LET MICHAEL VICK LIVE!

[Phatkitty]

Amazing, simply amazing! Seems that the media will just continue to hype up the 'dog thing' (that's how I classify it!) that cost Michael Vick his career, his job, his money and property! Don't get me wrong.  I am an avid animal lover.  What happened to those dogs (the fighting and abusing) was horrible.  Really sad.  But damn!  It was some DOGS!    This man did not endanger any children, old people or the president! A monetary fine (a hefty one) should have sufficed!  Prison time?  Can you say OVERKILL!  They've sentenced murderers less swiftly and harshly. The man is out and wants to make amends....so what does ASPCA and PITA say?  NO!  What do these organizations want?  People make mistakes.  Everyone does.  But please, let the punishment fit the crime....make him have to have supervised 'pet contact', hell...tell him he cannot have a pet without having an investigator intervene for a couple of years, but putting him on work release making $10/hr?  Now you want to degrade him on top of everything else....whatever happened to 'do unto others?  Bet none of the 'powers that be' would be able to put up with their own recommendations of sentence.

[hjstewart]

If you hold what you've said about Vick to be true, then you can't possibly be an "avid" animal lover. If you consider what was done to these dogs (and how well most of them have been rehabilitated) I don't see how you can think for a second Vick doesn't deserve the treatment he is receiving. Anyone that does or knowingly allows horrific things to be done to any animal (including people, as we are also animals) should be treated as such. If we did unto others with Vick as he has done to dogs, he'd be tortured or dead- and that would be wrong. Do we really know that he wants to "make amends"? Just because he says he does means nothing- people lie constantly to make themselves look better. Also, you're statement that he "did not endanger any children, old people, or the president" (which I find to be ridiculous reasoning) think about the fact that if anyone would do such disgusting and horrible things to dogs, they may well be on their way to doing the same things to children, old people, or ANYONE. Most serial killers start our torturing animals.   

[Jenn09]

Wow! You consider yourself a animal lover? It does not matter if it was a dog a child a rat a adult ... its a living breathing thing. It has feelings too. Why do you think if you step on their tail they yelp. They are just as worthy of respect to the fullest as we are. Everyone was made equally. AND THAT INCLUDES ANIMALS! God put us on the earth to roam it together. NOT to train the creatures of it to fight one another. He deserves to go away for the rest of his life. He doesnt regret it and i put money on it if he could do it again he would. He is an all around bad person. That is NEVER right to do. That breaks my heart to hear of this!

[liljp617]

Wow! You consider yourself a animal lover? It does not matter if it was a dog a child a rat a adult ... its a living breathing thing. It has feelings too. Why do you think if you step on their tail they yelp. They are just as worthy of respect to the fullest as we are. Everyone was made equally. AND THAT INCLUDES ANIMALS! God put us on the earth to roam it together. NOT to train the creatures of it to fight one another. He deserves to go away for the rest of his life. He doesnt regret it and i put money on it if he could do it again he would. He is an all around bad person. That is NEVER right to do. That breaks my heart to hear of this!

Technically speaking, your holy book says man was put on Earth to rule over all other living things on Earth.  I suppose you can interpret however you wish.  Oh well, bit irrelevant.

He should be put away for life?  Give me a break.  OJ wasn't even put away for life...he got zero time (well, "karma" caught up with him last year so to speak).

Let me say, I've come across videos online that show mistreatment in factory farms, as well as just general gross mistreatment of animals, and I can't watch them.  It gets my adrenaline going in a bad way, and just plain pisses me off.

But I'm not going to pretend a dog is equal to a human.  You'd be hard pressed to find anyone who legitimately believes a dog's life (or any animal/organism) is as valuable as a human's life.  I don't think you do either.  If people are questioned, they usually conclude a human life is worth much more than an animal's.

There are rapists and murderers who get 15-20 on plea deals or get out on probation half way through their sentence for "good behavior."  Where's the outrage?  Why aren't there daily protests against these kinds of "justice" system follies?  There were hundreds, maybe thousands, of protesters during the Vick trials, yelling ridiculous things like he should be given the death penalty or given life in prison.  Those same people are, well, very unlikely to be found outside of a court house for someone being tried for murder.  Why?  There are hundreds of people in Washington protesting abortion every single day.  Where are those people when an actual individual who has relationships in the world, responsibilities, children, friends, etc. are murdered and the murderer is let out on probation in 10 years?

I'm not, in any way, trying to defend Vick's actions or anyone's actions who mistreat animals.  I just think people get way too emotional on subjects like these and exaggerate what should be a reasonable punishment.  People lose all logic and reason when they see cases like this.  I just wish there was this much enthusiasm around putting a child molester or murderer in jail for life.  I suppose we've gotten used to the idea that these things, child molestation and murder, "have always happened and will always happen."

[misner411]

I completely agree that he was wrong in what he did, but was it worth everything he went through, everything he's going through, and everything he will continue to go through? Absolutley Not! This situation has definantely been pushed beyond the limit. I hope that he can somehow revive his career. He was a great football player and I know he can still deliver a great performance today. I believe that he is truely sorry for his actions and he has learned a valuable lesson in a painful way. He has paid a major debt to society so let the man live his life.