
December 21st / 23rd, 2007
"Vick Case Points Up ‘Two Americas’"
Presidential candidate John Edwards theorizes that there are two Americas:
one for the wealthy, and one for the poor. It is a new twist on the old “
haves and have nots” theme, and, to some extent, his point is valid. But
depending upon who you talk to, the definition of the two Americas can vary widely.
For some, the divide is between Black and White, where disparities often
exist in the criminal justice system. For others, we are a nation of men versus
women, where salary discrepancies still exist. And for roughly ten percent
of the population, the great schism is between gays and straights over such
issues as hate crimes, and the right to marry.
For me, the Michael Vick case accentuated something I’ve believed for nearly
all my life, that the so-called two Americas also consist of animal lovers
versus animal apathists. Certainly apathy is not a crime, but when you turn
a blind eye to torture and abuse of any kind, or when you minimize such
behavior just because it was visited upon a dog, then you are part of the problem,
and must share part of the blame for why it has taken so long to bring
animal abusers to justice.
In the late 1800’s and early 20th century, white trash cowards tortured and
killed black men without fear of retribution. Why? Because the communities
in which they lived were populated by other cowardly whites who didn’t speak
up against injustice.
Later on, young disadvantaged women, both black and white, were victims of
sterilization by doctors who had the blessing of so-called upstanding, white
community leaders. No one spoke up. No one spoke for the girls.
Today, George Bush is spending billions of dollars to kill innocent Iraqi
citizens in a campaign that was first aided by Sudanese leaders. That
explains why Bush has ignored the genocide in Darfur. But what explains the apathy
many Americans have for the Iraqi and Darfur victims?
Simply put, many people have been in denial for many years about many things
because they just wouldn’t take the time, or muster the courage to voice
their opposition. The Vick dogfighting saga is yet one more example of how we
as a nation often sit idly by, and passively condone evil actions and
policies.
Last week I noticed some football fans in Atlanta holding up signs in
support of their former quarterback. Meanwhile, a number of sports analysts railed
against the excessive punishment given to Vick. After all, they said, it’s
not as though Michael had a history of killing dogs. And then there were the
two idiot columnists from Sports Illustrated who defended Vick by saying
that he had been under the influence of shady characters from his old
neighborhood.
Pardon me while I throw up. Michael Vick is a grown man. He didn’t just
accidentally hang and electrocute dogs. His dog fighting ring was a major
enterprise where torture and execution were part of an accepted and calculated
business model. That’s why Vick’s apologies rang hollow with the Judge, and
that’s why Vick will never be rehabilitated.
I don’t usually get mushy or religious in this column, but there’s
relevance in the phrase, “Bless the beasts and the children”. Pets and children can
’t defend themselves. They can’t say no. They can’t call 911. They are
both, in a sense, mute and helpless. The fact is we are all God’s creatures,
and abuses against any of them (whether two- or four-legged) should be an
affront to everyone.
As I pointed out in my exhaustive report of July 27/29,
it is estimated that some 40,000 adults are engaged in
organized dog fighting, and that means there are thousands more who know about
the crimes, but choose not to report them.
If anything positive was derived from the Vick scandal, it is that animal
abuse now occupies more space in the newspapers and on TV newscasts. Perhaps
such exposure might help apathetic cowards to grow a spine. If you know of
someone who is abusing a pet, it is your duty to report the abuser to police.
And, next time you write to your local, state, or federally-elected
representative, make sure they know that you demand stiffer sentencing and heftier
fines for animal abusers.
Personally, I think Vick got off easy. He didn’t even receive the maximum
five years, which, by the way, should be changed to ten. On the other hand,
incarceration for someone like the affluent quarterback is somewhat
counterproductive. I would have rather seen him sentenced to permanent work release,
and ordered to turn over his estimated $145 million in earnings to
help build and sustain no-kill animal shelters, and to educate kids about abuse.
Instead, he will end up doing a short stint in prison, which I doubt will
deter a majority of abusers or impact greatly on young people.
We should all be ashamed that the two Americas still exist. Ashamed that
poor people are without proper healthcare. Ashamed that women still make less
money than men who do the same job. Ashamed that many African Americans are
treated more harshly by police and judges. Ashamed that animal abuse isn’t
taken more seriously.
Vick’s sentencing should serve as a wake-up call for us to do something
about the ills of society. We must speak for those who can’t. Two Americas are
one too many.
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