Michael Vick is a liar. And I totally fell for it.
Its been said that wanting to see the good, or the best, in people is an admirable quality. In most cases I'm sure that's true. However. I am not feeling very admirable today. No, not even a skoosh. I'm feeling pretty much like the most gullible person ever to give her opinion on Michael Vick's 'repentance' voice. After being busted in the most publicized dog fighting ring case ever, he lost his job as a quarterback in the NFL, served 18 months in jail, was ordered to pay for the care of the dogs that survived his “kennel” to be confiscated and sent to animal shelters to be evaluated and rehabilitated, if possible, or simply live until they died of old age rather than the alternative – which was widely touted by law enforcement, the public and even PETA as the best and/or most humane thing to do for these dogs....euthanisation; since his arrest, he has said that he is sorry for his actions, that he regrets his treatment of the pit bull terriers he used for profit and a disgusting form of entertainment, and that he would like to have a dog so he can experience a normal relationship between a dog and its owner. He has even been embraced by the American Humane Society to be a kind of ambassador to teach school kids why dog fighting and animal cruelty is wrong. Oh how those of us who wanted this man to see the horrors he inflicted be sickened by his actions and be truly remorseful believed in him when he stated he was sorry. I got suckered into buying his BS right along with thousands of others. The proof it was all an act was emailed to me this morning – comments made by Vick in this month's issue of GQ.
It's funny how things happen sometimes. I spent last week at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, volunteering with my good friend, Laura, as we have done in the past. We worked mostly at Dog Town. This is where the worst of the Vick dogs ended up – the ones that no one thought would be able to be rehabbed into good dogs who could be adopted into a loving home someday. Don't get me wrong...there are some of the Vicktory Dogs (as the folks at Dog Town have named them) that will never be able to live outside of Dog Town. These are mainly the 'champions' of the fights. Agression was beaten into them daily while they lived at Vick's estate. Don't be sad for them, though...they will be loved and well cared for by the Dog Town staff. While at the sanctuary, I got to see the Vicktory Dog that I have sponsored for the past year, Ellen. I can't touch her or go into her run – staff only. Court order. But her caretaker assured me that she is the sweetest, most friendly and loving dog who would never in a million years bite anyone. Then she proceeded to go into Ellen's run. Ellen ran over to her, tail wagging like a metronome on speed, stood up on her hind legs and licked Kristen's face for the next 5 minutes. Ellen has almost fulfilled all the requirements of the Canine Good Citizenship test (a program Best Friends animal trainers came up with to teach the dogs how to behave like a 'good dog' should) and once she does that, she will be eligible for adoption. ((sigh)) if I had no animals of my own, I would file papers to take her in a millisecond. Or faster. So after a week at Dog Town, on the drive to Salt Lake this past Saturday Laura and I got into a discussion about Michael Vick, his misdeeds and whether or not he was a changed man, as he claimed. Me, I was defending him, sighting his work with the Humane Society, his comments about remorse for his actions, the statement of wanting to have a family dog so he could experience what it is like to have a loving owner/pet relationship, and his contributions over the court mandated amount to the care of the Vicktory Dogs. Laura was skeptical of his change of heart.
And then it came. Proof. Laura emailed me a link to an article appearing on a dog advocacy website about a sports writer – well-known sports writer at that – for the LA Times in which he more or less called Vick on his lies. On the LA Times' website. The Times article sited an interview that Vick did with GQ Magazine in which he stated that he didn't “know why people hate me” and not only basically blamed his dog fighting on being raised in a poor neighborhood where it was an acceptable practice to make money, but flat out admitted that HE KNEW IT WAS WRONG. And did it anyway. The piece on the dog group site had commentary about Vick and why most of America hates him. Really?!??!
THIS IS WHY WE HATE YOU, MICHAEL. Do you get it NOW????
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