Want to become angry? Read this (for the pit lovers)

[TrapsMcLats]

I cannot begin to describe how infuriating this letter is to me: a person who dedicates their time, money and energy to volunteering in shelters, takes in extremely fucked up fight dogs, and is going to school to run animal shelters.  If you do not like what you read, let this student paper know   (716.645.2468, or Email away: spectrum-me@buffalo.edu with attention to Managing Editor Chris Ryndak).  that this got past the editor is beyond belief:


http://spectrum.buffalo.edu/article.php?id=37410

They are just dogs

MATT WEBER - Staff Writer
   
      Can anyone tell me why ex-Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick is still in prison?    It has been a year since his sentencing, so allow me to quickly remind all of you how he got there in the first place: he killed eight dogs by means of drowning, electrocution or beating while also gambling on the dog fights.

    For those killings, he was sentenced to 16 months in jail (14 if he shows good behavior) and he was up to lose almost $120 million in salary and endorsements. He eventually got his endorsements back, but still lost around $20 million in pay.

   All of that happened to him for killing eight dogs.

   Really?

   Why does society put dogs on such a higher level than any other animals? We consider them human when they should be considered what they are: the property of the owner. When a dog does its business on another person's lawn, the person doesn't yell at the dog, they yell at the owner. An owner gets to decide what they do with their property and if Vick chooses to fight his dogs, then so be it.

   Personally, I would never choose to fight my dog and it is not like Vick is taking my dog and using it to fight without my consent. Vick's dog fighting organization, Bad News Kennelz, only fought dogs that were chosen by their owners to fight. They weren't fighting dogs against the owner's will. If that were the case, then I would totally understand there being a problem.

   Because "man's best friend" is put on such a pedestal, it clearly didn't matter what dogs were being tossed into fights. The fact that there were cute little dogs fighting each other made people turn against Vick.

   Comedian Daniel Tosh adds a very humorous opinion to Vick's dilemma.

   "I've wanted to kill a human today; I've never wanted to hurt your dog. Vick could have killed six thousand cats and people would have been like, 'You know they're overpopulated, right?' " he said.

   Speaking of overpopulation, I guess deer can be killed off left and right and everyone is OK with that. When the Vick trial first started, I asked several people why they thought deer hunting was alright while Vick's dog dilemma was such a catastrophe.

   The majority of the answers included the words "because deer were overpopulated." Clearly, the only humane way to decrease the deer population is by shooting Bambi in the face. Tranquilizers won't do the trick, you need the deer to feel it, make him know what hit him.

   Another response after my rebuttal was, "some people eat the deer meat after they kill them." So basically, if Vick had eaten the dogs after they were killed, it would make everything ethical, right? If it is all right to chow down on deer, it is only right that dogs can be used as sustenance, too.

   I always like to consider this event as an indirect action considering this affects no one on a personal level. Let's be honest, I guarantee the first thing the jury thought when they heard what the case was about was, "Aw, poor dogs."

   That's the problem: our culture sympathizes with dogs more than it does humans. Vick lost almost two years of his life and money I could only wish to make because of the lives of eight dogs. Think about it.

   Two years. $20 million. Eight dogs.

   Ridiculous.

   At the end of the day, Vick is a really hard guy to defend because the rest of society is against him. No one cares about how small of a deal this really is.

   When you step back and look at the big picture they are just dogs.

   It's as simple as that.

[TrapsMcLats]

Tim, the founding member of BADRAP.org had this to say on the badrap blog:

http://badrap-blog.blogspot.com/2008/10/they-are-just-dogs.html

We were sent this link today by a fellow pissed off pit bull patron: ARTICLE It has been discussed on message boards over the last week, but I really felt the need to chime in.
First, I have to let down Matt some more when I correct him: Vick was sentenced to twenty-three months in prison, not sixteen. He may have to spend more time than that behind bars as his state trial has not even happened yet - the trial that addresses animal cruelty, among other infractions. Vick’s federal trial didn’t address the shootings, drownings, electrocutions, and beatings (to death).

I don’t know where your information comes from, but I don’t believe any business would touch Vick again for endorsements. Please let us know which endorsements you believe he got back.

Just a little heads-up Matt: dog-fighting is *illegal in all fifty states, so no, it’s not okay if Vick, or anyone else, chooses to fight their dogs. I’m surprised the University at Buffalo doesn’t can your ass for openly supporting felony activities. Perhaps you are in favor of other such felonies that you would like to share with your readers.

Don’t fool yourself for a second with your cat analogy. With more than sixty million pet cats in the US, their owners would have been even more vigilant than those disgusted by what Vick did to his own canines. You have to remember, Vick killed Pit Bulls, a breed that society has NOT put on a pedestal and barely even considers to be worthy of the moniker Dog, yet even non-doglovers were appalled by his actions. And FYI Matt – there is a HUGE pit bull overpopulation problem and there has been for more than a decade, so your distorted theory about overpopulation being a litmus test for our tolerance for cruelty is completely off the mark, as are your beliefs about property rights. Vick was not torturing his refrigerator and it is remarkable that you don’t allow the difference between an inanimate object and a living being.

For your sake, I’ll point out the difference between shooting a deer for food and beating a dog’s head into the ground because it wouldn’t fight another of it’s kind, for it’s masters pleasure: The former is necessary or else we would have to eat said deer alive. The latter is unnecessary, sadistic, torturous, cruelty. I’m also pretty sure you are aware that there *are cultures that eat dog, but they skip the torture.

That you believe no one was affected on a personal level by Vick’s cruelty and killings is pointless. We’re all personally unaffected by crimes committed across the globe to those we’ve never met, but that makes the crimes no less serious. And no, our culture does not sympathize more with dogs than people; our prison system is overflowing, mostly with people who committed crimes against our own, while in large, most animal cruelty goes unreported, is reduced to a lower crime, or is thrown out of court, and not to mention, is only a misdemeanor.

To end my rant, consider for a moment that the eight dogs of which you speak were dogs that Vick and his boys killed in one particular month during his six-year dog-fighting venture, do the math Matt. How many others would that mean they likely tortured and killed, and how many other dogs of his died in the pit? And then include the dogs that he fought during his high school and college days.

The bigger picture of which you speak also must include what you have unwittingly left out – that Michael Vick has some part to play in this, an enormous part. He knew he was committing serious crimes and yet chose to risk *everything. It’s as simple as that, Matt.

[leonp1981]

This guy seems completely unaware of the simple fact that anyone who takes pleasure from watching two animals rip each other apart is psychologically damaged.

[SinCitysmallGUY]

Just got off the phone with the president and I have the vp of student relations calling me back. I told them I was disgusted and that I could not believe that a University would allow such garbage to be published with their name attached to it. Let you guys know what comes from it.. I just wanted to bitch and get this fucktard booted off the paper.

[knny187]

I think the writer forgot one important thing,

Dogs are domesticated & even has been weaved into an integral part of the human working society as well as a home companion.

Last time I checked, deer weren't.

[Vet]

Just got off the phone with the president and I have the vp of student relations calling me back. I told them I was disgusted and that I could not believe that a University would allow such garbage to be published with their name attached to it. Let you guys know what comes from it.. I just wanted to bitch and get this fucktard booted off the paper.

PM me the numbers you used.  I've got several college professors and businessmen from across the country willing to call and stir things up. 

[TrapsMcLats]

PM me the numbers you used.  I've got several college professors and businessmen from across the country willing to call and stir things up. 

vet, i listed the number and email up at the top, but i'll list them here as well:

716.645.2468, or Email away: spectrum-me@buffalo.edu with attention to Managing Editor Chris Ryndak

[emn1964]

What was the outcome of this?  Did the staff writer ever get canned?

[Hereford]

None of you dog-lovers ever answered his question or even remotely addressed his point.

[Vet]

What was the outcome of this?  Did the staff writer ever get canned?

'


I tried to get some followup and was told "it was being handled".   Lets face it, this is some asshole college wannabe reporter writing an article to piss people off.  He did a good job. 

[~weed~]

None of you dog-lovers ever answered his question or even remotely addressed his point.

What was his point?  That Vick lost 20mil in salary?   Well boo hoo.  Last time I checked if I break the law and go to jail my employer is not going to pay me.  He CHOSE to do what he did and it was illegal.  Not to mention he put other people in danger by having fighting dogs and the kind of people that are usually associated with that are not the people you want next door to you, drugs, gambling, guns, and dogs taught to kill?     

  He got what he deserved according to the law and he put himself in that position.  What kind of moron who has it all going for them finds it necessary to risk it all by participating in something so cruel, dangerous and illegal?  It was more than "just dogs" that he went to jail for.  He should have gotten a longer sentence because he did have it all and that is what he did with it. Being an idiot is not illegal though. 

[~weed~]

I’m also pretty sure you are aware that there *are cultures that eat dog, but they skip the torture.

Actually for the cultures that eat dog torture is commonly part of it .  They believe it makes the meat taste better.  The Olympics should never have been held in China this year because of their cruelty to animals and to their own people with their recent melanine in the food.  You'd think after they killed and sickened all the pets with their tainted products they would have smartened up, but no, they decided contaminating milk for their own countries children should be their next greedy scheme. 

[TrapsMcLats]

Actually for the cultures that eat dog torture is commonly part of it .  They believe it makes the meat taste better.  The Olympics should never have been held in China this year because of their cruelty to animals and to their own people with their recent melanine in the food.  You'd think after they killed and sickened all the pets with their tainted products they would have smartened up, but no, they decided contaminating milk for their own countries children should be their next greedy scheme. 

whoa whoa whoa, thats not my quote, please do not list it as mine.

[~weed~]

whoa whoa whoa, thats not my quote, please do not list it as mine.

Sorry, it was in your post. 

[drkaje]

None of you dog-lovers ever answered his question or even remotely addressed his point.

They are just dogs. Were you expecting some profound reply?

Harming them is wrong but bad things happen to humans all the time and no one gives a crap. I wouldn't know if people who fight animals consider them pets in the traditional sense. Farmers probably don't consider livestock as pets.

IMO, many pet people have difficulties bonding with humans. Vick's definitely an ass but people sort of lose perspective on stories related to pet animals.

[~weed~]

They are just dogs. Were you expecting some profound reply?

Harming them is wrong but bad things happen to humans all the time and no one gives a crap. I wouldn't know if people who fight animals consider them pets in the traditional sense. Farmers probably don't consider livestock as pets.

IMO, many pet people have difficulties bonding with humans. Vick's definitely an ass but people sort of lose perspective on stories related to pet animals.

Yes, no one gives a crap about any of the shit that people do to each other.     That's why our jails are full of people that are there because of what they did to other people and not because of animal abuse. 

I think I addressed it pretty well and showed how Vick's actions affected PEOPLE and not just the dogs.  Some people are able to have compassion for animals as well as people, they don't have to be exclusive of each other. It's not losing perspective, that really is a lame argument you have their drkock. Vick broke the law and he got caught. The fact that he had it all and chose to participate in something so stupid proves that he got what he deserved, how can anyone feel sorry for him?   Maybe if Vick had a little perspective he would have said to himself "hmm.... I got all these endorsements and am living my dream playing in the NFL, maybe dog fighting and abuse and the other illegal activities that go with it (gambling, drugs, guns) really isn't the way I should spend my free time because I could lose it all". 

  dumb ass

[drkaje]

A definite dumbass.

[body88]

You don't fuck with three things in America: kids, dogs and family.  Vick knew exactly what he was doing, and he was ok with risking his entire career over it.  Those of you who feel the need to defend a person who smashed a living creatures skull in for not fighting hard enough should be ashamed.  Why is something like that ok?  Is it ok to torture Innocent creates for your pleasure?  Fuck that, get a grip you degenerates.  Dog fighting is a disgusting activity embraced by mentally disturbed pukes who should be lined up and shot.  Are you really going to tell me it's ok to force two dogs to fight until their intestines are hanging out, or until they are so severely mutilated that they must be shot?  Are some of you people saying that its ok to smash a living creatures skull in because it didn't perform to your grizzly standards?

Fuck Mike Vick, and fuck the terd who wrote the article above.  I hope Mike Vick thinks about what he did as Bubba makes him scream his name in the back of his cell, hahahahahah!

[Swedish Viking]

This guy seems completely unaware of the simple fact that anyone who takes pleasure from watching two animals rip each other apart is psychologically damaged.

  What do we think of boxing and ultimate fighting then?

[leonp1981]

  What do we think of boxing and ultimate fighting then?

Violent sports are different in so many ways.  Firstly, both parties have chosen to be in the ring/octagon, they both understand that there is a good chance they could be seriously injured.  And there is a referee, cornermen, etc. to make sure that when one guy is finished, or doesn't want to continue, then the fight is stopped.

The people who force these animals to fight will kill the animals themselves if they do not 'perform'.  And no one wins until the other animal is dead. 

Completely different.

[Swedish Viking]

I agree with you, but I was responding to the who would want to watch that kind of thing comment-it seems that a lot of people want to watch two animals beating the shit out of eachother.  But you're right it makes a difference that both parties consciously agree to engage.