I just sat through an hour of commentary on ESPN that tried to create racist fervor about discuss the Michael Vick Dog Killing case and whether or not Michael Vick was “persecuted” rather than “prosecuted”.
I heard stellar arguments from reputable black reporters including
- Rodney King was beaten in broad daylight and the cops were exonerated - Michael Vick’s treatment is too harsh
- Michael Vick’s environment plays a big part in Michael Vick’s decision to breed, raise, torture and kill dogs
- Dog fighting was a misdemeanor in Virginia when Michael Vick was fighting dogs and then suddenly, 8 days later it turned into a felony once the dog fighting operation was discovered
These are arguments of, as I said earlier, journalist. These are not crazy things I heard at the water cooler. Educated people said these things. Educated people employed by corporations as pundits and reporters said these things.
My biggest complaint? Somehow these pundits think they are speaking for black people in America. It is impossible to sum the collective voices of an entire proud, diverse, self-thinking people like African Americans.
The pretentious debate they are trying to create will do nothing for the continuing struggle of black Americans who know Michael Vick is not Rodney King and he is not O.J. Simpson.
Michael Vick has admitted guilt to the crimes for which he was charged. Michael Vick was turned upon by some of what were, or at least who Mike thought were,his closest friends.
Are they racist? No, of course not. But you pundits who are trying to inject race into this case are.
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No matter what race you are, I think the LARGE majority of people (in this country and many others) are disgusted by dog fighting, and for many of them, the Vick incident was the first time they really thought much about it. I bet the next person who admits to participating in it (on the level Vick has admitted to, like electrocuting the weak ones) will not be judged as harshly as Vick, nor receive as harsh a sentence, nor be such a pariah. That’s just the way it goes.
It’s like how the older brother gets all the harsh punishements and the younger brother does the exact thing and the parents don’t even care. Oh wait, I didn’t mean to suggest that Marcus would be following in his big brothers footsteps….. (isn’t it ironic that Marcus now looks like the “good brother”)
You implied that the pundits and reporters are NOT speaking for the black people of this country. You may not turn out to be correct on this. It will be interesting to see.
Nevertheless, I really don’t think this is about race and injecting race into it is disgusting. Unfortunately that’s how the entertainment industry, ooops I meant news programs, operates. With respect to this incident, I think that what I said at the beginning of this comment is really the reason Vick was judged so harshly, and others who come after him - black, white, latino, whatever - won’t be.
One other argument I’ve heard is that this is “blown out of proportion” because it is Michael Vick and the media is looking to track the downfall of, arguably, the most exciting black athlete in current sport.
Again, not so. Ask Paris Hilton about things that get “blown out of proportion”.
If you think Michael Vick pleading guilty to dog fighting seems like a big deal, how about if Peyton Manning were charged with such an inhumane crime?
If anything, one wonders if this whole thing is somehow less traumatic because Mike is black and as others have said, has street credibility Kobe only wishes he could have, so something like this can be written off as “I’m not surprised”.
Who are these “reporters” you quote. No one can know if they are reputable if we can’t look up on them and actually see if they are as accomplished as you make them out to be. And Rodney King was beaten in the middle of the night. Just so you know.
Matt on November 11th, 2008 at 9:36 pm | Link
where your from as nothing to do with anything.i grew up where there was crack sold right down the street.but did i end up selling crack on the corner no.i CHOSE to do better.its the decisions we make not up where were from. he chose to do that.
alyson on September 17th, 2009 at 2:33 pm | Link