am i the only one who feels for michael vick? - 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community

HookemHorns · 12-10-2007, 05:01 PM

before you all jump down my throat... i'm trying to understand this...

what michael vick did was horrible and i do agree that he should serve time. but i honestly think he feels bad for what he did and although i think he should serve time, i think it would be more useful if instead he was in jail, he went around the community and talked to kids and say what he did was bad and do alot of PR campaigning for peta . he is a role model to tons of kids/people and he fell from grace and i'm saddened that he did what he did. but i don't understand how gary colllins who killed a guy from a dwi gets to serve only like 83 days and the case is closed and michael vick has 23 months. do we value animal life more than human life? what a slap in the face for the people's family that gary collins killed. and the verdict was read the same day. i dont understand. anyway, i do feel for micahel vick and i think he's mentally sick and im gonna pray for him. the damage has been done. its time to try to correct what is done. i see more use for him campaigning around the country to inner city youths about the wrongness of dog fighting than sitting in a cell . i guess i'm trying to look for best case scenario (there can't be one in this case, but you know what i mean).

Glory87 · 12-10-2007, 05:10 PM

Hopefully, he will go around the country and speak to kids about his mistakes after he gets done serving his jail sentence

To me, that is the best case scenario (I don't know about the other trial you mentioned). Vicks tortured animals. He deserves to go to jail. It would be nice if he could share what he learned with kids.

Just to add, I don't feel the least bit bad for him. He was on the top of the world, a millionaire, wonderful job, adulations of fans, he had everything. All he had to do was obey the law and he couldn't do that.

Chrysalis · 12-10-2007, 05:11 PM

For one thing, they're unrelated -- the guy who killed a guy while driving drunk probably should have served alot more time (I don't know the details on that one, and am being too lazy at the moment to go look it up and come back). As far as Vick goes, it isn't just about the fact that he killed several dogs. He also supported illegal gambling operations from his home, lied about it, willingly allowed and participated in those animals being killed because they couldn't fight well enough (nevermind the fact that fighting dogs is illegal and cruel), and spent a significant amount of time lying about it before he finally agreed to a guilty plea...which happened only after he realized his gambling buddies weren't going to save his butt. Add that to the fact that he is a public figure who is a role model to many children. Personally, I think that also plays a part in it -- many public figures and rich characters (i.e. Paris Hilton) have gotten off VERY lightly when committing crimes, to much public condemnation. I think we'll see some tougher sentences being handed down to show that "the law" isn't as biased as it appears to be. Then again, I could be reading a lot into this.

HookemHorns · 12-10-2007, 05:13 PM

why is nick hogan still not in jail? things like that make me wonder. i'm sorry. but i know vick should be in jail... but if you are gonna apply justice.. it shoudl be to all.

Lainey2 · 12-10-2007, 05:27 PM

I do not feel sorry for him. I agree with the above poster who said he had everything, and all he had to do was obey the law. It is very sad what greed can do to a person. I saw a picture of Mr. Vick on the internet, holding up an adorable puppy. The poor puppy probably didn't realize what he was in for. Animals are completely dependent on humans to take care of them, and dogs are the most "loyal" animals ever. My dogs will come and lay at my feet, when I'm sick on the bathroom floor. How someone who already has everything, can be so cruel to a helpless animal is beyond me. I'm not comparing animals to humans and saying they are worth more, but they certainly do deserve our TLC, since they are helpless without it. I hope he does educate children on what he's learned when he gets out of jail.

ellabella · 12-10-2007, 05:33 PM

We could spend the rest of our lives comparing the "punishments" that people get, and would never find anything even remotely "fair" about any of it. That doesn't mean that Michael Vick deserves any kind of break, here. What he did was monstrous, and whether others have done more - or less - monstrous things is completely irrelevant. As far as going around talking to kids after he gets out (which is certainly preferable to his going around talking to them INSTEAD of being locked up) I'd just as soon he didn't speak to any kids that I care about. Glory is right on target - he had it ALL - and that still wasn't enough. My suspicion is that he'll serve his time because he has no choice, but I think it's highly unlikely that it's going to restructure his character, which, put frankly, seems to be sadly lacking.

nelie · 12-10-2007, 05:40 PM

I am glad that he is going to serve time for it as it was a horrendous crime. I honestly feel that someone who mistreats animals doesn't respect life in general. I hope he learns and I hope it sends a message out to others who mistreat animals that it is not ok.

I also do believe you can't compare crimes but I will say this... certain things in life are accidents and some are on purpose. Drunk driving is stupid and I don't understand how any body can do it but accidental deaths happen all the time. It is actually one of my biggest concerns with driving in that I hope I'd never hurt someone else while driving. There is no accident in torturing animals though.

cbmare · 12-10-2007, 05:42 PM

Well, the accident involving Gary Collins was not his fault. However, he did plead guilt to the DUI. That doesn't excuse his driving under the influence. Perhaps because there was an accident and someone died, even though the accident wasn't his fault, it may make him think harder about not taking a cab next time. He was arrested several years ago in N.O. as well.

Nick Hogan has a family that is trying to get him out of trouble. I hope they don't succeed. He was racing on city streets in nasty weather and had an accident. His passenger, a soldier just back from Iraq, is in a coma and may have some brain damage. He wasn't wearing his seatbelt. Still, I hope the family won't be able to just get the kid a slap on the wrist because of the famous daddy.

Michael Vick is getting just what he deserves. He's facing another sentencing as well. His chums got what they deserve as well. I have no sympathy for the over paid jocks who seem to think that money can buy them class and that their excrement doesn't stink.

Chrysalis · 12-10-2007, 05:50 PM

One more thing about Vick -- he also tested positive to a court-ordered drug test after being found guilty but before the sentence was handed down. AFTER he already knew he was in trouble, and at that time facing 12-18 month, he turned around and broke the law again and..oh yeah....lied about it.

Yahoo Sports had an interesting article called "Vick spit on the legal system"...I can't post the link since I have less than 25 post count, but you can check it out on Yahoo.com.

I understand your point that drunken drivers need to have accountability and punishment as well, but that doesn't mean that Vick isn't getting a sentence that is in accordance with his actions.

Shy Moment · 12-10-2007, 05:57 PM

I would not want this person talking to any children I know. Just because you say you are sorry doesn't make eveything ok. Looking at his actions over and over he is not sorry.

JayEll · 12-10-2007, 06:00 PM

Well... sports figures need to be accountable for their actions like everyone else. I liked watching Vick play, but I was done with him when I heard about the dogfighting etc.

Besides, he hasn't served the sentence yet, and we don't know where he'll serve it or what conditions will be handed down.

I can't be sorry about his conviction because he brought all of this on himself. I do feel sorry when I see people with potential and all the breaks do such a foolish thing. It's a sad situation.

Jay

HookemHorns · 12-10-2007, 06:01 PM

all good points. it's kinda weird. on sports AM radio , the majority of people sympathize and feel bad for vick. maybe it's a guy thing? or sports fan thing? i dunno. some guy mentioned how its crap how child predators/molestors. serve less jail time than vick. another guy mentioned how pit bulls are viscous in nature and know nothing but to attack (they are like only one of the few animals that have a lock jaw mechanism in the world to kill). and that's why sometimes pit bulls freak out and attack children sometimes. {--- that's what the guy said on the radio.

another guy mentioned culture.

who knows.

but i hope vick turns his life around and realizes his mistakes . i do want to see him play in the future and comeback and play (only if he really feels for what he did). the radio station was talking about how in our sick society of celeb obsessed TMZ stuff/ shock stuff , how he will get his fans back after he serves his time. anyway thanks for the mini debate. the only thing we can do now is pray for him

kaplods · 12-10-2007, 06:17 PM

You really can't compare sentences, and when I was a probation officer, I always told my clients they had to look at "fair" as any punishment the law allowed, and anything less than that should be seen as "lucky."

I think when anyone breaks the law, especially intentionally (and there was nothing "accidental" about the circumstances of this case) they have to be prepared to accept the consequences, whatever they are. If they get anything less than the maximum allowable by law, they should consider themselves lucky. (which I think is the case here. I don't think he received the maximum sentence.)

That doesn't mean I don't feel sympathy for people. When I was a PO, I actually hurt for many of the people I worked with, because many of them were very good people who just made one or sometimes many mistakes.

That being said, I tend to have the least sympathy for celebrities, because I know they are generally getting the best legal representation that money can buy, and often get "breaks" average citizens and the poor don't have a chance at.

Glory87 · 12-10-2007, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HookemHorns

another guy mentioned how pit bulls are viscous in nature and know nothing but to attack (they are like only one of the few animals that have a lock jaw mechanism in the world to kill). and that's why sometimes pit bulls freak out and attack children sometimes. {--- that's what the guy said on the radio.

I don't get this. Because pit bulls can be aggressive (which is why Vick picked them in the first place) it's okay to torture them? You would feel differently if Vick were drowning and hanging cocker spaniels? Since some tigers have killed people, do I get to set them all on fire?

Don't get me wrong, I believe any dog that aggressively harms a child (or an adult, for that matter) should be put down - humanely put down.

Vick didn't kill those dogs because they were aggressive. They weren't aggressive ENOUGH to win dog fighting matches and so they were worthless. He didn't have to kill them so brutally, he did that because he's an *******. Dogfighting itself is slow torture - hanging and drowning a helpless animal just shows the extent of his sickness. You don't think that Vick went in mano a mano with the dogs and was defending himself when he killed them because they were aggressive (wrestled them away with his bare hands)? He killed bound, defenseless, helpless dogs.

cbmare · 12-10-2007, 06:38 PM

Some of those dogs that were rescued had to be put down because they couldn't be retrained.

Let's not forget that he got popped for pot as well. He was supposed to stay away from drugs. He smoked and failed a drug test the next day. He tried, unsuccessfully, to argue that the test was wrong. His attorney tried to argue that he did it because he was depressed and needed self medication. I'm glad that one didn't work as well.

He still faces charges from the state. He deserves what he's gotten.