There are some stories that just might as well have "It's a slow news cycle" written on their foreheads. Case in point.
I regret that it even matters that President Obama believes that quarterback Michael Vick receiving a second chance in the NFL is a good thing, but when he's asked about people like Snooki, I guess this is a step up. (That the President phoned the NFL owner who signed Vick and expressed said belief probably should be an even smaller deal.) However, as race, privilege and a strangely self-sustaining public anger at a famous convict are tossed into the aforementioned slow news cycle, away we go.
Avoiding cynicism, we actually can glean something important from this episode.
As Laura noted, I was tweeting a little bit about this with Ezra Klein yesterday. The White House's explanation for the call to the Eagles owner may be, as I told Ezra, sauteed bollocks dipped in weak sauce. Klein's convinced that was the case; I don't think it'd be so unbelievable for a President to call the Eagles about alternative energy use in sports arenas, considering what the team is doing and how much energy these stadiums actually consume. Reading their posts, I disagree with both Ezra and Laura in different respects: Vick is hardly an example to cite when discussing diminished earning power of those who've been incarcerated, and I think those who are still angry with Vick are more concerned with dogs than money. All that is a distraction from the real reason this is still news, so never mind those bollocks.
To revisit: Yes, Vick's crimes were ruthless and nauseating. (I'd stop short of calling them inhuman, since what humans do to animals we don't keep as pets makes his acts quite human.) And yet, the root and true meaning of the word "penitentiary" is obvious in its first eight letters. Why so many of my fellow Americans feel the need to punish him forever is beyond my capacity to explain. Whether Michael Vick is truly reformed, only he can know. He's given every indication of late, both on and off the field, that he's learned his lesson.
Still, there are those like Fox News' Tucker Carlson, who want to kill Michael Vick for what he did. Carlson's is the latest, loudest manifestation of privilege and anger, judging casually with inflammatory rhetoric. (And on the flipside, no, Michael Vick is not being "lynched" in the media, or anywhere else. If he were actually being lynched, Carlson would already be satisfied.)
I have lost family members (for significant time) to jail, and lost one (forever) to people who are now in jail. In that latter experience, I actually know what it's like to want someone to die for their crimes. But I'm no longer interested in judging those who've already been judged, nor belching forth exaggerated anger and enforcing some sort of social imprisonment on them because I found their crimes particularly horrific. Ostracizing those who've done their time can lead only to recidivism, and calling for it is a luxury that we can't afford. If there's anything we can learn from this now much-too-famous phone call, it's that the President clearly understands that.
(Image: Paul Sancya/AP)
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Too bad this well thought out and well written article won't get read by most people that feel the same way Tucker Carlson feels.
I think it would be great if our President spent some time calling
a few of the long-term unemployed and gave them some good news.
Don't hold your breath, 99ers.
More than four quarters of continuous economic growth and a stable government I hate to sound like a conservative but its time to stop riding the presidents back on that one. Its time to humble yourself and get a job at McDonalds or anywhere thats hiring because companies are hiring.
Good Comment. What is doubly infuriating about Vick isn't just the animal torture issue (and as many have stated, he paid his debt to society and can move on), but also the fact that despite his exorbitant salary, this jerk is in debt and facing bankruptcy!!! Meanwhile, how many 99-ers are living in their cars or with relatives, eating government cheese or dining in a free soup kitchen??? Yes! Maybe the President should be calling on others who can make a difference to actual people!
Nobody cares
Wonderful article, and its too bad we can't force Tucker Carlson and others to read this. Of course, Tucker probably also opposes the new puppy mill laws in Missouri that republican lawmakers are trying to repeal. (Someone really should have given Tucker Carlson a ball gag for Christmas. It would have been a gift to the world, really).
(Also, sauteéd bollocks dipped in weak sauce is a brilliant phrase. Is it possible to get Rachel to say that on air?)
I never thought of the word "bollocks" as an American word, maybe Jamil has been spending too much time talking to Tina (iirc TRMS' resident Brit). In the UK it is a curse word, dunno about the US, but I imagine it's one of those words that Rachel might not say on air...
But trust me, next time you want to swear, use the word bollocks, it's such a satisfying word to say and can be used instead of the "F" word in many ways although it isn't quite as flexible. I think it's my favourite curse word :)
He admitted his mistake, did his time, debt paid, move folks.
He only admitted after he got caught, if he didn't get caught, he'd still be doing it. He also thinks it's a mistake becuae it mattered to his pocket book, he had no intention of quitting. Someone with the set up he had was not thinking what he was doing as a "mistake".
As for him owning a dog again.....no.
So now you occupy the mind of Michael Vick as to determine not only his past motivation but his current aspirations as well?
Thank you for your insight, I know that Michael Vick has been working with Peta and HSUS and there is a good chance that he has changed, and we really must learn to forgive those who are truly sorry for what they have done and have made restitution, or who and what have we become? It was just so hard for me to forgive but the time has come for forgiveness in our country. Thanks again.
Vick spent more time in prison for killings dogs than Donte Stallworth spent for killing a person. I think our collective priorities and outrage are very misplaced and misguided.
My feelings exactly. Thank you for being a thinking person.
Excuse me, but I believe Vick spent ZERO time in prison for killing dogs. I agree will the Stallworth reference, but Vick plea bargained away his animal cruelty charges and did time for the illegal dog-fighting operation. Vick filed plea documents with the federal court, pleading guilty to "Conspiracy to Travel in Interstate Commerce in Aid of Unlawful Activities and to Sponsor a Dog in an Animal Fighting Venture". He admitted to killing 6 - 8 dogs by hanging or drowning, at least one of which was his own family pet. So please, enough of the "he did his time" rhetoric. Tucker Carlson is an a--hole and always was, so I'm not backing him in the least, but Vick has shown little or no remorse for the actual acts of animal cruelty he was both a part of and financed. One question: would fans be so quick to rally behind him if he wasn't having such an amazing comeback season? I think we all know the answer to that one.
Yeah God forbid you let a bunch of dogs fight each other but if you allegedly rape someone or send a picture of your penis to a female NFL employee just cough up a few dead Presidents or a few games in the season.
Your right the punishment and our priorities are VERY screwed up. I agree.
You can't do what Vick did and then "change" There is something broken in a human who can inflict suffering of that magnitude over and over again. The therapy necessary to find out why someone lacks empathy is more intensive than doing some court ordered volunteer work.
You actually can learn empathy if you're capable of feeling it. But his crimes don't necessarily mean that he's got psychopathic traits. You'd have to look at the court's psychological analysis to get that kind of information.
He has served his time and he has not committed another crime. He deserves to be treated with respect.
I agree. There is something seriously wrong with someone who is capable of inflicting the kind of pain and cruelty on a living creature that Michael Vick did. It's not something that community service is going to fix. I wouldn't want him anywhere near my family or pets. No one but those close to him know if he has changed his behavior or not. I sincerely have my doubts. But having said all of that it's also true that he has served the sentence that our society asked of him. It is now our turn to offer him that second chance and see how he does. Maybe if we treat him with respect he'll learn to treat others with respect too.
Why exactly does he deserve respect? If you mean respect as in the minimum respect one gives another human being they do not know then I agree. However, any kind of loftier respect should be reserved for those that deserve it for greater deeds then being a famous athlete. There are a lot of good, honest people out there who never get the respect they deserve.
First of all, I don't understand why this phone call thing is such a big deal. Having said that, I am at a loss to explain why our President would make such a call. Why was it publicized in the first place?
As to Michael Vick, I agree that someone who can inflict torturous cruelty on another living thing is not someone who is ever going to lose that character trait. He can work hard at it and keep it at bay (like pedophiles), but it is always there...a part of his makeup. I don't hate him, that takes too much of my energy, but I have no use for him or his ilk.
Laura Bush killed a man and her husband got elected President. (TWICE)
What's wrong is the hypocrisy that exist in America. That's why everyone in the world hates us.
This is an excellent piece. While I do think that it's natural to mistrust someone who's been in prison, I think that people really do deserve a second chance.
Also, I must echo what Jess Idres said. Sauteéd bollocks dipped in weak sauce is about the best way to call BS ever. So high five.
The question really is, can you ever pay your debt to society in America? Can folks really ever change? I would say yes. If not then why try? All the good Christian people need to take a note from Jesus and think about forgiving and the hope that goes with that concept. Send him out to Cesar Milan for some lessons....he could surely pay for those lessons himself. Our pets heal us, they love us, and they forgive us. Yes, he was awful and what he did was beyond awful....but to cut him off from dog love for life is awful also. My husband smoked for years...he would say things like, but the window is cracked, when you were dying of smoke in the car....and he could not see why we hated that he did that. Now he is the most fierce advocate of smoke free environment there is....should I forgive him for being an ass for years? Well yes, I should....love is what it takes for forgivness. Let the man love a dog...I could not be happy without my precious pups....and everyone deserves a second chance. Supervise if that is the best way to go....you can always tell if a dog is happy or frightened...they hide nothing...but let him experience the love...otherwise you have a bitter ending...and no forgivness. Seems like it is so hard to pay your debt here in America...no one forgets or forgives...unless you are a political figure...then all is in the past and there is no memory as history is rewritten....let him love a pup...and I believe he is sincere when he says he is sorry. Make him work with Cesar and learn rules, boundries, and limitations....it works in your whole life and would be good his whole family. Thanks for the venue to say this...if we only punish and don't forgive then we get what we deserve....not much...and people just won't try to do better.
Yeah, he's repentant (at least until someone approaches him with another money-making proposition that is too good to fail).
"I would love to get another dog in the future. I think it would be a big step for me in the rehabilitation process.
"I think just to have a pet in my household and to show people that I genuinely care, and my love and my passion for animals; I think it would be outstanding. If I ever have the opportunity again I will never take it for granted. I miss having a dog right now. I wish I could. My daughters miss having one, and that's the hardest thing: telling them that we can't have one because of my actions."
Wait!
He has children?
Daughters!?!?
Holy crap!
Someone check those poor children for signs of abuse!!!!!
Are you serious!?! The way Mike Vick was treated was totally beyond the "punishment fitting the crime" adage! They were DOGS for crying out loud! Dogs who don't work, pay taxes, or contribute anything of value to society. That whole situation almost ruined this man's life, stole his livelyhood, and affected what is most important, his children!!! What type of person would chose to protect the life of a random DOG, than that of a HUMAN BEING?! I think you all must be insane!
Dogs do not contribute anything of value to society?? I beg to differ.
Companionship, therapy, leading the blind, helping the handicapped, bomb and drug sniffing, rescue and recovery, combat, police aids . . . . need I go on. What, pray tell, is your great and valuable contribution to society? Please share.
lynn...you forgot cancer detection.
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn8549 2006
Excuse me Mrs. Hill, but at least one of the "random dogs" was his own family pet. I guess it would have been good clean family entertainment if he had hung/drowned the family pet in front of his children (they were only DOGS, after all). I am SO SICK of people like you inferring that to stick up for the rights of animals means we would do that over children or other human beings. How absolutely brainless is that assumption? Hope you don't have any pets; it would be no surprise to find out how you treat them (and how you teach your children to treat them) if they ever soil the carpet.
It's a slow news cycle because the corporate US press is ignoring stories like the GAP clothing factory disaster in Bangladesh, that claimed as many as 100 lives:
http://rehistoric.wordpress.com/2010/12/29/american-press-ignores-bangladeshi-textile-fire-the-gap-brand-remains-unscathed/
@Fred Gates: I hear you. Thank you.
Tell me why, again, we have sex offender registries? If penitentiaries "do their jobs" we wouldn't and I'm tired (as a dog advocate) of people telling us "he's done his time". Vick spent not one day in jail for the cruelty because the laws in that area are NOT strong enough. The time he served had nothing to do with the dogs' lives he destroyed. This president didn't recognize the work of the folks who handled this case - federal employees, I might add, before stepping into this fray and he's certainly never done a damn thing for American Pit Bull Terriers (he didn't even rescue a dog when he got one for his family). THIS is why this phone call is insulting to people on our side of the issue, sorry to those who worship sports stars at all costs and just want to see them play for their enjoyment. (It's also too bad case in point played like crap last night.)
If you agree with me please go here: http://animals.change.org/petitions/view/tell_president_obama_you_dont_agree_with_him_supporting_michael_vicks_2nd_chance
I agree!!!! Why is this country glorifying this cruel human being? It's not like he accidentally killed a dog. He put alot of thought and effort into his cruel acts.
u obviously know NOTHING about fighting dogs, which have been bred longer than domestic dogs. believe me, fighting dogs would cause soft suburbanites to have involuntary bowel movements...this aint fido we're talking about.
Orrin - Firstly, fighting dogs are by definition a subset of all domesticATED dogs. Secondly, in this whole discussion of dog fighting nobody seems to remember the ancillary casualties of the so-called sport. In any organized fighting endeavor a fighter, dog or other animal - including human animals, must train and tune up for a bout. This is done with a sparring partner. In dog fighting those animals are usually stolen or stray pets who are neither trained as fighting animals nor returned to health if injured. In fact, they are most often torn to pieces by tortured and vicious animals and thrown away as garbage,never knowing why. Have you ever had a beloved pet or a neighbor's or friend's dog ever disappeared from a fenced yard? Ever wonder what happened to it? I know this first-hand, not from hearsay. It turns out that i had a neighbor around the corner who was running a dog fighting ring in his basement.
Thirdly, while I agree that under the terms of his sentencing he has served his time for whatever 10's of millions in assets bought him in plea bargaining, why should he not remain as suspect as any sex offender who has done the same.
If one is a self-professed person of "values", in this country most commonly referred to as some sort of "Christian" in nature, though not necessarily of any specific faith, is it not hypocritical to place any of God's creatures above any others in a hierarchy of importance if we acknowledge that we cannot understand "His" plan?
1.) If President Obama can call and comment on Vick one way or the other, then things must be in VERY good shape and he must have room in his busy schedule for such a low-priority task. I am guessing there are many other more deserving souls in this country who could use a job reference from the President.
2.) That said, Vick being allowed back into the NFL simply reinforces the belief that no matter how heinous a man's behavior, it can be overlooked if he can throw a football better than other men.
3.) And, allowing Vick back on the playing field also reinforces the image of the NFL -- and other professional sports leagues -- as places that don't mind harboring scum. Many among us are denied menial jobs paying insulting wages because we have a bad credit rating or didn't finish college or ran afoul the law as a kid. BUT, the NFL happily embraces violent felons.
If, by some cosmic injustice, the Eagles make it to the Super Bowl, I can only hope that every bit of Vick's hideous past is feasted upon a salivating media and he is asked over and over and over again why he thought it was OK to kill dogs.
Agreed!
very well said!!!!!
Yes.
exactly what i was thinking inside my head...you said it perfectly.
Whether he's a reformed dog torturer remains to be seen. I truly hope so. For him to publicly state so soon that he wishes he could have a dog shows me that he still doesn't realize how disgustingly sick and cruel he was not so long ago. Is it because he doesn't think that what he did was all that bad and everyone should be over it by now? I pray that isn't the case.
Maybe someday I can get past the horrific things he did to those dogs, but in the meantime it sickens me to see him glorified by sports fans. To me, it is very much like saying "yeah, sure, he tortured and killed several people but he did his time, says he is sorry, and damned, he's a good football player and I'm proud to be a fan of his."
I don't want to learn the trick of separating a person's character from his or her public function.
There's something selfish and evil to the core about what he did, and I think he got too light a sentence. That's not the fault of the judge but of the judicial system and the value that society puts on animals other than humans. I wholeheartedly agree that Obama had no reason to get involved, though.
Oh, forgot to add that I don't eat my fellow animals, either. If that makes any difference to those quick to cry "hypocrite."
The problem is- the NFL NEVER hesitates to give its players 2nd chances. Hell, the league typically gives 3rd, 4th, and so on chances. The NBA might be the only organization that gives more chances. Well, maybe Congress affords as many extra chances as either league, but that's it. While I do believe Vick has actually learned something from his ordeal (I think it reflects on the field as his game has drastically changed due to judgment), the NFL would have given him another chance regardless so congratulating them is not really relevant. In fact, it would have been more noteworthy had the league NOT given him a 2nd chance and President Obama would have then called them to say, "NFL, I admire the way chose the righteous and virtuous path of not selling out and taking back a scumbag. It shows you understand your player are role-models who influence, most heavily, children in our country. By not giving so-and-so another chance, you've shown the standards for your league are a well-rounded, good citizen of this country, rather than just a great athlete."
Did he really learn his lesson? Within 2 months after his release he violated (was in a bar with his dog ring friend no one would have noticed but someone was shot and killed while he was there) his parole. Only a celebrity can get away with that. The bottom line is money. He earns a lot of money for the sport of football. I am for forgiveness and moving on, but he has proven to me he hasn't learned much yet. Yes I love animal, especially dogs. Kindness to animals is a God given responsibility for we as humans to oblige. One wonders how anyone could be so cruel. The dogs didn't perform well so they were hung, electrically shock, beaten, etc. Our society has become so bent on money that it overrides their sensibilities of character. We are guardians of all those who can't speak for themselves and the less fortunate.
Could you please show us where trhis information is located and how he got away with it? A link to some reputable news source would help.
I can forgive anyone who is sorry and paid their debt...I can even overlook the fact that in my gut I don't believe anyone here is sorry... but if I had committed this crime...I wouldn't get my teaching job back... and wouldn't find a job that would pay that amount of money...as long as athletes are role models...they should be held to a higher standard...or perhaps ANY standard in this horror story....this sickens me....ex eagles fan
I am almost amused at the role model portion of this comment. Role models are parents and guardians who take care of their children. My husband and I never steered our children to look up to athletes, movie stars, and etc. We were the ones nurturing them and providing for them. Why would I expect someone to serve as a model for my two sons when they see me work daily and they see me live my life? They know who we are. Michael Vick, although an individual, who has turned his life around, is not expected to serve my 'ROLE'.
i know what you're saying, myra, but mary is also correct. people, especially kids, look up to athletes. they want to be atheletes more often and for longer in their lives than they want to be other things. yes, they eventually realize they won't be athletes, but i'd offer if you asked most adults if they'd trade in their daily job to play football for a living for a few years, they's say yes.
I really applicate the last paragraph of this blog entry.
Thanks Ms. Maddow!
The heinous acts committed by some of the people in professional sports is usually swept under the rug and ignored. There are countless examples, including people who committed nonviolent crimes (drugs and prostitution); people who committed violent crimes against animals; and people who committed violent crimes against other people. The fact that excelling at a sport means carte blanche and massive remuneration in our society is more indicative of an illness in our society than of individual corrective actions that need to be taken.
All of this is precisely why I refuse to watch any professional team sports. If I need a football fix, I'll watch high school or college football (they're more fun to watch anyway).
Tucker Carlson is still angry that he got fired from MSNBC, so it doesn't surprise me that he has gone to the dark side (Fox News)hardcore. The fact of the matter is, when the whole Vick thing went down, most of the GOP didn't give a hoot. So now it's just them once again trying to argue with Obama about the sky being blue.
I love animals, I own a cat and I volunteer at animal shelters whenever I have the opportunity. I love dogs and I've met so many wonderful pitbulls who are suffering and in need of a good home. Many of the dogs rescued from fighting rings have become show dogs or dog weight lifting competitors.
For the most part, I have forgiven Michael Vick for his crimes. At first I too was very angry about him being allowed to return to the NFL but his actions have proven to me that he isn't going to make the same mistake twice. I really want to believe that he was ignorant of the consequences of his actions due to the way he may have been raised to view these dogs. Statistics do show that the majority of pitbulls removed from homes where they suffer abuse or neglect are homes with people who were raised either at or below the poverty line. Many times these people are extremely ignorant to the reality of the nature of a pitbull, they just bought into the fad that these animals are "fighters" when the reality is quite the opposite.
In a perfect world Vick would eventually understand the connection most humans feel towards animals and would work towards educating others on the horrible inhumane nature of dog fighting. I don't honestly ever see that happening but it would be nice if Michael Vick was forced to see dogs like the ones from his ring and be able to understand the heartache and sadness us rescuers feel when we have to undo the damage people like him have caused.
Can people really change? Does a couple years in prison really change the internal beliefs and feelings that lead to animal abuse? What about murder, child rape, serial arson? Where do we draw the line? When is a crime so awful that as a society we can no longer risk offering a second chance?
I don't know the answer, but I think this is the root of the outrage about Vick. Willful abuse and torture of animals, for many of us, is the line across which there is no return.
For me, Vick's return to the NFL was a foregone conclusion. What outrages me about him in particular, is that because of his ability to play football he is excepted from the societal norms that most of us have to live with. Privilege is afforded him because he can make someone a lot of money. To me, this privilege is unearned and unjust.
And perhaps, even if people can not articulate it, this what the "self sustaining public anger" is really about, the root unfairness of the situation as viewed by those of us that can only afford nose-bleed seats.
He's a talented football player so I can see people wanting to separate who he is as a person from his talent on the field. His talent doesn't excuse his actions in the past but I do think we need to allow him to have a future. He did his time, whether it was enough or not isn't up for us to decide.
His crimes were awful, I'll admit. But he deserves a second chance just like anyone else. I will allow him that and I hope he has sincerely learned his lesson. I wouldn't be so forgiving if he was caught doing the same thing over again though.
He did do it over again. And again. And again, and again, 11 dogs I believe. Anyone else would probably not be re-hired by the same company. Sure he did his time. Sick of hearing that actually. It's the glorification that I have a problem with.
Michael Vick was exempted from the "...societal norms..." tha inhibit most of us the day someone realized he had an uncanny talent in the sport of football. He committed horrific crimes and served abnormally harsh legal consequences when compared to past sentences for the same. He lost hundreds of millions of dollars and became bankrupt. Can money pay for the crimes? No, absolutely not.
You appear to be more upset by the fact that Vick's unusual talent allows him a greater chance to gain money and admiration than outraged at his acts. He was not granted any dispension from the punishment for the crime. He should be evaluated by his future behavior and not how much money he earns or how famous he becomes. His crimes did not allow him to be in a position to become a talented and highly paid athlete. He was already that. Had the legal system wished him to be banned from football I am sure they would have pursued that venue.
It would indeed be a lovely place if we could all be highly paid star athletes. Of course if we all had that talent the pay would drop drastically and fame would be less likely. Hate the crime. Bemoan the legal system. Defame the man if you must. Please, though, try to make it sound less personally motivated and a lot less like sour grapes than you have here.
I have to say, I very much agree with Cheryl and Hollis above.
But my feelings are that Vick is clearly a sociopath. He personally drowned, hanged, and electrocuted dogs who weren't vicious enough. That can't be blamed on money or culture or anything but a complete lack of empathy. I believe that he will commit more crimes, whether we hear of them or not. I also believe that he should absolutely still be in jail, at least until his victims have recovered. This is an excellent article in the LA Times about that subject: http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-plaschke-20101117,0,5163298.column?page=1&utm_medium=feed&track=rss&utm_campaign=Feed%3A%20latimes%2Fsports%20%28L.A.%20Times%20-%20Sports%29&utm_source=feedburner
I won't judge Vick as a sociopath. However, it would be my wish for him to spend some time with Mel and some of his other victims and get a full understanding of the damage his actions caused and the heartache Mel's owners have to go through in watching their poor dog suffer. He should also be forced to pay for any expenses for any of these dogs the rest of their lives. He certainly has enough to make that happen.
Lord, help these people who have never done any wrong or at least in their own minds. Those of us who have done wrong surely know that all wrongs are equal to God. One is not any larger than another. If you are bashing someone, lying on someone, mistreating someone, guess what? You are sinning and you are wrong. The right would be to forgive and to let it go.
If we do not forgive, the bible says we cannot be forgiven. I cannot afford that so even when vile things have been done to me and they have, I must forgive and move on. Michael Vick has not only served the time "man" gave to him, he has moved forward in a way many of those judging him could not do. I am proud of you Mr. Vick. Allow God to use you and keep doing well.
No. No, no no no no.
There are pitbulls out there that were victims of Vick, dogs that are damaged for life. Luckily, they were adoptable, but they are still damaged, fearful. Until those dogs are healed, I can't let go what he did. Anyone who has ever owned a dog knows their unconditional love and trust. For him to do what he did to an innocent, trusting being, no. I'm sorry. I don't think he should be forgiven, and I don't think he should ever be allowed to have pets.
I don't care about the money. Look into the eyes of this dog: http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-plaschke-20101117,0,5163298.column and tell HIM he should forgive Vick.