Imagine the vicious torture and death of a lovable Beagle
this beautiful dog? Michael Vick used beagles as bait to
serve as attack victims developing the killer instincts in
the pit bulls who'd be used for dog fighting spectacles.
Vick's Comments reflect a sickly ball spiking and end zone dance in light of one of the most retched tragedies in recent memory.
Are you sick and disgusted? Whatever humanitarian contributions Mr. Vick has made recently through community service has been with the gun of what he was required to do for reinstatement against his head. He'd darned well better carry his weight in an acceptable manner after the unspeakable horrors he is responsible for committing. He will carry the burden of his misdeeds for the rest of his life, and the actions of one football season are only a token first step for what needs to be a lifetime commitment to doing the right thing.
The Philadelphia Eagles voted unanimously to honor disgraced dog-killer Michael Vick with this year’s nomination for the venerated Ed Block courage award for reasons simply faint and half-assed in light of the unspeakable horrors Mr. Vick is responsible for inflicting on helpless dogs. That one should make efforts to do the right thing in light of one of the most despicable examples of depraved and immoral human conduct is simply not the kind of thing for which one should ever receive an award. It’s simply the right thing to do.
We know what Michael Vick has done. For what he has done, any attempts to praise him should force those considering doing so to withhold judgment until he has much more experience in his attempts to perform appropriate deeds to show he has completely accepted the horrors he unleashed.
His comments upon being informed of the award show grotesque insensitivity and the kind of extreme hubris that was probably a part of his character in the first place that would have enabled him to act so cruelly in the first place.
Here are excerpts from Michael Vick’s remarks provided by the Associated Press report on Vick’s award.
"It means a great deal to me, I was voted unanimously by my teammates. They know what I've been through. I've been through a lot. It's been great to come back and have an opportunity to play and be with a great group of guys. I'm just ecstatic about that and I enjoy every day."
"I've overcome a lot, more than probably one single individual can handle or bear, You ask certain people to walk through my shoes, they probably couldn't do. Probably 95 percent of the people in this world because nobody had to endure what I've been through, situations I've been put in, situations I put myself in and decisions I have made, whether they have been good or bad.
"There's always consequences behind certain things and repercussions behind them, too. And then you have to wake up every day and face the world, whether they perceive you in the right perspective, it's a totally different outlook on you. You have to be strong, believe in yourself, be optimistic. That's what I've been able to do. That's what I display."
Can anyone see the theme of Vick as victim in these remarks? While reciting the kinds of clichés some would expect in a situation like his, there is so much self-pity and rationalization that shows this writer he just doesn’t get it, and apparently the Philadelphia Eagles don’t either.
The Ed Block Courage Awards are awarded each year in Baltimore, Maryland to one player from each NFL team as part of a campaign to raise awareness on the evils of child abuse. To this end, 32 players are selected on the basis of exhibiting their commitment to the principles of sportsmanship and courage.
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As Baltimore Ravens fans, we cannot help to think how Michael Vick’s award stands in stark contrast to that of O.J. Brigance, the fallen Baltimore Raven struggling in the advance stages of Lou Gehrig’s disease still working in player development for the team while acting with superhuman strength coming to terms with the ongoing degeneration suffered from a fatal disease.
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Though the Christmas holiday represents a time for reflection and forgiveness, Michael Vick has a long way to go before he can ever be given credit for rehabilitating a shameful reputation for his horrible behavior. While nothing can ever erase the reality of the horrible sins he has committed, a lifetime of humble service to the wellness of humans and other animals is certainly the expectation appropriate for Vick’s roadmap for the rest of his life.
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