Sports headline of the evening: Michael Vick signs 2-year contract with Philadelphia Eagles.
This news was blockbuster enough to actually overshadow the official, unofficial start of the football season and Tom Brady's first plays on the football field in nearly a year. Even here in the heart of Patriots' territory: New England.
Tony Dungy, NFL players, sports commentators and even the mayor of Philadelphia freely discuss how penitent Vick is, how he's served his time and continues to do good work with humanitarian socities and how he deserves a second chance. But how would his supporters feel if he couldn't throw or run a football on the professional level? Would they still be in his corner? Because they certainly aren't backing the other hundreds or even thousands of people convicted of similar crimes.
This is a man who tortured animals for amusement. And not just once or twice. But many times over the course of six years. He bet on dogs and abused and even killed them. As PETA said in a released statement, Vick "hung dogs from trees. He electrocuted them with jumper cables and held them under water."
What if his victims were children instead of dogs? Some may call this a giant leap or a slippery slope argument. However, for me, a woman in her mid-20s with no children and two dogs, my dogs are my babies. I probably even take better care of them than I do myself. And I know many other dog owners who feel the same way.
Why does Michael Vick "deserve" this second chance while thousands of others people who are also sorry for their crimes and also served their sentences are left to languish? I have heard how difficult it is for people with criminal histories to make even the humblest of new starts. And the idea that Vick is entitled to this chance millions of kids and adults strive for just because he once played football at the highest possible level is preposterous.
That being said, I fully believe in giving deserving people a second chance and reintegrating them into society. Perhaps the key to successfully doing so is the ability to throw a football. And that, unfortunately, is the lesson this debacle taught us this evening.
This news was blockbuster enough to actually overshadow the official, unofficial start of the football season and Tom Brady's first plays on the football field in nearly a year. Even here in the heart of Patriots' territory: New England.
Tony Dungy, NFL players, sports commentators and even the mayor of Philadelphia freely discuss how penitent Vick is, how he's served his time and continues to do good work with humanitarian socities and how he deserves a second chance. But how would his supporters feel if he couldn't throw or run a football on the professional level? Would they still be in his corner? Because they certainly aren't backing the other hundreds or even thousands of people convicted of similar crimes.
This is a man who tortured animals for amusement. And not just once or twice. But many times over the course of six years. He bet on dogs and abused and even killed them. As PETA said in a released statement, Vick "hung dogs from trees. He electrocuted them with jumper cables and held them under water."
What if his victims were children instead of dogs? Some may call this a giant leap or a slippery slope argument. However, for me, a woman in her mid-20s with no children and two dogs, my dogs are my babies. I probably even take better care of them than I do myself. And I know many other dog owners who feel the same way.
Why does Michael Vick "deserve" this second chance while thousands of others people who are also sorry for their crimes and also served their sentences are left to languish? I have heard how difficult it is for people with criminal histories to make even the humblest of new starts. And the idea that Vick is entitled to this chance millions of kids and adults strive for just because he once played football at the highest possible level is preposterous.
That being said, I fully believe in giving deserving people a second chance and reintegrating them into society. Perhaps the key to successfully doing so is the ability to throw a football. And that, unfortunately, is the lesson this debacle taught us this evening.
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