media & Michael Vick dogfighting case
While discussing the Michael Vick dog fighting case at a party, a friend pointed me to Nation of Islam Sportsblog.
I alluded to having an opinion on the case earlier. While at Club Napoletano, the center television is permanently tuned to ESPN. Maybe my circumstances skew my perception, but it seems like the issue of Vick engaging in dogfighting is the biggest legal story since O.J. Simpson was charged with murdering his ex and her lover.
My opinions:
1. Dog fighting should not be a federal crime except in cases where it's wrapped in with other criminal activity that crosses state lines.
2. Removing federal law enforcement agents from investigating political corruption and other serious crimes that diminish the quality of life for citizens is misuse of government resources.
3. The media coverage of the Vick case is mind boggling. We live in a country that invaded another country based on lies and racist innuendo. The occupation has caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis. Millions have been displaced. Over 3,000 Americans have died. Over 10,000 Americans are maimed for life. Our political and media elites resist calling for an end to the occupation because they don't want to admit to how badly they got it wrong on Iraq. And the media is fretting over Michael Vick fighting and killing some pit pulls!? What the #%&@?
The media warps our reality. How many dogs died as the result of Michael Vick's actions? A half dozen? Two dozen? In the month of August--we're not done yet--the United States has lost 74 troops in Iraq. The Brits have lost four.
Not only are Iraqis less worthy of media attention than Vick's dogs--that's just a given--President George W. Bush (and the other screw-ups leading this country) can kill 80 Americans a month (that's a good month, some months are 100+) to procrastinate admitting they were wrong about Iraq and the media peddles the situation as reasonable. The media elite--who largely went along with the war--can pretend the absurd is reasonable as easily as they can make a case of an athlete dogfighting into this huge event. How many times did they replay the footage of Vick entering the court house?
To make the issue local, if the media wasn't absurd, the mismanagement, misconduct and criminality surrounding Proviso Township High Schools would get more media coverage than the Vick case.
And how would you feel if the FBI delayed prosecuting the politicians stealing from the high school for a year because the agents were spending time building a case against a dogfighting ring?
I alluded to having an opinion on the case earlier. While at Club Napoletano, the center television is permanently tuned to ESPN. Maybe my circumstances skew my perception, but it seems like the issue of Vick engaging in dogfighting is the biggest legal story since O.J. Simpson was charged with murdering his ex and her lover.
My opinions:
1. Dog fighting should not be a federal crime except in cases where it's wrapped in with other criminal activity that crosses state lines.
2. Removing federal law enforcement agents from investigating political corruption and other serious crimes that diminish the quality of life for citizens is misuse of government resources.
3. The media coverage of the Vick case is mind boggling. We live in a country that invaded another country based on lies and racist innuendo. The occupation has caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis. Millions have been displaced. Over 3,000 Americans have died. Over 10,000 Americans are maimed for life. Our political and media elites resist calling for an end to the occupation because they don't want to admit to how badly they got it wrong on Iraq. And the media is fretting over Michael Vick fighting and killing some pit pulls!? What the #%&@?
The media warps our reality. How many dogs died as the result of Michael Vick's actions? A half dozen? Two dozen? In the month of August--we're not done yet--the United States has lost 74 troops in Iraq. The Brits have lost four.
Not only are Iraqis less worthy of media attention than Vick's dogs--that's just a given--President George W. Bush (and the other screw-ups leading this country) can kill 80 Americans a month (that's a good month, some months are 100+) to procrastinate admitting they were wrong about Iraq and the media peddles the situation as reasonable. The media elite--who largely went along with the war--can pretend the absurd is reasonable as easily as they can make a case of an athlete dogfighting into this huge event. How many times did they replay the footage of Vick entering the court house?
To make the issue local, if the media wasn't absurd, the mismanagement, misconduct and criminality surrounding Proviso Township High Schools would get more media coverage than the Vick case.
And how would you feel if the FBI delayed prosecuting the politicians stealing from the high school for a year because the agents were spending time building a case against a dogfighting ring?
Labels: dogfighting, Iraq War, media, Michael Vick, Nation of Islam Sportsblog, Wikipedia
posted by Carl Nyberg at
10:07 AM
7 Comments:
A mitigating factor you may consider:
There are those who believe that the war is being prosecuted justly for the defense of the United States of America. I am not one of those people, but making a blanket comparision of dead soldiers to dead dogs doesn't work. The dogs were killed for Vick's enjoyment or because of his disappointment. No matter how you want to stretch it I do not the same can be said for our soldiers deaths.
By
omnivore43, at 12:11 PM, August 27, 2007
Iraq was not a threat to the United States or its citizens.
The war is being continued because of personal cowardice of American elites and simple war profiteering.
By
Carl Nyberg, at 12:28 PM, August 27, 2007
While I agree with you that the media, and those who follow it, are obsessed with the wrong subject matter (Paris Hilton, et al), I do not feel sympathy for Michael Vick. Sad as it may be, the federal prosecutors had to have O.J. Simpson in the back of their heads as they poured an inordinate amount of resources into this case. If they came up with anything less than a rock-solid case, Vick may have been able to buy his way out of this. No, it's not as important as our soldiers dying for a cause most of us do not believe in. If you want the media to stop focusing on fluff, put down the damn National Enquirer and stop supporting the media's coverage of the wrong issues.
By
Anonymous, at 1:13 PM, August 27, 2007
Again, check your facts. Vick owned, funded and operated an illegal gambling enterprise you moron! Yes the media makes it about the dogs which is also horrible ( I would like to know where you got the "dozen or two" number as I really doubt that number) When the feds investigate an illegal interstate gambling enterprise, the public is well served. How could this have been lost on you?
By
Anonymous, at 1:02 PM, August 28, 2007
Interstate gambling the issue?
Guess the FBI better shut down Mega Millions.
By
Carl Nyberg, at 2:38 PM, August 28, 2007
Here's a text message that's been going around:
OJ killed a white woman & walked. kobe raped a white girl & walked. vick killed some dogs & he goin to jail. lesson fo today stick to killing WHITE FOLKS!!
By
Carl Nyberg, at 2:40 PM, August 28, 2007
Last time I checked the mega millions was legal. Vick was owner/operator of an organized crime unit. Interstate gambling is a rico offense. You comparo doesn't make sense. Let's see those discharge papers. It seems that since you didn't know that illegal interstate gambling rings were a federal offense just maybe you were more than a little inept. Big shock to anyone that knows you
By
Anonymous, at 9:01 AM, September 01, 2007
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