News - Whoopi Defends Defending Michael Vick

Whoopi Goldberg attempted to clarify her highly questionable position on dogfighting and dog fighters like Michael Vick. The comedienne strode headfirst into a hornet's nest on her first day as co-host on The View by saying:

"One of the things I haven't heard anybody say is . . . this is not an unusual thing from where [Vick] comes from. It's like cockfighting -- cockfighting in Puerto Rico. . . . There are certain things that are indicative to certain parts of our country.
"He's from the South," she continued. "From the Deep South. Dogfighting is a lot --"
"How about dog torturing and dog murdering?" interrupted "View" colleague Joy Behar. "Unfortunately, it's part of the thing," Whoopi responded.
"For a lot of people, dogs are sport," Whoopi continued. "So I just thought it was interesting because it seemed like a light went off in [Vick's] head when he realized that this was something that the entire country really didn't appreciate or like."

She went on to refer to the 27-year-old Vick as "a kid" and infer that because it was "part of his cultural upbringing" he should be treated less severely than if a person from New York City had committed the same crime.

We think Ms. Goldberg is treading in dangerous territory when she proposes that different types of people be tried differently for committing the same crime. She needs to take a full step back and think about what she really believes. Her opinion smacks of bias to us.

PS. We'd like to offer this comparison to Ms. Goldberg: Muslims in Germany who kill or beat their wives and daughters have recently gone unpunished by the German judicial system on the basis that it's part of the Muslim cultural tradition to beat and murder female family members. We thought this kind of thinking was a weird German throwback so we are sickened that it's apparently du jour for supposedly educated public figures in the US (like Ms. Goldberg) to treat animals with the same discrimination, and excuse heinous moral crimes because of cultural differences.

News - Falcons' Owner Believes In Money...Er, Redemption

In a live interview less than an hour ago the owner of the Atlanta Falcons said he believed in "redemption" for dog-slayer Michael Vick. And that after Vick completes whatever punishment the court metes out, the Falcons may decide to reinstate him as a member of the team, but he won't be getting his $6 million paycheck this year. Poor little rich boy.

We are appalled that in this country, in this age, a man can commit the acts that Vick committed, repeatedly, and that high profile entities like the NFL and the Atlanta Falcons refuse to quantifiably condemn them.

We question exactly how far a star sports player has to go before the atrociousness of his actions will outweigh the importance of his earning potential. If Michael Vick had killed a woman or raped a child would the words of the NFL be different than now when he's admitted to killing and abusing multiple animals?

We bet their tune would be very different if he'd embezzled even a few thousand of their precious dollars.

Capitalistic rich bastards like the owner of the Falcons make us sick to our stomach.

We hope Michael Vick receives a more far reaching and meaningful set down than those he's received so far.

PS. For a lengthier article on his recent court hearing and the lenient sentencing he will most likely get, click here.

PPS. Apparently, they just raided DMX's house in Arizona and found three dog corpses on the premises, one of which looked like it had been burned. There were also several pit bulls and an assortment of weapons, drug paraphernalia, and what appear to be stolen cars. What is wrong with these guys??? If we got rich and famous we'd champion some worthy charities and invest wisely for the future, maybe that's why we're still poor and obscure.

News - Vick Suspended From NFL

We are happy to report that the NFL has taken the first step along the road to atonement by suspending admitted dog murderer Michael Vick indefinitely and without pay.

CNN reports, "Vick also admitted that he and two co-conspirators killed dogs that did not fight well."

A spokesman for the NFL said that he would "review the status of the suspension after the legal proceedings are over." We don't think Vick's chances are all that shiny.

After all, as our boyfriend reminded us, the great Pete Rose was permanently suspended from baseball for gambling. So at the risk of going all Dickensian on y'all, if the NFL doesn't do the same for someone who murders animals, we'll eat our own head.

PS. We can't stand the classiness of these Vick photos. Who would have ever believed this prince would condone dog fighting let alone dog murdering?

News - NAACP: Go Easy On Vick

In this article from USA Today, R.L. White, president of the NAACP's Atlanta chapter, says Michael Vick should be allowed to return to the Atlanta Falcons after serving his time in jail.

We say, "They let people like that out of jail?!"

Vick, quarterback for the Falcons, says he will plead guilty "to a federal charge of conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and conspiracy to sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture." He reportedly helped operate and provided most of the funding for "Bad Newz Kennels" (an illegal dog fighting company) and has been doubly implicated in the direct execution of no less than eight under performing dogs.

"His crime is, it was a dog," White said. Wow.

New York Knicks guard, Stephon Marbury, defended Vick saying, "I think, you know, we don't say anything about people who shoot deer or shoot other animals. You know, from what I hear, dogfighting is a sport. It's just behind closed doors.''

We think professional athletes are class acts!

You have to be absolutely vicious to do any of this. We hope Vick gets put away for a long, long time.

We'd like to see PETA go head to head with the NAACP on this one. 'When nonprofits collide!'

PS. We were going to post a picture about dogfighting, but they were all far too graphic for our site. You can see them here but beware they are extremely disturbing.

PPS. We checked, and PETA is taking a hard line on this, offering rewards of up to $5,000 for any information leading to the arrest/conviction of dog fighters. Click here to watch their dog fighting PSA.