NAACP Makes the Michael Vick Case a Race Issue

Excellent commentary! Ironically, I had just finished writing a very similar blog about this issue based on both my love for animals, especially dogs, and my professional background in public relations. Dr. White needs to realize that his unwarranted statements are hurting the NAACP’s image.

Unless the NAACP has a Humane Society affiliate they should just stay out of it. This is NOT a race issue and shame on anyone who thinks it is.

I completely agree with you this is not a race issue if Joe Montana did this he would definatly feel the heat from PETA and other organizations.

Why is it that the NAACP tends to step forward the most for individuals who have committed serious crimes. MIchael Vick is NOT innocent and the same people that think he is are the same people that think OJ is innocent!! Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson need to do some serious soul searching. This is not about being Black, white or anything in between. It’s about right and wrong and coming together as a community and making people accountable for their actions. How can they call themselves men of God? Are these innocent animals that were murdered not God’s creatures too?

i own three dogs and i do not care what color, religion, etc. a person is.
i just do not see the racial angle. did they only find white colored dogs killed on vick’s property.

secondly, the naacp, jesse “hymie town” jackson, al “slim shady” sharpton should all be ashame of themselves for bringing race into this. they did not give the duke lacrosse guys the benefit of the doubt. there was only an allegation made and the majority of blacks and a lot of whites thought they were guilty. there is no allegation in the vick case. they found dead dogs on the property. we just have to find out his level of involvement.

thirdly, this country, is in bad racial shape if we are going to be divided over this. black america has to wake up and be honest with themselves. a crime was commited here on someone’s property and it happened to be mr Vick’s. does black america not care aboout the dogs?

Would this be getting the same coverage and attention if lets say Brett Favre was caught? I don’t think so…

He never said anything about race in his interview, he said that he has been prosecuted publically without trial. He has lost sponsors, can’t train with his team and everything. NO ONE has said anything about race. Get your facts right. And we all know it’s true. Any time an African American person is accused of a crime the punishment is way more severe than a White person. You all sound racist. It’s a fact, Afriacn Americans are overrepresented for crimes, special education and everything else. Please check your facts. You are all judging without a trial. You have already made up your minds. It just so happens that Dr. White is a member of the NAACP, so YOU have decided this is a race issue. I don’t doubt that wrong is wrong, but don’t turn it into something it is not. Race is a huge issue in this country and people with opinions such as yours, will be the reason why it will always be an issue.

Could it be that one reason African-Americans are so defensive of Mr. Vick is because they just don’t get it? Do they see dog-fighting as morally okay, even though illegal? (And illegal because White society has made it so?) It seems to me that a lot of the racial divisiveness we still have is simply because we do not share the same moral values, which reflect the way we’ve been reared and taught.

Yes, if Brett Favre was receiving the same allegations…I would think he is just as much of a disgrace of a human being as I do Michael Vick. Granted, the man is innocent until proven guilty, but from what I understand, the prosecution has a pretty lengthy case against him. Also, Vick has always rubbed me the wrong way…he doesn’t come across as a decent and kind individual.

How is this a race issue? It’s more like a humane issue toward animals…

Are you kidding? Would America be as outraged at Brett Favre, of course they would! Do you see the American public showing restraint in publicizing the crimes of say…Paris Hilton? Or Lindsay Lohan? News of their crimes is in the news 24-freakin-7 and it didn’t involve breeding dogs and then mutilating, torturing and killing them in heinous, disgusting, immoral and ILLEGAL ways. Americans show no mercy for celebrity criminals no matter what race, gender, political affiliation or sexual orientation. To even suggest otherwise makes you look foolish and ignorant.

Some Americans certainly do show mercy for celebrity criminals— if the criminals happen to be black. Black Americans seem overwhelmingly to think that any time one of their race commits a crime, or is accused of commiting one, they are automatically innocent by virtue of being black. So many of them hark back to the days when they were victims of white America and had no rights before the law. They appear unable or unwilling to see that not only has their legal status changed, so has the majority of white America’s feelings and attitudes toward them. We are no longer the people we were, or that our ancestors were, but too many black people still see themselves as victims and us as their victimizers. We have progressed in our thinking; they have not. So long as they think like this, we will have racial division in our country. They are as small-minded as they accuse white people of being. Is this not a reflection of their own racism? Wake up, African-Americans and join us in being simply Americans! I am sick of hearing you whine!

I cant believe someone would take a risk such as Dog Fighting. He had everything in the world and he flushed it all down the toilet. Idiot.

Well I know that the “Law said Innocent Until Proven Guilty” I am trying to be unbiased about this because, I see the side of those who believe in inhumane cruelty to animals which is flat out WRONG regardless of race, gender, nationality, etc.So if he is in anyway involved punishment is due.

I also see the side that may think this could become a racist issue because we ask if people of other races did this would this be handled the same or “slip through the cracks by money scandle and is people with networks of the upper political class” like others cases have been with the “elite class”…

So we just have to wait and see, so said but I don’t think just yet the NAACP should jump the gun because honestly from what I have seen and heard and some facts, it doesn’t look good for Vick. When you get to be in his status you have to learn to leave the - — TO! people out when it comes to things like helping family when it come to your career and our reputation. If you own a property “common sense” in his status should have told him to know that was going on with the “fam” I hope you know their character and I do believe he did and know your people and what they are doing there! My God that wasn’t smart at all whether he know about it or not!

To Judy

I wanted to respond to your comment, please don’t make General statedment about a race becasue what you said isn’t true for all, as you wouldn’t want us to do about your race. We all know that RACISM does still exist wtih all classes and yes, even your class may have some residue left on them that they haven’t gotten over. I have seen it and heard it first had. I do agree some have changed their views and that starts with each individual within but the world isn’t equal with race, socio-economic class, or class. If you read what you wrote again you also seem to be a little biased toward your views about African= Americans, so you might want to mediate on what you wrote for a minute. Remember God doesn’t see any race or class better over the other because we all bleed red blood and we all die on thsi earth. I have nothing for love to all humans who treat me the way I would treat them including you! God Bless!

yeah its racial, seriously this is bigger than ray lewis double murder trial. who really cares about pitbulls. how many of these concerned people have or would have a pitbull as a pet for there kids? how many times have you seen a pitbull on the news for mauling a kid? how many times for doing something good? ZERO. and no none of these white people want these unpredictable dogs nor do the want them in there neighborhood. just another way to tear a black man down. just like barry bonds, what does it matter the dumb asses never had a steroid policy till a few years ago. where is all these people that care so much for animals, at these bull riding shows, they kill those animals also. its cruel and the same thing. but no one says anything because their WHITE.

JUDY

THAT IS THE DUMBEST CRAP I HAVE EVER HEARD. I AM BLACK, AND ANYTIME A BLACK MAN COMMITS A CRIME HE ASSUMES HE IS GUILTY. WHY? BECAUSE THAT IS HOW WE ARE TREATED. I WORK VERY HARD EVERYDAY IN THIS RACIST ASS TOWN I LIVE IN. AND BECAUSE MY CAR IS NICE IM OFTEN HARASSED BY COPS. BECAUSE MY GIRLFRIEND IS WHITE I ALWAYS GET DIRTY LOOKS. IM GUILTY BEFORE I DO ANYTHING. WHY? BECAUSE IM BLACK. MY RACE GETS ME NOWHERE IN THIS WORLD IT SETS ME BACK. AND IF YOU THINK THIS WORLD HAS PROGRESSED YOU NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE. YOU HAVENT DEALT WITH IT SO YOU HAVE NO CLUE

THE BOTTOM LINE IS, IF IT WAS BRETT FAVRE WE PROBABLY WOULDNT HEAR ABOUT IT YOU CANT TELL ME THAT BLACK ATHLETES ARE THE ONLY ATHLETES DOING ANYTHING WRONG. BUT THAT IS HOW IT IS PORTRAYED. WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT TILL WE ARE BLUE IN THE FACE BUT THIS WORLD IS STILL PLENTY RACIST. IF YOU DONT BELIEVE IT DATE OR MARRY OUTSIDE YOUR RACE. JUST TRY IT. NO ONE IS TRYING TO JUSTIFY THE DUMB CRAP VICK DONE, JUST SAYING IT IS WAY OUT OF PROPORTION. ESPECIALLY SINCE RAY LEWIS SITUATION WASNT THIS BIG

TONY NO ONE SAID THAT IT WAS OKAY TO DOG FIGHT. AND NO NO ONE CARS ABOUT THOSE HEARTLESS DOGS. YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO GET FROM THOSE DOGS. THAT IS WHY YOU DONT HAVE ONE AND WOULDNT HAVE ONE. THE DOGS ARE WORTHLESS IF THEY DONT FIGHT. AND NO I DONT DOGFIGHT I THINK IT CRUEL, BUT IM NOT GOING TO SIT HERE AND ACT LIKE I GIVE ADAMN ABOUT A PITBULL LIKE THE HUMANE SOCIETY DOES. HOW IS THIS DIFFERENT FROM BULL RIDING, HOG TYING OR ANY OF THAT OTHER STUPID STUFF. IT THE SAME CRAP, SOME PEOPLE LOVE COWS, PIGS, BULLS, OR CHICKENS. ITS A DOUBLE STANDARD SOMEWHAT. HOWS IT DIFFERENT HE RAISED, CARED FOR THEM, AND KILLED THEM. CATTLE FARMERS DO IT ALL THE TIME. SO WHAT DO YOU THINK VEGETARIANS ARE THINKING. THIS IS SOME CLASS A BULLSHIT, ITS WRONG BUT HE DOESNT DESERVE WHAT ALL HES GETTING, THEY DONT KNOW HIS INVOLVEMENT AND HE LIVES IN ATL.

Dion, I’m not quite clear about what you meant by “Anytime a black man commits a crime he assumes he is guilty.” Anytime ANYone commits a crime, he surely assumes his own guilt, doesn’t he? I mean, unless you’re mentally deficient, you do know if you have commited a crime that you are guilty.You are never guilty just because someone else treats you as though you are. That’s absurd.

As to racism still existing in our society, I have no doubt that it does. I believe you and other black people when you say there is racial profiling and that you have been targets of it. I do not condone racism and I am sorry that it still exists. I detest injustice and cruelty in any form.

Can you honestly say that only white people are racists? It seems to me that a lot of black people do some profiling of their own. We are called racist if we hold black people to the same standards we have for ourselves and everyone else. Are we supposed to cut you some slack because you’re black? Is that what you want? If we did that, then it would be as though we were saying you were less capable than the rest of us of following the rules and obeying the laws and just in general being responsible adults.

I agree that there are often mitigating circumstances when people commit crimes. I agree that we don’t all start out with the same advantages in life and that we are, to an extent, products of our environment. But Mr. Vick has had every advantage and then some. It is unforunate that his wealth hasn’t bought him any manners or civility or just plain old humanity.

Cruelty to animals, Dion, be they pit bulls or bulls or whatever, is wrong. Dogs are not heartless! People are heartless. A dog that is bred to fight has no choice. Humans are responsible for breeding and training what you term “heartless” animals. And pit bulls are not “worthless if they don’t fight.” Their human owners and people who bet on them may deem them worthless, but it is their own values that are worthless. There are plenty of pit bulls out there that are good, loving pets. Ask their owners if their pets are worthless.

So are you saying that the only reason a person would own a pit bull would be for fighting purposes? If so, you are making a case against Mr. Vick, not helping him any.

On the one hand, you say that you think dogfighting is cruel. On the other, you say you don’t care what happened to those pit bulls. Are you cruel or not?

And yes, I do think we have progressed in this world. I can tell you are young and I wonder if you know much history, since you seem to think that everything Martin Luther King did was in vain, that no progress has been made in Civil Rights, not to mention in the fight against racism. I wonder what Mr. King would think about you and others like you. Somehow, I don’t think he would be real proud of you

We judge one another every day, and are judged every day, by our behavior. Mr. Vick’s behavior got him into this mess and we are all free to judge his character by what we’ve learned so far. Whether or not he is guilty as charged remains to be seen.

I sit here and wonder…will blacks and whites truly ever see eye to eye on issues. ok let’s be real here…racism is alive and well white on black black on white it does not matter hate is in so many people’s hearts it. I say this: Our media fuels the tension, knowing it sells papers and magazines. Has it made it to the front page even once that there were 12 other arrests around the country for dog fighting? TWELVE YES TWELVE!!! however with michael vick being the poster child it makes a great story. The posts listed above have so much hate in them…brett farve, be like white america, my girlfriend is white…..My god we’re talking about a man who is suspected of committing a crime. Don’t let race interupt the sytem of justice, lets not let it intangle our thoughts. that goes for everybody.

Google “dog fighting arrests”…..You’ll soon see it’s not just about Michael Vick…….He just happens to be the celebrity.

I understand that racism is a very real part of modern America, but I don’t really see how the Vick case can be made into a racial issue. There are much more important and obviously racial incidents such as white cops in NYC emptying multiple magazines into an unarmed black man’s car a few months ago. Just because this is a high profile case involving a black athlete doesn’t make it racial.

It seems that many people are saying that the public has condemned him even though he is “innocent until proven guilty” in the eyes of the law. However, one doesn’t need to to be convicted of a crime to tarnish or destroy a reputation. Before this incident, Vick has been virtually the face of the NFL, obviously making him very popular with sponsors. It’s understandable that these corporations want to distance themselves from him due to the nature of the case and the PR nightmare that it has created. Unlike many of the other legal cases involving pro athletes that revolved around an incident that happened in the heat of the moment (Ray Lewis, Sean Taylor etc.), Vick allegedly sponsored an illegal and cruel activity over the course of several years. It’s kind of tough to come up with anything to say in defense of such action. Regardless of his innocence or guilt, his reputation has been shattered by association with dogfighting, and it would be bad business for Nike and Reebok to continue supporting him at the moment. Also, the harsh penalties doled out by the NFL seem to be a function of the “new sheriff in town” attitude of the commissioner than racism.

Also, if it were Brett Favre instead of Vick it would be getting just as much attention on TV. All the talking heads on ESPN and CNN would be talking about it just as much because it’s a big-time celebrity taking a fall, and television loves it. Vick is getting the largely negative media coverage because of his superstar status and the nature of the alleged crime, not because of his skin color.

I must say that as a black women I am very offended by comments left by Judy and Tony. I know that dogfighting is wrong. I do not agree with it just like many other people of color. To sit on here and say that “black america doesn’t get it” and that we “think it’s okay because our morals aren’t the same” is offensive. That’s like black america saying the majority of serial killers are white becuse they are raised differently. Do not group us together as if every black person is on Vick’s side. This whole thing is changed into a race thing by those who say, “black america dosen’t care about the dogs” and black america this and black america that. You say it’s not a race thing and then turn around and single out a group of people with the term “black america”.

Dear Black people…

Let this one go. White people will never see how race plays a part in anything. That’s just the way it is. They are the majority. There is no one to be racist towards them to the point where they feel the repercussions of it. Do what you can to raise your own children correctly and leave these people alone.

Your brother;

Uncontainable Spirit

My favorite line is “if brett favre did it, we wouldnt be hearing about this”. Your stupidity and racism is clearly stated. Anybody stand up for the white duke lacross players? Anybody care that they were snowballed by a white pros. who made up lies to indict them? Assuming that everybody involved in the Michael Vick case is racist, makes you the racist. Oh, has anybody heard of OJ Simpson? Hmmm, killed two white people? Wrote a book that is going to be published soon all but admitting it? Remember him? How about Ray Lewis? Abstruction of justice in a double homicide case? Remember? Did they serve any time? Just checking. How about Mark McGuire? Somebody in a previous post was eluding to white america getting on Barry Bonds. And people are not on McGuire for the same thing? Not to mention the fact that Bonds is a complete jerk, and the people who defend him are even dumber becuase he would spit on you; that is pretty much all of the respect he would have for you. Stop listening to Stephen A Smith, he is a racist. Pete Rose was banned for life from baseball for betting on games and will never be reinstated. He was black, right? Paris Hilton got 26 days in LA County for driving with a suspended licence, but was first released early (for a few days) and then sent back. Remember the biggest racist in the united states Al Sharpton saying that it was a racial issue? He never mentioned that actress Michelle Rodriguez served five hours for the same crime. If things were left alone, most people would not be creating racial issues when there arent any. Al Sharpton makes his money creating racial issues because there simply arent enough today to keep him in buisness.This is why he takes the word of a black prostitute who accused those duke athletes before any investigation, and then never apologizes to the athletes when he was wrong…….again. Tawana Brawley? I am sick an tired of the people who make racial issues up, becuase it is the kids who will buy into your garbage when you are clearly wrong. Oh, and a little advice to the guy who has is so bad because everyone in his town is “racist”, if that is true then dont date a white woman lol.

Oh, and just a quick question, uncontainable spirit…..what do you mean by “these people”? Just wondering.

Tiffany, I’m sorry you have misinterpreted what I’ve said. I didn’t mean to say that ALL black people “didn’t get it.” I did not say that All black people had different morals, nor did I say that ALL black people thought that what Michael Vick did was morally okay.

I admit that in my first comment I implied that black people didn’t get it, and I apologize. I was writing out of irritation and frustration owing to the majority of the comments I had just read. So let me amend that to say that, judging from most of the comments I was reading, most black people did not seem to get it.

I stand by the other comments I made, though, and if you are offended, I ask that you try being more objective. Most of the comments by black people on this site, and others, express outrage that Michael Vick is being “unfairly” judged and “convicted” before all the legal facts are in, which is nonsense. (We all, or every color, form opinions every day that we would not convict someone on if we were their jurors in a court of law.) Many of them also express confusion over what all the hullabaloo is all about. Many compare apples and oranges and ask why we are not outraged over the murder of humans or the loss of life in the Iraq War. Many claim that if Michael Vick were white, white people would not be morally repulsed by his actions. If you will read some of these comments from the black community, perhaps you will understand why I, and other white people, are offended by your attitudes, as you are offended by ours.

There was the same kind of racial division when O.J. Simpson committed the atrocities he now admits to committing. It’s as though unless you have a video of the crimes committed, then you have no right to form an opinion as to guilt, never mind the evidence or your common sense. And it’s also as though white people have no right, ever, to judge a black person, yet the converse is not true.

This whole thing has not been turned into a race thing by white people, Tiffany. I think you need to review what has been said by the black community and by the NAACP. I repeat: racism and resentment cuts both ways. Perhaps in forums like this we can clear the air and even clear our society of racism. It’s a start, anyway.

[...] There are many who want to turn this dogfighting legal matter into a racial issue. Mr Wojciechowski’s article is just one example of why there is such a reaction to this dogfighting scandal and Michael Vick. It hits home with people like Gene Wojciechowski. It is personal. [...]

Oh, PU_LEEZEEEE! Don’t insert the race issue here. I’m very tired of seeing the “race issue” raised when nothing else is rational. A person who has done what Michael Vick has done to dogs should be punished to the full extent of the law. Pity the poor animals; not the a-hole millionaire football player.

Agree with RUDY’s MOM! How typical is this? Nothing is rational with Vick so what other issue would arise other than RACE. This is so ridiculous! Race has nothing to do with this stupid sickening crime. He happens to be a rich buttho** football player that obviously has no morals! maybe he will have time to think about what he’s done while he exercises and eats nice meals and rests in prison. Afterall, he’ll make money while in prison…. don’t feel sorry for Vick! he deserves what he gets..hopefully all other people in this society who are committing the same crimes will wake up and stop this terrible act of crime………………

Of course Dr. R.L. White, Jr. said this was a race issue! Not only that, he said every white person in America is a racist, either intentionally or subliminally (whatever that means?)! And he said that on the Bill O’Reilly show in front of God and everyone who was watching that broadcast!

The NAACP is one of the biggest racist organizations in the country today right next to the K.K.K!! Everything is the white peoples fault don’t you know? Yea, right……… make me laugh some more! When black people in this country face the fact that it is not racism keeping them down they will be much better off!

What about Asians in this country? They are graduating high school and college in greater numbers compared to their percentage of population than “white” people are! Are Asians just too cute for “white” people to discriminate against? Of course not, they get where they are going through hard work and determination, just like other successful people do, white, black, yellow, or green!

I too am sick of hearing that blacks are where they are because white people are racist! And before you call me a racist, both sides of my family have Native American heritage! And no group in this country have been treated worse than they have!! Grow up and get over it, it isn’t white peoples fault!

I do not think this is a race issue. Don’t get me wrong I love animals and it was truly a terrible thing what Mr. Vick did. Yes justice should definately be served for the animals who lost their lives but at the same time to ban him from the NFL completely is really extreme. If that is the case then they need to also ban the athlete’s who have been found guilty of abusing their spouses. What people need to realize is when these regular people become superstars they are not role models. It is society who puts athletes and other entertainers on a pedelstool because parents do not want the full responsibility of raisng their own children so they leave it up to the media to assist that way when their child is acting up they have someone to blame. Then when a athlete does something wrong everyone is shocked and society wants to hang them. That is not right. Yes I do feel entertainers have a certain responsibility to society because of their status but at the same time look at the enviroments most of these entertainers come from. Alot of them were not born with a silver spoon in their mouths, there is no excuse for acting a fool but if they are going to throw the book at him then they need to throw it across the whole NFL and the new rule should read “Any athlete found guilty of any type of abuse whether it be to animals or humans will be banned from the NFL with out notice” that’s if the NFL really gives a damn. Don’t let Mcheal Vick’s situation be the reason. Oh and by the way who ever thinks the NAACP needs to stay out of it is silly because it is a BLACK MAN on trial and considering we live in a very racists, prejudices, unjust world with a history of prosecuting BLACK MEN unfairly the NAACP did what they were supposed to do. Get involved.

T, first you say that this is not a race issue, then you end by saying the NAACP should be involved because Mr. Vick is black and our society is racist, blah, blah,blah. Same song, second verse. Sounds to me like you are singing along right on cue.

Justice should be served for those animals who lost their lives? What do you think that justice should consist of? You don’t say, except to say that Mr. Vick should be able to continue to play in the NFL.( Should we assume you agree he should go to prison? ) Didn’t he break the rules of the NFL as well?

Those animals didn’t just” lose” their lives; they were slain. There’s a difference.And before they were slain, they were tortured in ways that sicken those of us who are relatively sane and civilized. Mr. Vick and his friends tortured and killed helpless animals for sport. Now, either Mr. Vick is terribly greedy, or he is terribly sick, or both. His criminal activities and cruelty should not be rewarded by the NFL or by football fans.

I agree that celebrities are just regular people and if we think they’re better than the rest of us, that’s because we aren’t thinking clearly. On the other hand, because they are in the public eye, they should behave responsibly and try to set a good example for kids who admire their talent and aspire to be like them.

You want to blame parents because their children think people like Michael Vick are heroes? That’s a bit of a stretch, isn’t it? Let’s put the blame where it belongs, here. Mr. Vick is no hero, that’s true, but children don’t know enough to see the person behind the star football player.Children want and need adults to admire and emulate. If Mr. Vick didn’t know that, where has he been? He knew; he just didn’t care.

Blame racist society; blame parents; blame the NFL; blame poverty;blame history; blame everbody and everything, but don’t blame poor Mr. Vick. Do you think all this blaming might have something to do with Mr. Vick’s problems?

I’m all for throwing the book at celebrities who abuse animals and people.That new rule you suggested has my vote. But that doesn’t change what Michael Vick and his friends did and they should be punished accordingly.

About his friends: I don’t hear you or the NAACP speaking up for them. Are they not victims, too? Talk about hero worship!

First of all Ms. Judy this is my opinion. I am not sure what your education status is but I thought I wrote MY OPINION clear enough. And before you start trying to go off on me you should not have anything to say because I have read your previous comments so you have a lot of nerve responding to anything I wrote. but I understand you are online looking for any reason to get a rise out of someone. Just to help YOU understand a little better. My initial statement was I do not think Mr. Vick is being treated unfairly considering what he is accused of doing because he is Black. I think he is being treated like this meaning (a lot of outrage over his actions) because of what he did (hurting animals) Secondly my statement about the NAACP was in response to what someone else wrote saying the NAACP should stay out of it. No they should not because regardless of the crime he is accused of doing it is still a BLACK MAN on trial and WE all know that through history SOME BLACK MEN have been falsely prosecuted and have served crimes for things they did not do I am not saying it has not happened to other races but it has happened more to Black Men. So the NAACP’s position in this (if they are even involved) is to make sure he gets a fair trial like everyone else that has been on trial in high profile cases. Think about it when Scott Peterson did what he did which was horrific even though ALL the evidence was pointing to him he still received a fair and just trial and was not considered a murder by her family, his family or society until he was found guilty. Honestly I was not trying to make it a white or black thing but I will say again you know when Scott was on trial he was not accused or convicted until the trial was over. Oh and your comment about I am blaming everyone around Mr. Vick I did not say that once again I was making a general statement saying parents and society should stop putting all of these athletes and other entertainers on a pedestal Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan etc because they make millions of dollars and are in the spot light all the time. Money does not change people and if the core foundation of their morals and values are not there or has been warped somewhere in their lifetime situations like Mr. Vick’s can happen. Also athletes and entertainers are put on a pedestal and considered role models too quickly when they don’t ask for it. Remember Kobe Bryant he was basically America’s young perfect gentleman. Then he rapped someone once again showing he was not role model material just because he made a few good baskets, and did a few commercials oh yeah and started a basketball camp. I never said Mr. Vick was a victim all I am saying is if the NFL is going to throw the book at him then they need to throw it at everyone else in the sports world who has ever abused anyone and the reason his friends are not being mentioned is because they are people the media does not know and they ended their 15 minutes of fame by pleading guilty right away. Mr. Vick should definitely be punished but kicking him out of the NFL is extreme (Once again my opinion). To your other comment Parent’s need to teach their children to admire and emulate them and people who are like them. Not people just because they are on TV. and if you truly in your heart believe racism, prejudice against any ethnic group does not exists especially against African-Americans then you are living in a bubble.
So honestly we are two different people with two different opinions I am not trying to get you to understand me and I will not understand you, but I do respect your comments and you need to respect everyone else’s as well Judy.

T, responding to your opinions and voicing my own is not “going off on you.” Instead of getting riled up, you should listen to other people’s opinions; you might just learn something. I’ve learned alot by reading other people’s viewpoints, not just on this issue, but on many others. I hope I’m not so close-minded that I think I have the last word on everything and can’t ever change my mind. I do have a mind, though, and I will speak it, honestly and openly. How you or anyone else responds to it is up to you. I have no intentions of making you angry; I don’t believe I’ve said anything deliberately insulting, but if you are angry and insulted, that’ s okay. Sometimes venting emotions can help clear the air, too.

What did you mean by I “should not have anything to say” because you have read my previous comments and I have a lot of nerve responding to what you wrote? It’s called freedom of expression, not nerve. I believe we are both free to speak our minds. I am genuinely puzzled by this comment.

You’re right: we are two “different people with two different opinions.”
But we part ways when you think it isn’t important that we understand each other. I believe it is vitally important to understand what and how others think, especially when there is so much animosity and mis-understanding involved. That’s one reason I have found the Vick case to be so interesting. It has clearly shown a division along racial lines in this country that I knew existed, but not in an up close and personal way. I believe it should be addressed and rectified as far as possible.

I do not live in a bubble, T; I’m well aware that there is racism in this country. It cuts both ways, and you know it. I”m not black, so I have no intimate knowledge of what it’s like to be black. But neither do you know what it’s like to be white. It’s only human to see things from a personal perspective, but education (in the sense of learning, not necessarily in the formal sense) and maturity should help us to see things from others’ perspectives. If we continue to close our minds or insist that if we don’t agree on everything, then we should just keep quiet, or we should yell and be hateful to one another, how can we ever learn? How can things ever change?

I do respect your opinions. I don’t agree with most of them, so far, but I respect your right to speak them. I don’t know you, so I don’t know if I would like you, or not, but I respect you as a human being. I don’t care what color you are; I don’t care what your background is; I don’t care whether you’re straight or gay; I don’t care what your religious preferances are; so far as respecting you as a fellow human being goes, these don’t matter. I don’t have to like you, personally, to treat you fairly or to believe that you are entitled to every right that I have.

Lest that sound like I’m just a wonderful, reasonable human being with no prejudices or character flaws of my own, I’ll be the first to admit that’s not the case. I am opinionated, blunt, impatient, and sarcastic, among other things. (Actually, those are my better qualities.) But one thing I am not is mean or cruel. I detest injustice and cruelty and narow-mindedness above all else.

Michael Vick was mean and cruel, among other things. I have no use for him and I think he should pay dearly for what he did. I feel the same about Scott Peterson, by the way, whose crime was certainly worse than Mr. Vick’s. And you are dead wrong when you say that Scott Peterson wasn’t judged before he was found guilty in a court of law. His case was endlessly discussed and people were outraged and disgusted by his behavior, not to mention his crime, before he was even arrested, much less charged.

You have to be freakin kidding me. Now You are so understanding and open-minded. Oh please give me a break. Your first comments you wrote were so racists I thought you were actually at a kkk meeting using the computer. That’s why I said “You have alot of nerve responding to anything I wrote” My first comment was very general not specifically pointing the finger at any one. YOU responded directly to ME. And no I am not gonna sit here and try to understand your point of view or any one else’s if it is filled with ignorance and prejudice which your previous comments were so hell no to that. Your right you are not BLACK so therefore you shoud have not opened your mouth stating “Wake up, African-Americans and join us in being simply Americans! I am sick of hearing you whine! ” quoted. Lady please you are a joke. You need to take your own advice.” I believe it is vitally important to understand what and how others think, especially when there is so much animosity and mis-understanding involved.” quoted. If you really felt like that you would not have wrote half of the things you did. You would have asked questions instead of making assumptions about “Black America” We can go around and around in circles over this. Just to clarify things Sweety nothing you write will ever have have my feathers ruffled your not that important. I really have nothing else to say to you about White America or Black America or who ever’s America.

My advice to you, T, and to others who are as close-minded as you are, is to learn to think before you react. You are obviously in need of some anger management, not to mention some education and manners.

There are educated black people in this country who have said pretty much the same thing I’ve said. It has nothing to do with racism and everything to do with logic and honesty. They’ve gotten the same response from readers of your ilk. You don’t want to see anyone else’s viewpoint if it disagrees with yours — in fact, you CAN’T see anyone else’s. Trying to converse with someone like you is a waste of time.

Read “The Bell Curve”.

Hello, I just want to say that wether Black, White or any other color, I feel that Athlete’s are paid to much. There are Dr.’s ,Teacher’s and so many more that should be making all the money, they save lives, they teach us things that are important in life but they struggle to live day to day. The Athlete’s, Rappers, Actor’s, Rock n Roll star’s all make good money and what do they do? Show up on T.V. talking about how much they paid for something or showing us the beautiful mansion they bought. I heard Madonna say she paid $30,000 for a stroller and P Diddy paid $20,000 for a chain for his son. O.K. they work hard but there are children out here (Black and White) that can’t even have a full course meal! They say they donate to Oganizations but tell me this, where are they? What City or State do you have to live in? I have lived in 5 different states and it’s all the same, the shelters are out of money and the food banks give food that most people wouldn’t feed their dog.
I know this was about Mr Vick but I just had to get this off my chest!
Mr. Vick has nothing to do with the love that I have for all people. Because no matter how any of us feel about Michael Vick’s situation,
if you had the chance to see him in person he would not give us a second look! PLEASE BELEIVE IT!

While I do not condone the acts of Michael Vick, I do have a serious problem with a society that holds different standards for certain people and another standard for others.
The first time I heard of animal fighting was from a group of “good ole boys” with whom I worked. Seems my co-worker lost $1,500 on his rooster in a fight, after which the co-worker went home and killed all off-spring of the rooster. I would be willing to bet that a number of GA state legislators have either participated or know someone who has participated in and may still be participating in some form of animal fighting. And this is more than likely the case for a number of states in this country. Now that the hiphop culture has gotten into such activities, suddenly, it is the worst thing that could happen. Again, I do not condone this behavior, but this is a perfect example of the systemic racism we as non-whites speak of. Show me you are spreading “just-us” equally by going to rural GA and prosecuting all the “good ole boys”, just the same. And while we are at it, we might as well take on those “white collar” criminals who carry out what I refer to as “legalized public” crime on an ongoing basis, such as George W. Bush and his cronies. Racism by any other name, subtle or otherwise, is still racism.
Hopefully, this will provide some of you with a better understanding of what some of us who are non-white are speaking of when we see the underlying racism in various situations.

Okay, some comments and questions…

Whites who think racism is a thing of the past are out of their minds.

African-Americans who think that racism has not decreased significantly over the last 50 years do not have much understanding of history.There is still a long way to go, but it is a lot better.

News coverage is definitely influenced by race and social class. Just think of the Jon Benet-Ramsey thing, the media obsessed over a pretty white girl while dozens of children (who might have actually been found with some media attention) disappeared (without a peep from the media.).

That said, a lot of the attention in the case is because of the cruel and unusual nature of this case. A murder is much worse, but they happen every day so they do not get as much attention. It’s unfair to compare it with the Scott Peterson case, the Ray Lewis murder case got a lot less publicity than the Michael Vick as well. I don’t remember widespread outcry that Ray was guilty- people seemed willing to wait until the jury decided. If this case involved Brett Favre the outcry would be just as bad.
I’d say media racism is more about the victim, a murdered white woman gets way more attention than anything else (remember Chandra Levy), while black murder victims don’t get much attention (unless their last name is Cosby…). Apparently murdered dogs get even better ratings than murdered white women.

Those of you that are really concerned about cruelty to animals could start by not eating them. Commercial feed animals are treated much worse than fighting dogs (often placed in cages and not allowed to move their entire lives), and kosher meat animals have their throats slit and hang upside down to bleed to death for 12+ hours. And it’s not “necessary” to feed our country, the grain that feeds one cow for its life could feed several dozen people. Unless you are a cop or animal warden, you can’t do anything about dogfighting no matter how often you post to message boards. You can prevent cruelty to animals every time you choose not to eat meat.

Who in society holds different standards for different people? If you are referrring to white people, we have repeatedly said that this is not a racial issue and that anyone, of any color, would be criticized for the crimes that Michael Vick has been criticized for. I personally don’t care if it’s a good ol’ boy or the boy next door, whoever abuses animals is not going to get any praise from me. If I had been in your place, I would have turned that good ol’ boy in.

The moral and legal bans against animal cruelty did not begin with hip-hop culture; the laws have been on the books for quite some time. Some rap lyrics promote violence against animals, as they do against people. Those of us who believe that violence is a problem do not think that these lyrics, or any culture which promotes them, is a good idea, that’s all, any more than lyrics which might promote racism would be a good idea.

I don’t know what “just us” is, so I don’t know how to spread it equally. Nor am I in law enforcement, but I do support prosecuting anyone who is engaging in the mistreatment of animals; I don’t care who they are or where they live. Do you have evidence that only blacks or non-whites are being prosecuted for abusing animals?

I’m sorry, but you have not convinced me that there is systemic racism in our society. Just because you and some other non-whites say there is does not make it so. Back when there was systemic racism, it was quite obvious to everyone. If such is the case today, then take the racists to court and prove your case.

What do you think public reaction should have been to Michael Vick’s cruel and criminal behavior? Do you think we should have ignored it? Any crime that shocks us by its its brutality or depravity is going to cause a loud outrage. Scott Peterson was a good case in point. It was endlessly discussed and he was convicted by public opinion before he ever went to trial. It’s simply human nature to do this. It has nothing to do with race.

None of this is surprising. Blacks always stick together as a group to protest the innocence of their criminals or blame it on whites. The reason why there are so many more convictions of black people than white is because statistically blacks are 7 times more likely to commit acts of violence than are white people ( see The Color of Crime by the New Century Foundation). That is probably one reason why dog fights are much more rampant in their culture than in white culture. Another reason why it may seem that so many more black athletes are singled out as criminals is that they are a significant majority in almost all of the major sports.

Nice analysis John. Try this. Using your logic–white people are more likely to steal large sums of money–given that they are usually involved in high dollar white collar crimes i.e michael milken, martha steward. Do you think white people should be restricted from jobs that allow them access to large sums of money?

Judy,
As a non-white, I do not expect you to understand “just us”. It is typical for someone who has not had the experience to claim that there is no such thing as systemic racism in this country we called “amerika”.
My point is that animal fighting did not start yesterday, good ole boys have been carrying out this behavior for years without anyone so much as addressing the issue.
Just so you know, I was a young twenty year ole when the event involving the co-worker occured and I had never heard of such, nor did I know it was illegal. However, I am sure that there were those in the GA legislature who were aware of these illegal events occuring but they chose not to do anything about it. Good ole boys are still participating, but I have yet to hear of anyone going after them.
I do not need you or any other person to acknowledge the fact of systemic racism in this country, which has been in denial for many years.

Irregardless of the NAACP………………..they do , and are still doing, what they do best=complain and bitch and raise hell.

When black people decide to get up off their butts and make their own way through life they will have accomplished GOD’s directive.

It has not one damn thing to do with whites. That’s over, it’s done, it’s gone.

MOVE ON.

i am a black women and am an animal lover. I think that michael vick should have been given a fair trial just like anyone else ,,but since the evidence shows that he is guilty then he should be punished. even if he wasn’t involved in it, and knew about it, i feel that he should be punished because i am tired of seeng animals hurt, and people not caring about it !!! if he lived somewhere else and knew about it, then he is guilty for not stopping it !! the reason other cases involving people killing and hurting other people didn’t get as much attention is because people are so used to hearing about it, to the point that it just feels like another number,,,(although it isn’t), and when it comes to animals being hurt and abused, it stikes a button in certain people that have a strong love and heart towards them. i think that it received so much outcry because he is famous and a lot of people knew of him. To be honest, i didn’t hear of micheal vick until this happened and that just goes to show you how much i watch or care about football. if anyone was being treated racist towards,,,it was the DOGS, because people are treating them like they didn’t even matter !!! i sometimes tend to stick up for black people that i feel are being judged and condemned in a racist way, or accused of something, until it involves an animal…thats when my mind basically takes up more for the animal especially when there is evidence, because i really don’t feel that that person regardless of their color should be left off of the hook. yes there is racism in america and people are discriminated against and stuff, but like i said, when it comes to the animals i feel and think that i will always side with them…!!!! u can email me at aayanna_79@yahoo.com

I reiterate, I do not condone Michael Vick’s behavior. However, for those of you who refuse to acknowledge the systemic racism permeating this country, I would suggest that you read a number of books on white privilege, it is not a myth (because I as a non-white say so). White privilege exists and before you deny that fact you should look at the true history of this country rather than becoming defensive.

I mean, Dante, “these people” in this thread. What other “these people” could I be referring to?

So the life of a dog is worth the destruction of Vick, his family and several muliple individuals he provide jobs for via his enterprise !.
Tell me, should boxing be legal ? These same humane blokes collect billions generated in revenue from boxing but it’s ok because the big guys say so.
There is a racial element in the way he was punished, but I do agree that this is not entirely a race issue.
To the sanctimonious preachers who believe race is no longer an issue, try being black for one week and tell me how you feel.