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So I've been hearing a lot of people use the lame ass argument, "well, if Vick had been killing people/babies/what-have-you, no one would care. Which is the argument people always use in situations like this, and is a completely moronic approach.

So, because I (think I) made my point very eloquently over on Velvet in Dupont, when Drunken Chud tried to compare the situation to Pacman Jones, saying that this is getting more media attention, I will just copy and paste my reply to him here. That way, any of you idiots that try to accuse me of putting more value on an animal's life. (note- I am not calling DC an idiot- he actually made a much more valid point than any of the other negative commenters...unlike others, his comment was not "you wouldn't care if he was killing babies," but a more sensible and legitimate argument. Go to Velvet's to read the whole thing).

*EDIT: And furthermore, if Vick had treated people the way he treated those dogs, he would be facing a death sentence instead of only a possible 6 years in prison.

Ashburnite Says:
July 25th, 2007 at 8:08 am

DC- I actually have heard of pacman jones. No one is saying that this situation is any worse. How is it that so many people are jumping down the throats of those of us who are outraged? None of us are saying that torturing dogs is worse than torturing humans. You’re missing the point. We live in what is supposed to be a civilized country. Yet we have people like Vick, who people idolize, doing disturbing things to other living creatures. And it has been proven over and over that the kind of person who could torture an animal is the same kind of person who will eventually kill a person- either way you slice it, it’s sociopathic behavior. Someone who can look at an animal- something that is completely innocent- and then torture it is someone with no regard for any kind of life; someone who does not possess the kind of morality or sympathy for other creatures that would keep most of us from doing something like that.

pacman jones is a thug who’s ego got way out of hand. Was what he did wrong? absolutely, and I hope he spends a great deal of time in jail. But that situation does not make the Vick situation any less worthy of our attention. Jones was suspended without pay for the entire 2007 season, and there’s a good chance he won’t be playing at all- ever. Vick was suspended, yes, but with pay. The most he’s going to get is a fine and a slap on the wrist.

Are we saying that an animal’s life is more valuable than a person’s? Not at all. The point is that Vick is a sociopath, and behaved in a manner not appropriate for a civilized society.

Ashburnite Says:
July 25th, 2007 at 8:31 am

I also have to wonder about the people who aren’t angry about this. They’re probably the same kind of people going to the dog fights and betting on which dog will tear the other apart.

So there you have it. My argument to all of those people. Next time you try to make the argument that we are placing more value on an animal's life than a humans, think of that.


**Edit: I actually just read INPY's argument, which is very similar, but, in my opinion, a little more eloquently stated than mine. If you have time, go take a read.

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Sicko

I know this story has been covered to death, but I need to put my two cents in. It's pretty obvious that Michael Vick was, in fact, involved in this, and it makes me sick to my stomach. I honestly wish I hadn't read the full article, namely the details of what happened to the dogs who lost fights, but unfortunately I did. And I've been disgusted since.

I have never been able to hear news of animal abuse without crying. Yes, I know, I'm a total sap who cries about everything. But animals are innocent. They are not malicious. They are not spiteful. And they certainly do not deserve to be treated like this- ever. I keep picturing those poor dogs and the way they died and I can't stop thinking about it. I firmly believe that anyone who could do something so heinous to an animal deserves to be shot in the head. Harsh, yes. But so is the fact that that person could do something so cruel and disgusting to another living being- and a completely innocent one at that.

And I know, innocent until proven guilty. But we all know our legal system is pretty much broken, and that Michael Vick will probably not get much more than a fine and a slap on the wrist. This is a man that children look up to. He's a star. And the fact that, knowing that he is idolized, he could be involved in something like this is shameful. It's sick.

So, Michael Vick, if you're out there, you disgust me. You are the worst kind of person imaginable. You are someone who can hurt (and probably profit from the pain and suffering) an innocent creature. I hope you rot in hell, you sick bastard.

And anyone who agrees, if you haven't already done so, please go here and sign the petition. (Thanks to Beakerz and Velvet for posting this earlier)

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The grunter, the strutter and the non-wiper

I am lucky enough to work somewhere with a decent gym which is hardly used. So every day, I spend my lunch break there, sweating my ass off. Normally, there's no one there during this time. However, sometimes I'm lucky to be in the company of some of the most annoying gym personalities. Today was one of those times. I was just going about my business, going through my triathlon of cardio equipment- elliptical, bike and treadmill (running, of course).

Now, I'm not one to criticize other people in the gym, unless they're real assholes. This guy walks in, wearing a wife-beater and a huge silver chain. As he strutted past me, I couldn't help but notice the air of cockiness coupled with the fact that the guy was nothing special- and certainly not built. But whatever. I go about my workout, trying to burn as many calories possible. He starts lifting, and right away he's grunting. Grunting is one of the single most annoying thing you can do in the gym. Then, he starts making all kinds of obscene noises- noises that sound like they belong in the bedroom, not in the gym. By this point, I can't hear the tv over him, so I paused the treadmill and turned up the volume on CNN. Oh, and another loathesome quality- he did not wipe down a single piece of equipment. Disgusting.

The bedroom noises went on for over 30 minutes. I was getting more and more annoyed. The even more annoying part was that (keep in mind that all of the walls are mirrored) every time he walked around, he stared at himself in the mirror. He even stopped to...are you ready for this....flex in front of the mirror. So, as I was switching from the treadmill to the bike, I passed one of the weight machines that he had been using. As I glanced at the weights, expecting to see something like 240 lbs, I was shocked. He was lifting 40 pounds. He wasn't grunting and groaning while lifting 240 pounds, he was lifting less than my grandmother lifts.

After seeing that, I glanced at him (flexing in the mirror) and couldn't help myself. I sat at the machine, changed the weight to 80 pounds, and lifted 3 sets of 12 with barely more than a loud exhale.

The only thing worse than an arrogant meathead is an arrogant guy who thinks he's a meathead. The thing that bugs me is that this guy obviously wants everyone in the vicinity to see/hear him and be impressed. Next time, he should probably lift a little more than 40 pounds. Because, as Shania said, "that don't impress me much."

But then again, there's only one (very amazing) man that impresses me :-)

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Thank you

It's been a long time coming, but thank you to everyone who offered their condolences. It really meant a lot to know that there were people out there thinking about me- even if they never met me.

Things have been pretty rough, and unfortunately, it looks like nothing is going to happen to the bus driver that killed him. Apparently, bus drivers are pretty much able to drive however they want without repercussions. So my family and I need to move on. Being Solomons has been incredibly difficult and emotional, but we need to do it- it was one of Brian's favorite places.

So that's the update. And thank you again.

xoxoxo

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