Michael Vick indicted for illegal dogfighting

**RevellingInSane** · July 22nd, 2007, 04:34 PM

Originally Posted by irishpig

I promise I am not trying to stir the pot, or start flame throwing...but I don't understand the outrage of the general public about the rape racks, the killing, the torture, when the same public then sits down to a steak dinner brought to you thru a factory farming system that uses rape racks to keep the milk cows producing milk and calves for the veal crates, and the killing and torture of the cows at the slaughter house. (No torture, you say? I read a story a few years ago in the Washington Post that said that the slaughterhouse workers estimate that nearly 40% of the animals that are hanging from meathooks, and coming down the assembly line, are alive and conscious as they are skinned and cut apart.) Alot of the outrage I have seen all over the media mentions the same things many of you hit on....that [i]animals (not just dogs) feel pain and fear. The only thing I can figure is that most of the general public doesn't realize what factory farming has done to the process of raising and slaughtering the nation's food animals.

I am sure that does hurt, but that is killing for food, on a mass level nonetheless. Dogfighting is hideous and vicious. If you have ever had the misfortune of staring into the eyes of a pit bull bred to fight it is heartbreaking. You can see the eyes go between terror and confusion and murderous rage.

[i]Childbirth is violent too. Should that be banned? Some things we need are going to hurt, but senseless and pointless violence is just barbaric.

On a side note, the Tank Johnson issue did not really surprise me. Spending a season in the Chicago area and having people hurl insults and THREATS at me for supporting my team, which is absolutely not the BarBEARians, showed me that the stars and the fans are psycho and violent.

If you live by the sword, you die by the sword. In ten years, at this pace, football games will be broadcast live from Reikers, Sing Sing, Angola, and other penetentiaries.

**mistify** · July 22nd, 2007, 04:37 PM

This pisses me off so bad.. ARRGGGGGGGHHH! I love pits. They are such sweet sensitive dogs. People like this asswipe make them misunderstood and enemy #1 in the dog world. How could anyone raise a dog and then watch them kill or be killed??

**Sojiita** · July 22nd, 2007, 04:56 PM

I also want to say 'good job' to the people posting the info about the boycotting. Very good idea and may be very effective in going after the sponsor etc. where it will really get them-in the pocketbooks.

**celeb_2006** · July 22nd, 2007, 07:29 PM

I'm still waiting for the teary eyed, "I'm not a monster" spiel on the oprah winfrey show. And the people magazine cover story too dammit where is it???

Vickeroo's damned P.R. team needs to act NOW.

**happy8** · July 22nd, 2007, 11:49 PM

^^I'm actually glad he's stayed silent. It's better than hearing him deny it like the guy from McCain's party who was arrested last week for soliciting in a park bathroom and the first thing he said was. "This was a misunderstanding". Uhhh Yeah..... .BS

**pacific breeze** · July 23rd, 2007, 03:01 AM

Originally Posted by irishpig

I promise I am not trying to stir the pot, or start flame throwing...but I don't understand the outrage of the general public about the rape racks, the killing, the torture, when the same public then sits down to a steak dinner brought to you thru a factory farming system that uses rape racks to keep the milk cows producing milk and calves for the veal crates, and the killing and torture of the cows at the slaughter house. (No torture, you say? I read a story a few years ago in the Washington Post that said that the slaughterhouse workers estimate that nearly 40% of the animals that are hanging from meathooks, and coming down the assembly line, are alive and conscious as they are skinned and cut apart.) Alot of the outrage I have seen all over the media mentions the same things many of you hit on....that [I]animals[I] (not just dogs) feel pain and fear. The only thing I can figure is that most of the general public doesn't realize what factory farming has done to the process of raising and slaughtering the nation's food animals.

Excellent post, and all true. And people continue to buy pets from pet stores which are little more than fronts for puppy/kitten mills and you really don't want to know what goes on in those places. So anybody who feels badly for these dogs -- remember that the ones in the pet stores could well have come from a place like this. They may not have been trained to fight, but they are definitely abused, raised in filth and often killed.

I rarely eat meat and I gave up pork years ago after seeing a video of a pigs being slaughtered. They are intelligent animals -- more intelligent than dogs as a matter of fact.

**Sojiita** · July 23rd, 2007, 12:52 PM

Originally Posted by pacific breeze

Excellent post, and all true. And people continue to buy pets from pet stores which are little more than fronts for puppy/kitten mills and you really don't want to know what goes on in those places. So anybody who feels badly for these dogs -- remember that the ones in the pet stores could well have come from a place like this. They may not have been trained to fight, but they are definitely abused, raised in filth and often killed.

I rarely eat meat and I gave up pork years ago after seeing a video of a pigs being slaughtered. They are intelligent animals -- more intelligent than dogs as a matter of fact.

I do not eat pork either. Especially when you think we are so related to pigs..we can actually use pig parts like heart valves, pig skin to use as temporary skin grafts, etc. Don't we share something like 98% of the same DNA as them?

How could you have a pig heart valve or something and then chow down on some pork chops..it would almost be like cannibalism!

*I need to check out some Petard videos(they must have some around on youtube or something) until I am so disgusted and sickened I just go ahead and give up on meat altogether (again). You really do not need it if you stil have dairy and all.(not vegan) right?

**LynnieD** · July 23rd, 2007, 01:02 PM

Two words: SICK FUCK.

**onemoresong** · July 23rd, 2007, 01:36 PM

I hope they put him on the "rape stand"... Nothing gets to me as much as animal cruelty, it's the only time I can understand "eye for an eye"

**irishpig** · July 23rd, 2007, 07:16 PM

Originally Posted by Sojiita

*I need to check out some Petard videos(they must have some around on youtube or something) until I am so disgusted and sickened I just go ahead and give up on meat altogether (again). You really do not need it if you stil have dairy and all.(not vegan) right?

GoVeg.com // Cruelty to Animals: Mechanized Madness

**carrie2008** · July 23rd, 2007, 07:30 PM

I hate him..really, what a horrible person....

**RevellingInSane** · July 23rd, 2007, 07:55 PM

If he plays this season, everyone should boycott his team and put the pressure on the NFL.

**sweetness** · July 23rd, 2007, 08:43 PM

Today PETA was protesting up at the Falcon's training camp here in metro Atlanta. Vick has to be in court in Virginia on Thursday-- ironically Thursday is the day the training camp will open.

Not that I have a lot of faith in the system, but I really do not think he'll get away with this. Too much $$$ involved.

**Lucky32** · July 23rd, 2007, 10:45 PM

Story - NFL Orders Vick to Stay Out of Camp - AOL News

NFL Orders Vick to Stay Out of Camp

By DAVE GOLDBERG,
AP
Posted: 2007-07-23 21:27:30
Filed Under: Sports News
NEW YORK (July 23) - Michael Vick was ordered by commissioner Roger Goodell on Monday to stay away from the Atlanta Falcons' training camp until the league reviews the dogfighting charges against him.

"While it is for the criminal justice system to determine your guilt or innocence, it is my responsibility as commissioner of the National Football League to determine whether your conduct, even if not criminal, nonetheless violated league policies, including the Personal Conduct Policy," Goodell said in a letter to the quarterback.

The NFL said Vick would still get his preseason pay and Goodell told the Falcons to withhold any disciplinary action of their own until the league's review was completed.

Goodell told Vick the league would complete its review as quickly as possible and that he expected full cooperation. The review is expected to involve conversations with federal law enforcement officials so the NFL can determine the strength of the case against Vick.

The Falcons open camp on Thursday, the same day Vick is scheduled to be arraigned in Richmond, Va., on charges of sponsoring a dogfighting operation.

The team declined comment other than to say a news conference was scheduled Tuesday at owner Arthur Blank's office in Atlanta.

Vick, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2001 draft, last season became the first quarterback ever to rush for more than 1,000 yards.

After his indictment last week, the NFL's position was that it would monitor developments and allow the legal process to "determine the facts."

Since then, pressure has been mounting on the league and the Falcons, particularly from animal-rights groups.

PETA - People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals - demonstrated at Falcons' headquarters in Flowery Branch, Ga., on Monday and did the same outside NFL offices in New York last week. At the same time, Goodell was meeting with officials from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The league and the ASPCA are working on a program to educate players about the proper treatment of animals.

Activists also put pressure on companies that have endorsements deals with Vick to sever their ties. Nike said it would not release a fifth signature shoe, the Air Zoom Vick V, this summer. Nike spokesman Dean Stoyer said the four shoe products and three shirts that currently bear Vick's name will remain in stores.

Goodell's order came down after lengthy discussions involving the league office, the Falcons and the NFL Players' Association. Gene Upshaw, the NFLPA's executive director, was one of the first to side with Goodell when he instituted the strong Personal Conduct Policy after a season of repeated misdeeds by players.

Disciplining players has turned out to be Goodell's main focus since taking over last Sept. 1 for the retired Paul Tagliabue.

Since the end of last season, he has used the new policy to suspend Adam "Pacman" Jones of the Tennessee Titans for the entire 2007 season; and Chris Henry of Cincinnati and former Chicago Bear Tank Johnson for eight games each.

Those calling for Vick's suspension have noted that Jones, who faces charges of coercion in Las Vegas stemming from a shooting that left a man paralyzed, wasn't convicted when he was suspended.

However, league officials said there were mitigating circumstances in the Jones case.

In January, he accepted a plea agreement to dismiss public intoxication and disorderly conduct charges in Tennessee if he behaved himself for six months. League officials say that the charges in Las Vegas voided that agreement and were a major factor in his suspension.

The indictment of Vick alleges that about eight young dogs were put to death at his Surry County home after they were found not ready to fight. They were killed "by hanging, drowning and/or slamming at least one dog's body to the ground."

Purses for the fights ranged from hundreds of dollars to the thousands, and participants and spectators often placed side bets on the outcome, according to the indictment

If convicted, Vick and three others charged with him could face up to six years in prison, and $350,000 in fines."

Not much, since he is still getting his preseason pay.

**happy8** · July 23rd, 2007, 11:36 PM

^^Preseaon pay is nothing compared to what he's losing in endorsements, salary, etc if he is suspended. However, the league has to watch their back too. He has been indicted not convicted at this point.