Vick has only himself to blame
Not that long ago, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was proclaiming his innocence of animal cruelty charges and his attorney said that innocence would be proven at trial.
On Monday, facing the potential of additional and even more serious charges, Vick decided he will plead guilty next week to federal dogfighting conspiracy charges. The charges carry up to a five-year prison sentence and a fine of up to $250,000 - though federal sentencing guidelines and his plea are almost certain to keep any prison time well below five years.
In canine terms, Vick had become a lone wolf. His "buddies" from "Bad Newz Kennels" had all entered into their own guilty plea agreements, and it sounded as if they were ready to convincingly contradict Vick's assertions that he had nothing to do with the dogfighting operation or with the grisly execution of dogs that would not or could not fight to their owners' sick expectations.
Some people see the coverage of Vick's alleged crimes as overblown, but the majority of Americans are truly - and understandably - sickened by the details that have surfaced regarding Vick and his partners' involvement in dog fighting.
In a nation that will spend more than $40 billion on its pets this year, that should come as no surprise. Thankfully, it is a very small number of people who still see nothing wrong with throwing two heavily muscled, viciously trained dogs into a plywood-lined pit to watch and place bets while the dogs rip into each other until one of the dogs is incapacitated or even dead.
You need not be the type of dog owner who buys Fido's bed at Neiman-Marcus in order to be troubled by the savagery of dogfighting. All you need be is human. What Vick is alleged to have done certainly qualifies as not only inhumane, but inhuman.
The federal indictment against Vick states that the National Football League star not only fought dogs, he also executed the less talented canine fighters with his bare hands. Vick's partners in Bad Newz Kennels, Quanis Phillips and Purnell Peace, signed statements saying Vick participated in executing at least eight underperforming dogs by various means, including drowning, hanging and electrocution.
Much of America loves dogs. We own about 61 million as pets. More and more of us think of them as part of our family. We get them as pups. We make sure they are vaccinated against disease. We buy them toys and provide good food. We take them to schools for training. We grieve deeply when they are taken from us - hopefully, after many happy years together.
No, they are not humans. They are not children. But they are loving, feeling beings who for thousands of years now have had a bond with mankind. There is a symbiotic relationship between us. We may give them food and shelter, but we obviously receive something in return.
We suspect Vick fed his dogs, too. He also watched them kill each other and even killed them himself, if the charges are true. The vision of a multimillion-dollar athlete slamming a dog to its death on the ground or strangling it lifeless should horrify us and should be severely punished. This isn't about a different culture or about being tough. This is about snuffing out life with cruel abandon - no matter how much money you have you can't put a smiley face on that.
But Vick's people will try. Even now, with a plea on the table, Vick seems reluctant to accept blame. His lawyer says Vick will pay a high price for allowing old friends to influence his behavior.
Old friends can't make you electrocute a dog for not being vicious enough of a fighter. That comes from your heart, or lack thereof. Vick has earned all the derision that befalls him.