Is what michael vick did (dog fighting) being blown out of proportion?

Michael Vick deserved to go to jail. What he did was wrong and he knew it, which is evidenced by his hiding what he was doing. Too bad he was in the prime of his career, he should have known better. Chicken fighting is wrong and illegal also.

Bad news sells.

No, people think this is wrong no matter the animal involved but I do agree that their sympathies or cares about animal cruelty end there and that more people should look into animal slaughter.

I’m sure if the dogs that were electrocuted, thrown to the ground, drowned, forced to fight, etc. were asked for their opinions on Michael Vick (if dogs could talk, of course), those dogs would say that what Michael Vick did was not blown out of proportion.

Troll?

It is legal to kill a chicken for food.

It is not legal (at least in my state) to hold cockfights.

What Vick did is both illegal and deplorable. It makes me happy to know he’s going to have to play football for another ten years to get himself out of the hole, due to all of the fines and legal fees his little game cost him.

@Ivan Agree, troll.

IMO, he needs to spend the rest of his life working for the benefit of animals to make up for what he did.

Yes, some people may place more value on the life of a dog than on the lives of other animals who are also due humane treatment and that isn’t right but, Vick committed certain crimes, was sentenced fairly, released from jail and I believe he was recently named starting QB for the Philadelphia Eagles. So, he has a chance to comeback and play for the NFL. A lot of people who commit crimes don’t get that good a second chance. He should consider himself lucky.

And is this guy a troll? Damn, I just wasted all that time on a reasonably good answer.

He deserved what he got, bottom line.

WTF! Are we still going to honor fame and fortune as an excuse to not prosecute the elite?

I’d have felt the same way if it were Chickens or Rats or Pollywogs.

Cruelty is cruelty, no excuse for abuse. Period. End of story.

@Seek_Kolinahr, what’s your point about exactly about killing chickens being legal and killing dogs being illegal? That’s actually part of my point…that people put domesticated animals (dogs, cats, etc) on these insane pedestals, and don’t even think twice about what they are eating for dinner and how it got on their plate.

I’m not really arguing that what he did was right, just pointing out an annoying hypocrisy in american society.

dog fighting is associated with backwater rednecks with no education. To have a college grad be involved in that should up the anti. He’s already a millionaire so why do this?
Anyone who will hurt a dog WILL do the same thing to a person easily. He’s going to be in trouble again in 5 years or less mark my words.

@AIec : if someone smashed chickens, electrocuted them, drowned, etc., we would be upset just as much as if it were done with dogs.

@alec

Humans eat animals. That’s called the food chain.

The difference is that the dogs weren’t food. They were entertainment. Deranged, disturbed entertainment.

@woodcutter

I totally agree. Child, spousal and animal abuse go hand in hand.

If you can kick a dog, not much of a line to cross when it comes to humans.

Most seriously violent offenders have a history of animal cruelty.

@jca YOU might be just as upset. Most americans however, wouldn’t give two shits about those chickens.

@AIec

Cockfighting is still illegal, as I mentioned. Proof that our judicial system does give “two shits”.

@Seek_Kolinahr , is it a felony? Do people who are convicted of cock-fighting go to jail? I don’t know, I’m just asking.

EDIT: didn’t understand the question properly.

@AIec You will get a lot of flack for your words – people will defend their meat eating to the end of times, it’s a losing battle. Suffice it to say, many are aware about the cruelties done to animals in order for a burger to cost a buck, but actually doing something about it is much more difficult than shaking one’s head at Vick (which is why people do the latter). What you can do is make a choice in your life to not participate in actions that support the meat and dairy industries but you can’t convince others to do so until they ‘get it’, you know?

Yes. There is a tremendous amount of hypocrisy in the way Americans, and others in other countries view how they treat one animal v.s. another but I’m not sure Michael Vick is person you want to use to either enter into or use to establish the foundation of your argument on this one. Are you saying that since we abuse and ignore the suffering of some animals that we should ignore the abuse and suffering of all animals, including the suffering of animals that is caused by people like Michael Vick?

@AIec

”In Florida, cockfighting, the possession of birds for cockfighting, being a spectator at a cockfight and possession of implements for cockfighting are third-degree felonies and are punishable by up to five years in jail and a maximum $5,000 fine”
Source

Why are people giving @AIec “good answers?”

@lillycoyote yes to some degee, I am saying that. But really, my argument is that we have to be more morally consistent as a society when it comes to animals. We can’t scream for Vick’s head just because he’s hurting our “cute little puppies that we luv so much”, and then turn our heads when we hear about how our veal steak that we ordered medium-rare tonight was starved and slaughtered for our meal tonight.

For the record, bullfighting is also illegal in the ‘states, though the rodeo lives on.

I raised Japanese Shamo game cocks, for their BEAUTY and style.
I always had riff raffy types wanting my exhibition birds for seedy purposes at poultry shows. I can smell a fraud a mile away.

I take great pleasure in my geese and keeping other easily exploited animals safe in my space.

You can’t save the world, but….you can make a difference to a few, and that is what I do.

@AIec

I disagree.

Everyone I know would take issue with any type of cruelty.

I think more would than would not. But..I am an optimistic type.

@AIec If your main argument is “we have to be more morally consistent as a society when it comes to animals. We can’t scream for Vick’s head just because he’s hurting our “cute little puppies that we luv so much”, and then turn our heads when we hear about how our veal steak that we ordered medium-rare tonight was starved and slaughtered for our meal tonight” then I agree, 100% but as to Michael Vick’s prosecution and sentencing? I don’t have an argument any more morally and ethically sophisticated to support that than “two wrongs don’t make a right” and that’s good enough for me in his case. He broke laws regarding animal cruelty, he supported activities that cause the suffering of animals, he should be held responsible and he was. How do we make everyone more aware of where their food, specifically, their meat comes from and what is involved in that and what people might want to do, even if they eat meat, to reduce the suffering of the animals that provide that meat? I don’t know. I’m an on again off again vegetarian and I can only eat meat if I don’t think about it. I will confess to that.

@jca Users who contribute to the ongoing discussion deserve GA

@woodcutter Really, the only difference between an educated person and an uneducated person is a degree. College isn’t a magical reprogramming center; people just wish that it were.

@Seek_Kolinahr The rodeo never struck me as being cruel to anybody but the humans. But then, I’ve never seen a rodeo.

I think that people who host dog fights (or cockfights, or anything similar) have deep issues with violence in general. I find what Michael Vick did to be disgusting and unforgivable, and I question anyone that believes a twisted human being like him should be allowed to play a game for a salary that most of us can only dream of making. In my opinion that is quite a privilege, a privilege that should not be given to people who take pleasure in the suffering of other living creatures.
Just my two cents.

@Nullo : you should check out a rodeo or bull riding on TV one day and you will see cruelty, there as well. The reason the bulls are going crazy is not because there is a rider on their back, it’s because they put a tight strap around the bull’s genitals, which makes them go crazy. They rope them and jerk them around and jump on them.

Nope, it’s not out of proportion. And yes, there is much hypocrisy when it comes to people and animal abuse – i’m guessing (hoping) that it is so just because of ignorance for the most part, and not an active choice to know about it and do nothing to stop supporting it. Any animal abuse is abhorrent and most often any punishment for animal cruelty is not sufficient IMO.

Michael Vick held dog fights and killed undesired dogs and that is a horrible thing. Killing chickens and other animals for food is natural and is not horrible. That’s why we call it the food chain. Chicken fights however are illegal just like dog fights. As far as letting him back in the NFL to restart his career. Why not? They let other people convicted of crimes back into the NFL. Some which did worse things. Besides Michael Vick paid his debt to society. People should no longer be bothering him about this.

@Mikewlf337 (it’s the way the chickens are killed that’s the problem, not the fact that they’re being eaten by people – they more likely than not endure torture).

@NaturallyMe I did not mention the method I just mention killing because this is more about Vick. Killing for food is a natural of getting food. This however is more about Michael Vick being blown out of proportion. It wasn’t. What Michael Vick did was horrible but he paid his debt and served his time. He lost all his money. I don’t feel sorry for him but he did his time and he has moved on and so should everyone else. People have done far worse.

@noelleptc Wether he cares or not doesn’t matter he still paid for it. He still served a prison sentance for it and because of that he shouln’t have to answer for it. He lost his money and his endorsements and may never get any good endorsements for the rest of his life. He already has a lasting bad image wich he will never be able to shake off. Like I said before. There are players in the NFL who have done much worse.

@noelleptc – While I do feel strongly that what he did was wrong, there’s nothing in the law that states one must be fired from their job if they do something illegal.

@noelleptc we have no proof on wether he cares or not. He may care or he may only care that he got punished for it. We don’t know and never will. He did what he did and was punished for it. If he doesn’t care that’s his choice but the fact that his career was almost destroyed by it is a good way to prevent him from doing it again. He is probobly embarrassed by it either way. He lost alot of respect. Lucky for him respect is not that important in the NFL as long as he can make plays.

@noelleptc well stating an opinion will surely mean hearing others. It doesn’t matter who thinks what because he’s back and people seemed to have left what he did in the past. Foul and disgusting as he may be people don’t want role models they want playoff appearances and championships in the NFL.