Goodbye Michael Vick...

The other day I was thinking I should write a little something about that dog killer Michael Vick, but I suppose there's hardly anything that I could say at this point that hasn't already been said.
I’ll give it a shot anyway.

I find this whole business of dog fighting very disturbing because it goes against everything I thought I knew about people. This has really given me something new to think about. Sorry to say it’s not one of my normal happy thoughts.

I've always loved being around people. I’ve spent everyday of my life in the company of people and I can’t say I’ve ever met one I didn’t like, or that didn’t like me. I was under the impression that everyone loves dogs. Now that I’ve heard this terrible story, I guess I was wrong. I was also under the impression all humans were highly civilized, but apparently some are less civilized then others.

They say that dogs are a man's best friend, if so, how could anyone do this to their best friends? What did any of those dogs do to deserve this kind of treatment?

None of this makes any sense to me at all.

Right now Michael Vick is in big trouble. He’s the bad guy everyone is looking at. Almost over night he went from being a Football super-star to become the ugly face of dog fighting in America.
Vick has found himself in the middle of a storm and suddenly people from all over the world know who he is.

Some have suggested there’s a racial component to all this. I don’t think so. Some say it’s a cultural thing. Really, what kind of culture would allow this to go on? Some have even suggested that dog fighting is a sport.
It’s not a sport. It’s a crime.

What seems inexplicable is why a man blessed with so much success would choose to involve himself in this dirty game to begin with.
Surely it wasn’t about the money, he has millions.

It’s been suggested that there may have been something in his childhood to blame for his behavior.


To that I have to say: Who cares?

There are no mitigating circumstances to consider. The bottom line is this:
He chose to engage in this barbaric form of entertainment because he wanted to. Why? Because he enjoyed it; and because he thought he could get away with it. It’s no more complicated then that. Some people want to put him under a microscope; I just want to see him in prison. I honestly don’t care what makes him tick.

Vick knew exactly what he was doing and he knew it was wrong, but that didn’t stop him. He put up the money; he owned the property, the kennel and many of the dogs. In other words: He made this happen, not once, but many times. A lot of dogs died a terrible death in the hands of Michael Vick, both in and out of the ring. Thankfully now that he’s been caught he’ll pay a heavy price for it.

But of course that’s not the end of the story. It should be noted that just because Vick is the only one under the spotlight he’s not the only one with blood on his hands. This was after all a spectator’s sport and anyone who came to watch and gamble on these death-matches is just a responsible.

I guess this is what I find most disturbing, just knowing there are so many people willing to witness this type of spectacle and that some actually enjoy it. You have to wonder what kind of person finds pleasure in watching dogs violently tearing each other apart? What is it they find so exciting? Do they consider this just another form of entertainment, to sit around in a circle watching two dogs fighting and dying a bloody and painful death on a filth dirt floor?

How dare anyone call this a sport! No dog should have to die this way.

It’s very sad that so many dogs are being mistreated like this. I know there are many poor dogs living in all kinds of miserable conditions because they have terrible owners. I feel sorry for each and every one of them.
I consider myself very lucky to have the life I have.
I still believe most people are basically good and would never intentionally hurt any dog, but I also know there is some bad out there beyond the back yard fence. And I’m not talking those deer that live in the woods.

But, be that as it may, I’m not going let any of this color my view of people. I’m still basically an optimist. I know that bad things sometimes happen to good dogs but I’m not going to let myself worry about the things I can’t control. Thankfully I know there are still far more good people in the world that know how to treat dogs well and it’s good to know I live with two of them.
And that’s about all any dog can hope for...

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