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Oh Yeah? Well I Protest Your Protesting!!!!

Aug 27, 2009
By .
Culture, Sports

Professionally I strive to win second chances for clients who have [for public consumption] had tragic misunderstandings with the government or [for private consumption] done evil things. Personally I'm more agnostic about the whole thing. The government probably ought not make convicts permanent lepers as a matter of law, inasmuch as it seems likely they will just re-offend because life in prison is no worse than life as a leper. But individuals are free to act as they like, and to refuse to believe in redemption or forgiveness or rehabilitation for others. (People are excellent, I find, at finding exceptions for themselves.)

Lots of people are pissed that the Eagles hired Michael Vick, convicted animal abuser. That's their right. Or so you would think. That viewpoint seems to irritate the Philadelphia chapter of the NAACP, which is planning a pro-Vick protest march before a game:

A massive demonstration is planned to support Michael Vick at Lincoln Financial Field on Thursday, when Vick is expected to make his debut with the Eagles.

The Philadelphia chapter of the NAACP, the Black Clergy of Philadelphia and other local civil rights groups had planned a demonstration to support Vick. . . . .

"We believe Michael Vick has served his time, paid his debt to society and deserves a second chance and the animal rights groups want to hold him hostage for the rest of his life," J. Whyatt Mondesire, president of the Philadelphia chapter of the NAACP, said Wednesday. "We think that's patently unfair. It denies Michael Vick's basic civil rights, denies him his ability to make a living."

That's a bit odd. If the government said that Vick could never work in the NFL again, that might be a violation of his civil rights. If the Eagles refused to hire Michael Vick but agreed to hire a notorious animal abuser who is white — say, Lyndon Johnson, or Richard Gere — that might be a statutory civil rights violation. But in any coherent legal worldview, people in plastic sandals holding ill-lettered signs protesting the Eagles for hiring Michael Vick do not violate Michael Vick's civil rights. They don't even violate his civil rights if they succeed in convincing the Eagles not to hire Vick. The Eagles are free not to hire someone who is so reviled that he will lose them money. The protesters are free to convince the Eagles that is the case.

Moreover, it appears that the NAACP is protesting an animal rights protest that isn't happening — or at least, not on any organized basis:

The Eagles have not heard of any planned demonstration or protest from animal rights groups, which met with team management for two hours on Monday at the team's practice facility. Although no local animal rights group have yet to partner with the Eagles or Vick in a local anti-dogfighting campaign, the meeting appeared to end on a positive note and head off any planned massive protest, participants said.

Meanwhile, animal advocates are throwing a tailgate party on the other side of town Thursday for the 2nd Chance Dogs campaign — a pointed reference to Vick's second chance in the NFL — to increase awareness of dogfighting and encourage adoption of rescued pit bulls.
. . . .
Local animal advocates seem to be keeping their distance. Rather than protest Vick or work with him, they prefer to use the public debate about his return to the NFL to raise money and awareness of animal cruelty issues.

Unstated, but looming, is the suggestion that people who oppose Michael Vick only do so because he's black. That's rather odd. Have animal rights groups failed to protest similarly situated white animal abusers? The only racially suggestive language I've heard about Vick came from Whoopi Goldberg.

Hat tip: Dave (ND)

Last 5 posts by Ken

11 Comments
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11 Comments

  1. Grandy  •  Aug 28, 2009 @5:37 am

    The people who oppose Vick do so because of race was an oft-repeated/suggested/implied position when the whole shitstorm went down. All anti-vick people were white. All pro-vick people were black.

    Atlanta has a rather large and affluent African-American community. That community loves Football (and to a lesser extent, Basketball). It was often suggested that Vick's troubles would mean trouble for the franchise with that fanbase. Because, you know, black people always support other black people because they're both, you know, black. and incapable of having nuanced opinions.

    As for the NAACP, there is no doubt they do plenty of good but this is what happens when you become incapable of doing anything but fighting the same fight over and over.

  2. petloverfam  •  Aug 28, 2009 @10:48 am

    Not for ever just til he fake appologizes. All he has to do is instead of saying "what I did was wrong cause no team should go through it" substidude the word "team" for the word "Dog" " " what I did was wrong cause no Dog should go through what I put them through and for that I am sorry" or read the script he was given "dogs have suffered at my hands and for that I am sorry". We saw the script, he never read that part. Noone expects him to mean it,just say it or read it.
    For those saying we should concentrate on future dogfighters and stop it as vic did. He told the youth not to do it cause they could loose their dream like he did and than they watch him get his dream. They worship him and watch him to see if its worth fallowing in his footsteps. He makes millions in football and more millions as a spokes person and more millions as a dogfighter, gets caught,sleeps in jail for a short time,gives one speech not to do it cause you could loose your dream and than the same youth watch him get his dream back. According to him his mom as well as all the moms in his culture did not raise their boys to have morals, so if I did not have morals I would totally think its worth it to fallow in all his footsteps or possible move to horsefighting since that hasnt been cought yet. So the future generation thinks its totally worth it and you DONT get punished.
    As far as having him speak to youth go cause his crime is in the past, Charles Mansons crime was in the past too,so why not release him and let him speak to the youth to prevent future murders and lets start with the eagles youth and than the rest of philly.
    As far as every prisoner gets a second chance…
    Most people look long and hard for even a minimum wage job, I think thats $8.00 hr now. Thats $320 a week if they work full time if people trusted them to work full time. Times four would be $1280 a month,= way less than a million in one whole year. Thats if they get the job. Most people would probably wait at least a few mos to a year before being able to get considered by a employer and than they have to check "yes" in the box that says "have you ever been convicted or arrersted for a crime" some add "if yes please explain". Thats for any crime and most of the time that will get the employer NOT to hire that person. If they do and the crime is taking the life of anyone THAT will make the person unwelcomed and most employers now have pets of their own,so That would be the last straw.
    So most prisoners have to rely on their family, working for a family buisness or standing on the street corners with illegal aliens and homeless people asking to do some kind of labor work for $3-$5 hr. Thats most peoples second chance.
    Also honest, non violent people have been out of work. There was a lady I read about who after her company closed couldnt find a job for two years, and she did not comit any crime, she certainly did not put jumper cables on her neighboers dog and put him under water til he drowned, she didnt pull anyones theeth out and had guys take turns on her while being tied to a rape rack. Vics victim gracie is still behind bars and the two non violent guys who wanted to give the loosing dogs away are still behind bars, vic is the one who said "no they have to be killed" and described how they had to be killed and he is being paid millions for it. So no not every prisoner gets a second chance and why is the vic-tim sentenced to a life behind bars while the vic-timers gets millions. Why wont he read the appology for hurting dogs? Why wont he take the brain scan peta suggested. Couse if it shows there is something wrong with his brain that cant tell right from wrong, than its not his fault, other wise he is a brutal heartless killer, which do you want your hero to be known as, someone who has something wrong with his brain but can still play football or a heartless brutall bloddy (meant literally) dog killer and you know hell go on to his own son or daughter next. Its all about the money, so eagles if its a girl, give him your money and he WILL let you take your turns with her but hopefully he will at least wait til she is out of diapers.
    You all say you dont condone his actions but your actions and your words here other than that one sentence or two shows you DO condone his actions.
    But you do care cause this is football season and all vic and non vic supporters are talking about is vic and his crime,noone is talking more than one or two sentences about football or what the score was, play,exiting parts, bad parts, cause as you can tell EVEN you dont care about football anymore and thats what the animal lovers want. Sorry if you love pets or have a pet you cant love their killer, you wouldnt want a child molestor living next door to you when you have a child,its the same with dog killer when you have a dog.

  3. petloverfam  •  Aug 28, 2009 @10:52 am

    I am not african american and dont have any friend of that "culture" now, but used to and they seemed nice, NOT at all what vic makes them out to be.
    So according to Vic ALL black people were raised not to have any regard for life and NOT to fallow the law AND NOT to have ANY morals and a pastor AGREES with Vic,that ALL black people are DOOMED to a life in prison unless they play ball and can join the National Felony League?
    If I WAS black I think I would be offended that vic makes me out to be this monster just cause of the collar of my skin.
    Oh vic did to the dogs what the kkk did to his and other african americans ancesstors, its sad that now the same people it was done to approve of these actions, burning on the stake,electrecuting and all the other ways.
    If youre trying to get back at white folks for what some of them have done, ok do it to us, to people who can fight back,not to innocent helpless dogs who cant fight back.

  4. Reuven Avram  •  Aug 28, 2009 @8:48 pm

    The African American community has some serious issues with race and public perception

  5. al leong  •  Aug 29, 2009 @11:57 am

    The NAACP fumbled this one.

  6. Candice Darron  •  Sep 5, 2009 @8:19 pm

    Racist? one boycott group is making it a point to confront the racist hiring practices of the Human Society of the United States.This picture says it all.
    http://www.boycottthehumanesociety.org/boycottHSUS2.jpg
    The NAACP needs to be challenging REAL racism in the HSUS rather than defending a sadistic dog murderer and reinforcing the stereotype that blacks are into dog fighting and dog fighters just because he's black and they like football.

    BOYCOTT THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES, THE EAGLES & NFL. The Humane Society of the United States lied again when they said they would be monitoring how psychopath sadist Michael Vick lived up to his agreements until October before they approved him. It was totally up to HSUS to give the go-ahead and they have already rushed it thru a month early. They are LIARS. From the beginning this was all just an HSUS/NFL/VICK sham to push him through no matter what anyone said, no matter what Vick did.

    The mayor of Philadelphia had a meeting with the Eagles and gave a big enthusiastic "thumbs up" before Michael Vick was hired. Governor Ed Rendell, who is part of the Eagles post game program, also gave Michael Vick the ok saying he had "endured his penalty with dignity and grace". The Eagles told their sponsors who complained about Vick that they had a responsibility to stick with the team as a patriotic statement to the City of Philadelphia. A half empty football stadium of Eagles fans gave him a standing ovation. Local animal rights organizations don't want to protest or speak up about it.

    There is only one thing to do and that is BOYCOTT THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA & HSUS and some of us will be boycotting them the rest of our lives no matter what they ever do now. Who can the City of Philadelphia thank for this? The Eagles, their mayor, the Humane Society of the United States and the NFL and their boy sadist dog killer Michael Vick Rah-Rah Sis-Boom Ba.

    http://www.boycottthehumanesociety.org

    http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=108049904101

  7. Candice Darron  •  Sep 5, 2009 @8:20 pm

    please notify me of replies. thank you.

  8. Brian Dunbar  •  Sep 6, 2009 @9:37 am

    This picture says it all.
    http://www.boycottthehumanesociety.org/boycottHSUS2.jpg

    The caption for that image is "Left is the the Humane Society Executive Staff. White."

    Going by the face pics I see two Asian ladies there. Asians are now White?

  9. Don C  •  Sep 8, 2009 @6:23 am

    This is a well written editorial. I liked it a lot. As far as Vick goes, I am ambivalent.

  10. Bob  •  Sep 8, 2009 @9:38 am

    I am confused. She is boycotting the Humane society because they are racist and they like Michael Vick? I'm getting mixed messages here.

  11. candice darron  •  Sep 13, 2009 @3:05 pm

    going by the photo you see racist hiring practices. There is not one african american or black person in the photo out of almost 40 of their top level employees. Just because they are using michael vick, and what he is being used for serves to reinforce stereotypes of all black men being dog fighters, doesn't mean they aren't racist in their hiring practices. Their donors are predominately whites as well and this stereotype gets them lots of money. That's one thing HSUS really knows how to do is get money. You go to the humane society website see all those white faces except the dog fighters and if you truly can't recognize REAL racism in employment when it's right in your face it's truly unfortunate.