2024 will most be remembered for the political comeback of Donald Trump, facilitated by the votes of 77 million Americans who forgot that his insurrection killed several police officers and injured hundreds more. They also forgot about his 32 felony convictions. In short, 2024 was all about how we as a society forgive and forget criminal behavior in general, as was evidenced by the success of two dog murderers: South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem who Trump has picked to lead Homeland Security; and former NFL star and FOX Sports personality Michael Vick who was just hired to lead Norfolk State’s football program. The sad part is that instead of being rewarded with important new jobs, Vick should just now be getting out of prison and Noem should just now be going in. Let’s begin with Governor Noem.
52-year-old Kristi Noem was born in Watertown, South Dakota, and graduated from Northern State University with a degree in political science. She was elected to the South Dakota legislature in 2007, served in Congress for eight years, then was elected as the state’s first female governor in 2018, and re-elected in 2022. Noem came to national prominence in 2024 as a potential running mate for Trump and looked like the front-runner for that post until the media latched onto some disturbing excerpts from her newly released memoir, No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward.
In an effort to show her toughness under fire, Noem bragged about having shot her 14-month-old pet dog Cricket because the canine was “untrainable” when it came to hunting pheasant. Cricket’s crime was that she chased the birds and went “out of her mind with excitement, having the time of her life.” Having raised dozens of dogs over the years, I can tell you that puppies get excited and distracted, but I’ve never once punished or killed a dog for being disobedient. Of course, Kristi’s abuse of animals didn’t end with the murder of Cricket. The governor also admitted to executing a goat for being “nasty and mean” and smelling bad.
Public reaction to Noem’s behavior was overwhelmingly negative, thus killing her chances of serving as vice president. Yet Noem remained fiercely loyal to Trump and stumped for him at every opportunity. That loyalty was rewarded late last year when the president-elect tapped her to be his secretary of Homeland Security. With Republicans controlling both houses of Congress, her confirmation is a lock, meaning that a woman who brags about murdering innocent animals will soon be in charge of keeping us safe from folks who murder innocent people.
Noem was never charged with animal abuse, which in some states carries a 5-year prison sentence for each offense. The fact is that people who abuse, torture, and kill pets rarely get what’s coming to them, and that brings me to Michael Vick.
Vick was born in Newport News, Virginia and lived in a crime-infested area of the port city. Michael gravitated to football as an escape from the projects, and distinguished himself on the field, earning him a full scholarship to Virginia Tech in 1999. That year he led the NCAA in passing efficiency and the following season Michael was named MVP of the Gator Bowl. Not surprisingly the NFL came calling and Vick left Virginia Tech after his sophomore year to sign a lucrative deal with the Atlanta Falcons.
As he was in college, Michael was an electrifying player in the NFL, earning millions of fans, millions of dollars, and collecting an entourage that engaged in all sorts of illegal behavior. In 2007, it was discovered that Vick owned and operated an illegal dog-fighting facility on land that he owned in Surry County, Virginia. That summer Michael was indicted on federal charges which included financing an interstate dog fighting operation and the gruesome execution of scores of dogs. Vick later admitted to personally hanging and drowning eight of the dogs himself after torturing them with brutal beatings. The Feds were prepared to send Vick to prison for five years, but, as many animal murderers do, Michael cut a plea deal in which he only had to serve 23 months. It was a slap on the wrist for a man who should have been slapped with substantial prison time for each murder. He began his sentence in 2007 and was released in 2009.
Rather than exit Leavenworth as a social pariah, Vick returned to the NFL where fans treated him like a conquering hero and bought his jersey in record numbers. He played out his pro career with the Eagles, Jets, and Steelers, then was picked up by FOX Sports as a football analyst. Late last month he left FOX to become the head coach at Norfolk State University, despite the fact that he has no coaching experience, is a college dropout and has a prison record to boot. Nevertheless, he was welcomed with open arms by NSU Athletic Director Dr. Melody Webb, who obviously thinks that a dog murderer is a good role model for young men.
And Webb isn’t alone. Following the NSU announcement, social media blew up with overwhelming support for dog killer Mike.
“You rock!” wrote thanos1045.
“He rose from the ashes and became a man that I admire,” said swiftcurrent326.
“He was shafted,” wrote kerrytodd3753.
“He’ll have the DAWGS fighting for their life,” said virginiabrinkman9106.
“Michael Vick did NOTHING wrong,” wrote iamthemanmiddleagednerd1053.
Obviously, there are those who believe that criminals can be rehabilitated, and some can. But an adult who tortures and murders animals doesn’t deserve to be an employee of the largest HBCU in Virginia, just as a governor who executes her own pets doesn’t deserve to oversee our Homeland Security. But hey, we Americans love to forgive and forget all sorts of criminal behavior, so bring on the Norfolk State jerseys and the MAGA caps.
December 31, 2024 @ 5:36 am
Vick & Noem in ’24: A Good Year for Dog Killers
2024 will most be remembered for the political comeback of Donald Trump, facilitated by the votes of 77 million Americans who forgot that his insurrection killed several police officers and injured hundreds more. They also forgot about his 32 felony convictions. In short, 2024 was all about how we as a society forgive and forget criminal behavior in general, as was evidenced by the success of two dog murderers: South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem who Trump has picked to lead Homeland Security; and former NFL star and FOX Sports personality Michael Vick who was just hired to lead Norfolk State’s football program. The sad part is that instead of being rewarded with important new jobs, Vick should just now be getting out of prison and Noem should just now be going in. Let’s begin with Governor Noem.
52-year-old Kristi Noem was born in Watertown, South Dakota, and graduated from Northern State University with a degree in political science. She was elected to the South Dakota legislature in 2007, served in Congress for eight years, then was elected as the state’s first female governor in 2018, and re-elected in 2022. Noem came to national prominence in 2024 as a potential running mate for Trump and looked like the front-runner for that post until the media latched onto some disturbing excerpts from her newly released memoir, No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward.
In an effort to show her toughness under fire, Noem bragged about having shot her 14-month-old pet dog Cricket because the canine was “untrainable” when it came to hunting pheasant. Cricket’s crime was that she chased the birds and went “out of her mind with excitement, having the time of her life.” Having raised dozens of dogs over the years, I can tell you that puppies get excited and distracted, but I’ve never once punished or killed a dog for being disobedient. Of course, Kristi’s abuse of animals didn’t end with the murder of Cricket. The governor also admitted to executing a goat for being “nasty and mean” and smelling bad.
Public reaction to Noem’s behavior was overwhelmingly negative, thus killing her chances of serving as vice president. Yet Noem remained fiercely loyal to Trump and stumped for him at every opportunity. That loyalty was rewarded late last year when the president-elect tapped her to be his secretary of Homeland Security. With Republicans controlling both houses of Congress, her confirmation is a lock, meaning that a woman who brags about murdering innocent animals will soon be in charge of keeping us safe from folks who murder innocent people.
Noem was never charged with animal abuse, which in some states carries a 5-year prison sentence for each offense. The fact is that people who abuse, torture, and kill pets rarely get what’s coming to them, and that brings me to Michael Vick.
Vick was born in Newport News, Virginia and lived in a crime-infested area of the port city. Michael gravitated to football as an escape from the projects, and distinguished himself on the field, earning him a full scholarship to Virginia Tech in 1999. That year he led the NCAA in passing efficiency and the following season Michael was named MVP of the Gator Bowl. Not surprisingly the NFL came calling and Vick left Virginia Tech after his sophomore year to sign a lucrative deal with the Atlanta Falcons.
As he was in college, Michael was an electrifying player in the NFL, earning millions of fans, millions of dollars, and collecting an entourage that engaged in all sorts of illegal behavior. In 2007, it was discovered that Vick owned and operated an illegal dog-fighting facility on land that he owned in Surry County, Virginia. That summer Michael was indicted on federal charges which included financing an interstate dog fighting operation and the gruesome execution of scores of dogs. Vick later admitted to personally hanging and drowning eight of the dogs himself after torturing them with brutal beatings. The Feds were prepared to send Vick to prison for five years, but, as many animal murderers do, Michael cut a plea deal in which he only had to serve 23 months. It was a slap on the wrist for a man who should have been slapped with substantial prison time for each murder. He began his sentence in 2007 and was released in 2009.
Rather than exit Leavenworth as a social pariah, Vick returned to the NFL where fans treated him like a conquering hero and bought his jersey in record numbers. He played out his pro career with the Eagles, Jets, and Steelers, then was picked up by FOX Sports as a football analyst. Late last month he left FOX to become the head coach at Norfolk State University, despite the fact that he has no coaching experience, is a college dropout and has a prison record to boot. Nevertheless, he was welcomed with open arms by NSU Athletic Director Dr. Melody Webb, who obviously thinks that a dog murderer is a good role model for young men.
And Webb isn’t alone. Following the NSU announcement, social media blew up with overwhelming support for dog killer Mike.
“You rock!” wrote thanos1045.
“He rose from the ashes and became a man that I admire,” said swiftcurrent326.
“He was shafted,” wrote kerrytodd3753.
“He’ll have the DAWGS fighting for their life,” said virginiabrinkman9106.
“Michael Vick did NOTHING wrong,” wrote iamthemanmiddleagednerd1053.
Obviously, there are those who believe that criminals can be rehabilitated, and some can. But an adult who tortures and murders animals doesn’t deserve to be an employee of the largest HBCU in Virginia, just as a governor who executes her own pets doesn’t deserve to oversee our Homeland Security. But hey, we Americans love to forgive and forget all sorts of criminal behavior, so bring on the Norfolk State jerseys and the MAGA caps.