Vick, dogs, and racism
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by Suckatsports
Just as a preface, I really hate the immediate mention of racism when a high profile African-American person gets arrested. Not that our legal system or our policeman are above this sort of thing, I wouldn't want to sweep that under the rug. But to assume that this is the lone reason that there is legal action against is just plain ignorant. That being said, let's move on.
This article just made my blood boil. Some how a plea agreement that Michael Vick will be entering into this coming Monday is the work of racist prosecutors. It has nothing to do with the fact that he's admitting to doing something illegal, and all his friends have admitted to doing something illegal - this is clearly a racial issue.
> > Fans at Playmakers Barber Shop in Midtown said they still support Vick, because they feel he is innocent, and that he is a victim of a racist judicial system.
> > "It's bad. I don't condone it at all, but the punishment is too severe, (they’re ruining) a man's career," said barber Dontrell Mapp.
> > Black civil rights leaders said Vick should be given one more chance.
> > "This is what we look for, for people to take a stand for what is right and admit they made a mistake," said Charles Steele, president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
This is maybe, maybe one of the most ignorant things I've ever heard said. Not only that, but it's insulting to the rest of the country, the fact that even though Vick pleaded guilty, he's actually innocent. All of us are wrong - the federal prosecutors, the FBI, the police, and the rest of the entire judicial system somehow grouped together to plant dead dogs, strong arm his friends, and ruin the career of one Mike Vick. He's so important to the fabric outside of sports, and clearly so successful on the field, that all these powers that be decided to take him down.
And of course, it isn't Vick's fault, and he shouldn't be punished because he is finally confessing to a crime. News break, he's confessing to a crime to get out of serving five years in jail, not because he's some contrite personality that actually feels bad for what he did. Sure, he'll start a national campaign for dog fighting awareness as part of his sentence, but he doesn't feel bad for what he did, he feels bad that he got caught.
In addition to that, any mention of this not being almost solely his fault is just foolish. Here's a rule of thumb I use: If I have to hide what I'm doing by doing things in basements at night, I shouldn't be doing it. It's a simple rule, and it always works. What really boggles the mind is the thought process to even go ahead with anything like this when you're a multi-millionaire. You're bored? Go skiing, help someone build a house, I don't know, the first thought in my head isn't, "Hey, I should go kill some dogs."
Let's put a moratorium that this is in any way a racial issue. A gag order should be issued to anyone who says that this isn't Vick's fault. And to say that predetermined sentences for his crimes are too severe is just plain stupid. I didn't see this kind of outrage when other people were caught for the same crime, I can't imagine he's the very first dog fighter they've ever caught. I'm just not interested in the Michael Vick sob story; I guess we'll see him in Cuban's league soon.
African American Community Divided over Plea Deal [46 News Atlanta] '
Like what you read? This post is cross-published from We Suck at Sports.
