When I read Portis’ and Samuels’ defense of Vick’s dog abuse, I felt myself flush red with anger. It’s his dog so he can do what he wants!? What kind of backward thinking is that? I’ll tell you what kind of backward thinking — the kind that is too lazy to care about doing the right thing or maybe the kind that wants to have the “right” to do bad things himself.
I was taken back to when I was in high school many decades ago in the 1970’s. One of my best friends was also best friends with another girl who I’ll call “Jane.” I was never extremely close to Jane but as I got involved in her church, she and I got to be closer. I was shocked to find out that Jane was being almost routinely sexually abused by her father. Now let me make this clear that Jane’s family was upper middle class with tight ties to the church. Jane had told the church pastor about the abuse but the pastor did nothing other than tell her that her father was the “head of the household” and, as such, the pastor would do nothing to intervene. The pastor openly supported the abusing father in this heinous situation. Jane felt she had no where to turn so the abuse continued.
So when Poris says that its Vick’s right to do with another living, breathing creature what he wants no matter how cruel (not to mention illegal) I flash back on those days in high school where the same argument was used to defend a child abuser.
Thanks to DailyPress.com for this article.
Portis, Samuels defend Vick, ridicule dog fighting as crime
By the Associated Press
May 21, 2007NORFOLK, Va. — Washington Redskins players Clinton Portis and Chris Samuels defended Michael Vick on Monday by ridiculing the notion that dog fighting is considered a crime.
In an interview with WAVY-TV, Portis said that if the Atlanta Falcons quarterback is charged and convicted of being involved in a dog fighting operation, then authorities would be “putting him behind bars for no reason.”
“I don’t know if he was fighting dogs or not,” Portis said. “But it’s his property; it’s his dogs. If that’s what he wants to do, do it.”
Portis said dog fighting is a “prevalent” part of life.
Portis, a native of Laurel, Mississippi, added: “I know a lot of back roads that got a dog fight if you want to go see it. But they’re not bothering those people because those people are not big names. I’m sure there’s some police got some dogs that are fighting them, some judges got dogs and everything else.”
“Politicians,” added Samuels, who found it hard to keep from giggling while Portis was talking.
“Presidents,” added Portis with a laugh.
Vick has been under investigation since April 25 when police conducting a drug investigation raided the house owned by the quarterback in rural Surry County and found dozens of dogs. They also found items associated with dog fighting, including a “pry bar” used to pry apart a dog’s jaws. No charges have been filed.
Dog fighting is a felony in Virginia, but Portis said that if Vick is charged and convicted: “Then I think he got cheated. … You’re putting him behind bars for no reason–over a dog fight.”
“Haven’t you seen Animal Planet?” Samuels added with a giggle.
