Mike Vick: Can he live?

"I reside in VA, ride in VA
Most likely when I die, I'm gon' die in VA
Virginia's for lovers, but trust there's hate here...

Ironic, the same place I'm makin' figures at
That there's the same land they used to hang niggas at...in Virginia"

- The Clipse “Virginia”

For some reason, the Mike Vick story has really stirred something in me. Never expected to have as much emotion --or defense--for ole Ron Mexico! As previous posts show, he's one of my favorite f'ups to discuss. I mean, who has better stories than Ron? Stolen watches, herpes, water bottles with hidden compartments and now dogfighting! This guy has proven to be a piece of work. Before now, I had little to no sympathy for him. I admired his talent and accomplishments, but found him comical.

But, something has changed. I am now intrigued, saddened and concerned for Mike. Maybe it's our similarities? We were both born and raised in Virginia. Though our hometowns are seemingly worlds apart, I'm sure that's part of it. We're kinfolk...kinda. I know and understand growing up with an addicted and absent father. After years of bouncing in and out of prison, my own father died of a heroin overdose. I was 16. For the record, Mr. Bodie claims to have been there...but I believe Vick and his moms on that one!

Back to the point, I remember how those things changed me...and not for the best. When you don't have needed support at home, you turn to anyone or anything that will cure that feeling. Thankfully, my issues were minor speed bumps in my life. But, I fully understand how those feelings can have a stronger effect on different people. I've witnessed that with my own brother, who struggled to stay on the right path. So, I guess, I always thought Mike was like many fatherless men I know...immature because he lacked proper home training...which is whose fault?

The point is; I understand Mike. This dog-fighting thing is just an extension of previous behaviors. The details of the case were horrible and I will not dare defend his crimes. He knowingly committed them and should face punishment. But, I don't understand the hate and anger some Americans have dished at him. If I didn't know better, I'd swear people were describing Wayne Williams, the infamous Atlanta Child Killer. Scum of the Earth? Sadistic and mentally insane? Get out of here!

In the WP, John Feinstein wrote an article saying Vick should never play football again. Here's an excerpt:

...But Vick going behind bars doesn't mean he or his story are going away. Even with his plea eliminating the "he's innocent until proven guilty" argument, there will still going to be plenty of people who argue that Vick really isn't a bad guy or that he was set up by prosecutors or they will use the ever-popular cliché: "He made a mistake and deserves another chance."

Does Vick deserve another chance to go on with his life once he has served his jail time? Yes. But not as a professional football player.

There are certain crimes that people commit that make it impossible for them to return to society in certain jobs. If you commit a crime against a child, chances are pretty good you won't be allowed to teach children in the future. If you are seriously involved in drugs you probably shouldn't apply for a job as an airline pilot after your jail time is up. It isn't an absolute, but anyone who has committed a felony will probably find gaining admission to most law schools difficult.

Vick's crime is both brutal and cruel. Other than beating up a woman or a child, killing dogs for sport or entertainment is about as cowardly an act as exists. Those who make the weak "how is it different from hunting?" argument miss the point. I'm no hunter (never held a gun in my life and think the second amendment should be abolished) but there are legitimate reasons why hunting is legal in some places, some of the time. It is heartbreaking when dogs or cats are euthanized legally but at least their deaths are painless and do not take place to give sick people their jollies.

Vick and his friends are sick. Even if Vick can convince people he's truly sorry for what he did -- and it says here the only thing he'll ever be sorry for is getting caught -- that doesn't mean he should be allowed to play in the National Football League again.

If you play in the NFL, you are, by definition, viewed by a lot of people as a hero...Mike Flynn said, describing what it was like to walk onto the field in street clothes because of an injury as opposed to running onto the field in uniform during player introductions: "You go out there in street clothes, you're just another guy. You run through that tunnel in uniform, you feel like you're a God."

Michael Vick doesn't deserve to ever feel that way again. If he wants to go back to Virginia Tech and finish his degree, that's fine. There are plenty of jobs he can get when he's done his jail time. But football shouldn't be one of them.

Forget the money. He's forfeited his right to be a hero, to hear those cheers anymore.

If someone participates in, or even attends, a dog-fighting match, I am willing to bet he's not a member of PETA and has little to no concern for the life of a dog. For whatever reason (e.g., southern upbringing, ignorant, childish), he does not value dogs. In the same way, I do not value fleas, spiders, rats, roaches, ants and the like. Say what you will--and I'm NOT advocating dog-fighting or breaking the law--but that's a valid argument! We have varying levels of respect for animals and one man's lack of respect for dogs cannot be called insane. Not without additional evidence to prove that. Mike may be immature, but I don't think he's insane or crazy.

These dogs battle it out and often die DURING the match or are so injured they must be put down. So I find it hard to make killing a dog a worse act than viewing a dog fight. I won't pretend to understand why anyone would enjoy a dog-fight, but I've known people who have. I always figured it was fairly similar to enjoying a boxing match or...gasp...a brutal football game! This I know for sure; it is not unheard of in the south. Mike's participation is related to the company he kept and the prevalence of dog-fighting in our country. He is not alone in that world and while we may not condone or understand it, death and injury are part of it. Now that he's pled, animal rights activists are calling for the dogs to be put down--as they do with THOUSANDS of animals. Feinstein says euthanizing, when done legally, is less brutal. Dead is dead. Which reminds me of an interesting and slightly off topic point; we legally electrocute and suffocate humans in many states.

But, Feinstein and many others are calling for an end to the man's life because he fought dogs. What I don't understand is; how does that help anyone? What does taking away a man's right to earn a living--using PURE God-given talent--do to better society? He pled guilty and should serve whatever sentence he's given. However, the public interest should stop there in my opinion. What else does he owe US? Nothing. And the notion that he has lost his "right" to be a hero is silly! What hero, besides the fictional kind, was/is perfect? Every hero of mine, from Martin to Malcolm, had well-documented flaws and imperfections. Even heroes are HUMAN.

Rightfully so, his employer will impose a punishment. So long as it's not done to make an example of him (a la Pacman) and follows standard procedure, I think that's fair. But, I do take issue with us outsiders calling for the man's ban. Again, I ask why? What is it, inside of us, that makes us feel good to see another man's life OVER? Insecurity? Jealousy? I don't know, but I know I am sickened by comments like the above. Everyone DOES deserve a second chance, if not we'd all be up the creek.

"Happy to be escapin poverty, however brief
I know this game got valleys and peaks, expectation for dips
...Can I live?"

- Jay-z "Can I Live"

An apology for slavery?

As I'm sure everyone knows, Virginia legislators have expressed "profound regret" for the role Virginia played in enslaving African-Americans. At first, this "apology" did nothing for me and I wondered what the point was. But, I was still happy to hear it as I was hoping it made someone feel better. I also saw no harm and felt pride in my home state for this progressive move. Fast forward a few months and some Georgia Democrats are proposing a similar resolution.

After reading Republican legislators boldly say, "it will never happen" and "I don't owe anyone an apology", and reading locals negate the apology and mock the Black experience (in the AJC's "Vent"), I have to piece together my newfound thoughts on this. So here are my responses to the most common arguments...

"The victims are all dead"

Many of the victims are still alive and represent 12% of our country. Slavery did not end with the emancipation proclamation and its effects are reaching into the future. Current legislators may not have owned slaves but they were definitely around when Jim Crow was alive and kicking. Jim Crow was merely an extension of the same mentality which told people it was okay to enslave Africans in the first place.Take any group of people strip them of their history, culture and abilities to be self-sufficient and the chances are they will struggle for generations to come. Add in 400+ years of slavery, and another 100 or so years of legal discrimination, and another X years of discrimination and racism, based on a longstanding mindset that this group is beneath Whites, and struggle and hardship is all but guaranteed for many years and generations to come.

If we compare African-Americans (statistically) to other groups, I think it's clear what I mean. However, I think education is the clearest example, as it's the root of our greatest divides. Slaves were barred from learning and in some states, teaching a slave (or later African-American) to read was illegal. Once slavery ended, there was legal segregation and the schools were far from equal. Segregation ended the same year my mom was born...not so long ago. Moreover, there were many years of resistance to this and other civil rights issues. Some areas weren't integrated until the 70s! I was born in the 70s! Fast forward to now and minorities are still falling behind. Inner city schools (and others with large percentages of African-Americans) are far from equal. They started out inferior and only got worse.

Therefore, you have generation after generation growing up with low expectations when it comes to education. However, the media and "experts" seem oblivious to this and keep asking "why?" It's evident this is a systemic problem deeply rooted in our beginnings here. Don't get me started on how the slave mentality still exists in the African-American community. Our culture is almost solely based on our experiences here and sadly, a lot of our history has created horrible patterns of self-defeating behavior. We still have kids who think education is not for them and learning is a White thing. Where do you think that comes from?

"Why do you need an apology?"

Personally, an apology won't make me feel any better about race relations in our country. But, I do feel we've treaded too lightly on the issue of slavery and how it still plays into our society. I look at how separating families and restricting education created generational trends, which still exist and wonder how we can honestly say slavery is a thing of the past. I see evidence of slavery embedded in my culture and it's hard to deny the effects. I also look at our attempts to right wrongs with Japanese Americans and Native Americans and wonder why the biggest crime against humanity got brushed under the table. I guess it makes people feel better to pretend it's a thing of the past. Jay-Z's words apply here: "men lie, women lie, but numbers don't." Statistically speaking, African-Americans are still enslaved.

"What will an apology solve?"

I would hope an apology leads to more discussions. I think we spend too much time either being angry over what happened or trying to distance ourselves from what happened and continues to happen. All the while, what happened still affects our country today. Maybe those conversations could lead to a deeper awareness for both Blacks and non-Blacks. I tend to think non-Blacks are less than aware of how race is woven into our society. While Blacks (and other minorities) are sometimes overly aware. We have to find a way for each side to gain an understanding of each other.

I completely understand when people say they didn't own slaves or they weren't responsible for XYZ. I get it. But, I also think many don't recognize that White privilege still exists and how race still matters. I've heard many negative statements, about Blacks, which generalized problems. I've read "those" parents aren't interested in raising kids. "Those" kids are violent or unruly. "Those" people need to get up off their butts. It goes on and on. And I know those feelings are common across the country. However, what I don't get is why anyone would believe "those" people are really so different. We bleed the same blood, literally and figuratively! Therefore, if "those" people are the same, there is obviously a problem. But, we have to admit to it first.

An apology can't change much. African-Americans are an invented ethnicity. Most know little to nothing about African culture or our heritage/lineage. Nothing will change that. Thousands died on the journey here and millions suffered as chattel. Nothing will erase any of the horrors African-Americans have faced since arriving in the US. Nevertheless, I hope small steps, like an apology, will lead to a new direction for everyone.