Redemption for Vick. My thoughts and yours please.

[TrapsMcLats]

As many here know, i am a pit bull owner and a volunteer with the SPCA, my girfriend is an employee of the SPCA.  On a consistent basis we see fighting dogs abandoned and brought into the clinic so we know the harsh reality that these dogs face; 9 times outta ten, they are euthanized.  We are pit bull proponents, our dog is a canine good citizen and on his way to being a certified therapy dog.  We are the jackasses spouting off stastics till we are blue in the face when someone brings up the "evil" pit bull.  We were also enraged by the actions of michael vick and co with regards to the execution of dogs that weren't up to snuff.  For every day since the indictment was issued, i've been calling for his banishment from the NFL, until today. 

No, it had nothing today with his apology today or his claim of "finding jesus."  I don't believe in jesus or religion, so he might as well have found a rock for all i care.  What i realized was that Michael Vick has been put in an extreme position of making an impact about animal rights, black society and philanthropy.  Now, he has been PUT in this position, that doesn't mean he will do anything about it.  Here's what i would see as a complete reformation from Michael Vick:

*If let back into the NFL he would donate 1/3 of his salary to the ASPCA  and 1/3 to various inner city groups like the YMCA or boys and girls clubs of america.
*He would repeatedly speak about the ills of "minority machismo" and breaking away from any allegations of this guilty verdict having to do with race.  He could become a role model for black youths based on his rehabilitation and not based on his athletic abilities.
*Work tirelessly with the ASPCA and the FBI and the police to make an impact on the dog fighting world by not just naming names, but by working with them on things to look for, where other rings might be held, warning signs etc etc etc
* Hold mandatory meetings with all rookies for each NFL team during the offseason warning them of the dangers of hanging out with the wrong crowd and feelings of invulnerability due to power and money.
*Become a visible political lobbyist for animal rights.

I believe Michael Vick has been put in an extraordinary position to make changes.  If he can do so, i say more power to him.  If he can't, i say kick his ass out forever.  Just my thoughts. Yours?

[chaos]

kick his ass out forever and force him to use his college education

[Geo]

Just my thoughts. Yours?

after he does his time and pays his dept personally I think the slate should be cleaned,I'll be damned if I'm gonna waste my time with resentments I can't do anything about.

[jmt1]

i dont think vicks apology was sincere....i also think that in his own mind he still feels like what he did was no big deal.

i would like to see him ordered to pay a large amount of money specifically to pitbull rescue organizations.   other than that i want to see him do his jailtime

and get a lifetime ban from the nfl.  i could never see him being put out there as some type of spokesperson for animal rights or someone who could

seriously speak to rookie players about this or any other issues.

[Hustle Man]

i dont think vicks apology was sincere....i also think that in his own mind he still feels like what he did was no big deal.

i would like to see him ordered to pay a large amount of money specifically to pitbull rescue organizations.   other than that i want to see him do his jailtime

and get a lifetime ban from the nfl.  i could never see him being put out there as some type of spokesperson for animal rights or someone who could

seriously speak to rookie players about this or any other issues.

How can you tell if he was sincere or not?

A Life time ban would definitely be punishment but is that necessary!

Why not make him a spokesman, that would humiliate him for sure!

[Princess L]

I believe Michael Vick has been put in an extraordinary position to make changes.  If he can do so, i say more power to him.  If he can't, i say kick his ass out forever.  Just my thoughts. Yours?

Focus for a moment on the mental state of ANYONE who commits such brutal acts.
Those who would participate in these acts are sadistic. They derive some kind of pleasure or satisfaction from the suffering they inflict. Such individuals are missing a key emotional component that 'normal', psychologically healthy people have. Empathy ~ the ability to feel compassion for the hardships being experienced by others.

If someone causes a fatal car accident due to carelessness, we can often bring ourselves to forgive. It was an act of negligence, not intentional or premeditated.

But when somebody repeatedly inflicts brutal, deadly abuse on other beings, we intuitively "get" that there is no remorse. Those who are indifferent to, or satisfied by, others' suffering are DEPRAVED  They failed to develop a moral conscience. Their conduct is beneath the level of civilized human beings. It is, revolting and despicable.

Therefore, it isn’t even believable when a person associated with horrific acts of brutality apologizes. Remorse requires empathy, and if the person possessed empathy, it's highly unlikely he'd have been involved in the abuse-- much less perpetuating it over a period of YEARS-- in the first place.
This isn’t a man that needs to kick drugs, something that’s impaired his judgment. This is a man that doesn’t have the care or concern about the health or welfare regarding life. This is a man that shoved a dog’s head into a 5-gallon bucket of water until the life bubbled out of it. This is a man that soaked a dog,  so it could be electrocuted to death.
 
Come on, how do you rehabilitate a man who has no compassion? You can’t give it to him, he can’t grow that concern, and you can’t give a heart to a man that doesn’t have one to begin with!
 

[chaos]

after he does his time and pays his dept personally I think the slate should be cleaned,I'll be damned if I'm gonna waste my time with resentments I can't do anything about.

sure let him do his time, pay his fines, clean his slate............

but he will be marked forever with this.............like OJ is marked for killing his wife....
or Clinton is for abusing cigars

[TrapsMcLats]

Focus for a moment on the mental state of ANYONE who commits such brutal acts.
Those who would participate in these acts are sadistic. They derive some kind of pleasure or satisfaction from the suffering they inflict. Such individuals are missing a key emotional component that 'normal', psychologically healthy people have. Empathy ~ the ability to feel compassion for the hardships being experienced by others.

If someone causes a fatal car accident due to carelessness, we can often bring ourselves to forgive. It was an act of negligence, not intentional or premeditated.

But when somebody repeatedly inflicts brutal, deadly abuse on other beings, we intuitively "get" that there is no remorse. Those who are indifferent to, or satisfied by, others' suffering are DEPRAVED  They failed to develop a moral conscience. Their conduct is beneath the level of civilized human beings. It is, revolting and despicable.

Therefore, it isn’t even believable when a person associated with horrific acts of brutality apologizes. Remorse requires empathy, and if the person possessed empathy, it's highly unlikely he'd have been involved in the abuse-- much less perpetuating it over a period of YEARS-- in the first place.
This isn’t a man that needs to kick drugs, something that’s impaired his judgment. This is a man that doesn’t have the care or concern about the health or welfare regarding life. This is a man that shoved a dog’s head into a 5-gallon bucket of water until the life bubbled out of it. This is a man that soaked a dog,  so it could be electrocuted to death.
 
Come on, how do you rehabilitate a man who has no compassion? You can’t give it to him, he can’t grow that concern, and you can’t give a heart to a man that doesn’t have one to begin with!
 

yes, i was the to say that his behaviors were indicative of sociopathic tendencies and i understand that he previousy showed no remorse, which is why i think he is now in such a unique position of literally sinking or swimming.  he can become what malcom x was, a person who went from a bloodthirsty savage to a peaceful and benevolent do-gooder.  I could give a fuck about vick, but the possibilites laid about before him are endless and some good could still come from all his actions.  This is a sociological/psychological experiment being conducted before our very eyes and i think it will be a case studiedfor years. But, if he doesn't do shit, fuck him and keep him out of the NFL.

[Geo]

but he will be marked forever with this.............like OJ is marked for killing his wife....
or Clinton is for abusing cigars

personally I don't see clinton as being marked and oj beat a murder rap when we all know he did it (hardly in the same catagory as a man that's pleading guilty to any other crime) and you might be surprised how fast people forget about shit like this

[chaos]

personally I don't see clinton as being marked and oj beat a murder rap when we all know he did it (hardly in the same catagory as a man that's pleading guilty to any other crime) and you might be surprised how fast people forget about shit like this

:-\funny anytime I hear "Clinton" I think cigar in snatch, anytime I hear OJ, I think wife killer........... from now on when I hear Vick it will be dog torturer.....that's what I mean. Maybe the general public will choose not to remember, but some will.

[~flower~]

He said he was "immature".   That is what he thinks what he did was?  Immature? And he needs to "grow up"?   Most children are raised or know better that being cruel and killing animals is not right.  Immature is NOT what he was. 

   His apology was very lacking IMO.  I do not think he was sincere because he did not give full weight to his actions and what he did.   Now maybe his lawyer advised him to be vague on what he says, if that is the case I hope that once he is sentenced and is not worrying about his words being held against him, that he makes a SINCERE apology and acknowledges that his acts were more than immature.

I heard they found 66 dogs alive there, now there is 44.  That means almost 20 dogs were in such bad shape they had to be put down. 

  He acted like he had an argument with his coaches or something.  THAT would be immaturity. He's way past immaturity.

[TrapsMcLats]

I could care less about the man's apology, i don't even know what the point of it was. What i DO know is that Vick has been put in a position to make some good come out of this entire situation and that is where his redemption can start.  I don't care about vick, i think he is scum, but i do believe that if a person really wants to, they can change and for the better.  Vick has a massive opportunity laid before him to become a social, racial and political figure and i think we need to see where this story goes.  Like i said earlier, this is a sociological and psychological experiment being conducted before our very eyes and it will be very interesting to see how it turns out.  We can't do anything about the dogs he killed, they're gone.  We don't live in an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth society, so we really have no choice but to see where this story goes.

[jmt1]

I could care less about the man's apology, i don't even know what the point of it was. What i DO know is that Vick has been put in a position to make some good come out of this entire situation and that is where his redemption can start.  I don't care about vick, i think he is scum, but i do believe that if a person really wants to, they can change and for the better.  Vick has a massive opportunity laid before him to become a social, racial and political figure and i think we need to see where this story goes.  Like i said earlier, this is a sociological and psychological experiment being conducted before our very eyes and it will be very interesting to see how it turns out.  We can't do anything about the dogs he killed, they're gone.  We don't live in an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth society, so we really have no choice but to see where this story goes.

if you think he is scum why would you even want to see him in that type of position.  i think what did come out of this is the fact that he put dog fighting in the headlines and opened the eyes of alot of people who never payed much attention to it before.  there is an opportunity for others who care about this issue to now speak out and maybe more people will listen.  i would even like to see some top athletes, entertainers, musicians, step up and speak out on this.  i just dont think vick is the right person to do that. 

[Vet]

I could care less about the man's apology, i don't even know what the point of it was. What i DO know is that Vick has been put in a position to make some good come out of this entire situation and that is where his redemption can start.  I don't care about vick, i think he is scum, but i do believe that if a person really wants to, they can change and for the better.  Vick has a massive opportunity laid before him to become a social, racial and political figure and i think we need to see where this story goes.  Like i said earlier, this is a sociological and psychological experiment being conducted before our very eyes and it will be very interesting to see how it turns out.  We can't do anything about the dogs he killed, they're gone.  We don't live in an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth society, so we really have no choice but to see where this story goes.

He won't.  Hes human.  right now he's spinning hard to recoup some of the 100 million he's lost.   

To get him to do this you have to get him to see the dogs as something other than an object to be used for profit or a creature to which humans are superior and justified in using the way these dogs were used.   Until he overcomes that mentality, which is very, very hard to do, he won't do jack shit.   

[Option D]

Boy o boy. I would hate to see some of your punishments for even your own transgressions. Shit, I love my dogs and fighting them would sicken me. But all this shit about lifetime bans is just retarded. Dude fucked up big time, right, but everyone needs another chance. After your big fuck up you thought to yourself "man im not gonna do that again cause that was pretty fucked up." I think its the same thing man. Let the man serve his time and get on with life. Yall fools are harsh

[Geo]

Boy o boy. I would hate to see some of your punishments for even your own transgressions. Shit, I love my dogs and fighting them would sicken me. But all this shit about lifetime bans is just retarded. Dude fucked up big time, right, but everyone needs another chance. After your big fuck up you thought to yourself "man im not gonna do that again cause that was pretty fucked up." I think its the same thing man. Let the man serve his time and get on with life. Yall fools are harsh

yup

[wood]

I don't think redemption is attainable for his crime, and if he is restored to play in the NFL it should be at running back, not at QB as it is a position of leadership and we shouldn't send a message to anyone that he is capable of leading.  I think his celebrity status prior to this has obviously affected the outcome and would have been completely different had he been just an "average Joe".

[Vet]

Boy o boy. I would hate to see some of your punishments for even your own transgressions. Shit, I love my dogs and fighting them would sicken me. But all this shit about lifetime bans is just retarded. Dude fucked up big time, right, but everyone needs another chance. After your big fuck up you thought to yourself "man im not gonna do that again cause that was pretty fucked up." I think its the same thing man. Let the man serve his time and get on with life. Yall fools are harsh

nah, I let it be pretty well known I'm a hardass.  I'm a fan of hard physical labor as a means of "rehabilitation".   I think the US prison system is too soft.  People who choose to go to prison should sweat it out---I mean 8 hours a day, 5 days a week swinging a hammer into a rock pile.  I'm fine with prisoners getting 3 well balanced square meals and two 15 minute breaks to have a cigarette if they want it.   They  can even get a GED/college education in the evenings,  but they need to be spending 8 hours a day swinging the hammer or equivelant.   I'm also a fan of just shooting the ones who decide to run. 

I blame my childhood.       

[Kelly Jane]

I have no sympathy for the monster and I think he is only sorry he got caught.  Keep in mind, he was doing this for years before he got caught.  I wish him the worst.   

[Geo]

and if he is restored to play in the NFL it should be at running back, not at QB as it is a position of leadership and we shouldn't send a message

that part was kind of funny

[chaos]

nah, I let it be pretty well known I'm a hardass.  I'm a fan of hard physical labor as a means of "rehabilitation".   I think the US prison system is too soft.  People who choose to go to prison should sweat it out---I mean 8 hours a day, 5 days a week swinging a hammer into a rock pile.  I'm fine with prisoners getting 3 well balanced square meals and two 15 minute breaks to have a cigarette if they want it.   They  can even get a GED/college education in the evenings,  but they need to be spending 8 hours a day swinging the hammer or equivelant.   I'm also a fan of just shooting the ones who decide to run. 

I blame my childhood.       

hahaha I like your train of thought Vet, where'd you grow up?

[Vet]

hahaha I like your train of thought Vet, where'd you grow up?

On a hog, cattle, and grain (corn, soybeans, wheat) farm in central Missouri.  My parents weren't fans of grounding or taking away things or spanking.  They made my brother and I shovel piles and piles of hog and cattle shit or move hogs from pen to pen to pen.    They also liked unloading semi trailers full of 50 lb bags of fertilizer. 

I can remember one time when my brother and I both pissed off our parents.   He spent the morning moving hogs from one pen to the other and cleaning the shit out of the pen into a big pile.   I then spent the afternoon moving the hogs back one by one and shoveling the fresh shit into a pile, then shoveling it into the endloader.   Shoveling grain works well too.   And if that doesn't work, make them split wood from sunup to sun down.   My parents were fans of all of those.   Unfortunately I was a dumbass kid who did quite a bit I probably shouldn't have and I spent alot of time shoveling shit and swinging a sledhammer or ax.   This is America, we've got roads to repair and rocks to break.  Give prisoners a shovel or a sledgehammer and point them at the rock pile.  If they run, shoot them. 

[Option D]

nah, I let it be pretty well known I'm a hardass.  I'm a fan of hard physical labor as a means of "rehabilitation".   I think the US prison system is too soft.  People who choose to go to prison should sweat it out---I mean 8 hours a day, 5 days a week swinging a hammer into a rock pile.  I'm fine with prisoners getting 3 well balanced square meals and two 15 minute breaks to have a cigarette if they want it.   They  can even get a GED/college education in the evenings,  but they need to be spending 8 hours a day swinging the hammer or equivelant.   I'm also a fan of just shooting the ones who decide to run. 

I blame my childhood.       

Im 100% with ya on that one. Im talkin about when he is out he should be able to get another crack at life. But while in the joint he needs to work his ass off as should all convicts

[knny187]

I agree with Vets theory

[Hedgehog]

A little reflection:

I think it's beyond fcuked up that Vick becomes the most hated man in America for doing this.

When there are lots of people who are committing more serious offences to humans.

Not saying Vick did something right, let the legal system handle that et al.

But it's sickening to see that dogs gets people's emotions up in a bunch.

When there are thousands and thousands of homeless people.

Not to mention the horrors of the poor in the 3rd world, the civilians slayed and amputeed in Rwanda eg.

And y'all put this effort into worrying about Vick?