Rights and Wrongs

The Civil War between Philadelphian dog lovers and black people we’ve all been anticipating is about to come to a head, and ex-quarterback/ex-convict/current running back/future convict Michael Vick is at the center of it. The next uneventful preseason game for the Philadelphia Eagles will become decidedly more eventful when the NAACP marches against animal rights groups who are protesting against the Eagles for signing the Don King of dog-fighting after his recent release from penitentiary.

It’s been a long time since we had a good protest of a protest.

Clearly this is not about animal or human rights; this is about sports and money and fame and whether someone can be good enough at one thing (football) to make up for how bad they are at another (not murdering dogs). Which brings us to the recently deceased Teddy Kennedy.

Like a good pompous douchebag, allow me to quote myself from a post written after the inauguration, when Teddy collapsed at a luncheon:

“The most profound moments in black history are always accompanied by the fall of a Kennedy. The March on Washington happened four months before JFK was shot . MLK was assassinated just two months before Bobby Kennedy. Yesterday was MLK Day and today Obama takes office, two black days in a row, and Teddy doesn’t even make it through lunch. Is it a coincidence? Possibly. But it’s more likely that the fates of black culture and the Kennedy Family are immovably on opposite sides of the cosmic Wheel of Fortune.”

Is this another example? The short answer is yes. The long answer is also yes.

It really adds perspective, though, that JFK’s death coaligned with the March on Washington for human rights and the Teddy Kennedy death coaligns with the March on Veteran’s Stadium for Vick’s rights. Was Teddy the Michael Vick of the Kennedy family? The short answer is no. The long answer is also no. But more absurd assertions have been made. They were both allowed to continue doing their high profile jobs after involvements in wrongful deaths. And I’m pretty sure they both had sexually-transmitted diseases. (Big ups, Ron Mexico!) But the similarities probably end there.

The championship-starved football fanatics of Philly are eager to point out that Michael Vick has paid his debt to society and should be given a second chance. I’m all for second chances for those who have paid for their sins. The problem I have here is that Michael Vick didn’t really do anything to society; his crimes were against doggies. So it seems to me that this atonement should have to appeal to a different court. I think we’re all on the same page here: It’s time Mike Vick goes before the judge, jury, EXECUTIONER that is…

That should about even the score. Once Cujo gives the thumbs-up, then we’ll start talking second chances.

My name is Ben and I blogged this.