Michael Vick....What Were You Thinking?

There has been more than enough in the news and on TV lately about Michael Vick.

Now that he has made a plea bargain to dogfighting and other crimes, I would like to share my thoughts on this matter as several folks have asked me my feelings on this subject.

Michael Vick had everything, or so it seemed.....he went from winner of the Heisman Trophy to being the highest paid NFL football player (and oh, he was so exciting to watch!). He had endorsements by several big companies which paid him quite a bit more than his NFL salary. He had fame, good looks, and many fans, especially children, who thought he was "simply the best".

Boy, did all this disappear fast.....

Dogfighting, cockfighting, and any other sport that involves animals fighting to their deaths so that folks can watch is just downright cruel and inhumane. I do not see how anyone can even watch it. It is also against the law in all 50 states and a felony in 48 states. There have been many excuses made for Mr. Vick's behavior. The fact that he was from the South and that this was part of his heritage is horse-hooey, and immaturity means nothing -- everyone is immature at some point in their lives, but that certainly doesn't mean that they are cruel. And all the other excuses -- that his mom was only 13 whn she had him, that he went from rags to riches, none of this amounts to a hill of beans. It is never anyone's right to cause pain and suffering to another being for pleasure. Nohting makes this right and nothing ever will. There is simply no excuse for it. NONE!

I am not sure that Michael Vick will ever be able to play football in the NFL again. It is possible that he has ruined his football career for good. It seems a high price to pay, but he made choices all along the way that led him down this path. He chose to treat animals as nothing more than players in his games. As they say, not all people who torture animals turn out to be serial killers, but ALL serial killers started out torturing animals. And everyone knows that the abuse of animals and the abuse of humans are closely linked. I hope that Michael Vick seeks and receives the help he needs.

In my very humble opinion, it is NEVER OK to be cruel to animals or ANY other living creature.

Be kind!

CHAMP