad upset, so rather than add to comments, I'll post this up there to make it a bit easier to read. A few things here... first to clarify my position (and the status) - I think what Vick did was cruel, stupid, and barbaric. He rightfully lost (almost) all admiration fans had for him, his set-for-life financial stability, anything resembling the career he once had, and for 19 months, his freedom. The status post was merely a small venting at how overexposed this is; after hearing it on the morning news, sportscenter, talk radio, etc... all day, and hearing some of the over the top responses from members of the general public, my thoughts started to migrate from "so the dumbass is out of jail, good luck with that Mikey" and towards actually feeling a *tiny* bit sorry for the guy. Not for the situation he's put himself in, but for the vengence directed in his direction - and where it should fall on the scale that the general public should feel outrage about. (as an aside, although most of you know how much I love football, I'm not a Mike Vick fan. Never have been. Actually very much *disliked* him as a QB and never had any reason to like Vick the Man, either).

It's really a question of two things:
1. Now that Vick has paid his debt to society, where does that leave him in the future
and
2. Was that debt in proportion to the acts he pled guilty to - i.e. did the crime fit the punishment

I think it was the second part that gets under everyone's skin - that somehow, he's not been punished enough, and vigilante justice is in order. I know this is different from the public opinion, but my thought is that his status as a black NFL quarterback in the South got him more time in the pen than the Average Joe Dogfighter. Did it deserve jail time? Of course it did, Vick and his cohorts were involved in something not only illegal but reprehensibly immoral. Was he made into a very public example and given an overzealous sentance?? Debatable... it's a touchy subject, because so many of us abhor the thought of our dogs in the "care" of Bad Newz Kennels, and that hits close to home. How, though, does Leonard Little go to jail for 16 months less than Michael Vick? Is vehicular homicide really 1/6th the crime that torturing and killing dogs is? At the very least, he's gotten his just due in court and in Leavenworth, much less in the court of public opinion.

The first one is what prompted the post in the first place... since it's being debated ad nauseum in the media. Who knows if he has been "rehabilitated" or not, only time and his sincerity will tell us. Regardless, he's completing his sentance and will be done in a few months and will have to decide how to continue his life and career, either the football one, the construction one, or something else. The man deserves a chance to make amends and to live his life with the opportunity to make things right. If that is in his chosen profession, he should be allowed to do everything possible to begin a productive career and make a difference - assuming he does the necessary things for both the NFL and for himself and his parole. If he chooses not to, it will be evident in short order, and the public floggings can resume. I just don't see how canceling season tickets, blasting any team that would consider signing him, and talking of organizing protests outside stadiums before the guy is even considering (or eligible to) rejoining the NFL is anywhere near rational. He's done (or is doing) his penance. Let's move forward. If there's anything short of full remorse, the opportunity to raise hell will come and come quickly.

Look, I understand this is a sensitve subject for many people - Jen and I lost the dog she had for 13 years just this January, and I know Marijo, Kim, and some others have lost their pets recently too. So the emotion a pet can bring to you can certainly color any judgement of Vick or anyone else in that situation. When it comes down to it though, what is the more productive path - making Vick's life exceedingly and continually difficult by making his NFL comeback a public relations nightmare? Or taking advantage of the media attention that this is attracting, getting Vick and a potential future NFL team/city on board, and making animal cruelty a "pet" project (pun intended) for PETA and some team's charity? Wouldn't Vick make a better spokesperson and feel-good story than as a martyr? Wouldn't the Animal Rights community benefit waaaaay more from Vick the co-champion than by Vick the Warning Sign? Assuming Vick is genuinely remorseful and wants to make amends, there's no way in HELL he doesn't embrace this. His friends are gone. His finances are a mess. He's got no discernable alternate career options to turn to. He'd jump on board and pet Paris Hilton's handbag dog the entire time if that is what it took just to get back to even. Trust me, he's on board. So come on, doggie lovers... talk to your local SPCA or PETA or whatever chapters and get them to explore the idea of a Michael Vick partnership. You can make his life hell, and all that venom won't bring any Bad Newz dogs back. Or you take advantage of a rare and enormous opportunity to appeal to a wider audience than you ever have before (and likely ever will again) and take a fallen hero from the most popular sport in the country and put him at the forefront of your cause. Select the former, and you're certain to negatively affect one life; go with the latter, and who knows how many puppies' lives will be positively affected. From here, it's pretty obvious what the Humane choice is...