VICK PLEADS GUILTY
Misery loves company and nobody loves being all by their lonesome at a defense table, so Falcon’s Ex-QB Michael Vick has pled guilty.
The allegations in the case are disturbing. Co-defendants have agreed to facts in which not only did Vick fund the dog fighting enterprise, but that Vick actively participated in killing dogs who did not perform well. Dogs were killed by gunshot, strangulation, immersion in water with electric shock, and in one case, by merely slamming the dog on the ground.
Vick will miss the 2007 season and the 2008 season at least if he is sentence to a year. If he is sentenced to 18 months, it is likely Vick will miss the 2009 season as well. Then there is the issue of whether the NFL adds an additional year or years suspension for the criminal conviction. And finally, when Vick is 30 or 31, what team would take a chance on the public relations nightmare that hiring Vick would create?
The NY Times article is HERE
SHOULD JUDGES BLOG?
An issue has emerged in the comments section as to whether Judges should blog? Outside of the obvious restrictions regarding current cases, we see no reason why a Judge should not post a comment on the blog section. Just the other day Judge Pinero congratulated David Gilbert on the award he received from the Governor. What would be the difference if Pinero sent him an email congratulating him, or went over and shook his hand in Au Bon Pain and offered words of congratulations. We don’t think this is really an issue.
Indeed, the mere fact our robed readers have shown the technical ability to find the blog and post a comment requires that they receive acknowledgement for their digital skills. We remember a time when Judges didn’t have computers on their desks.
Anonymous said...
the reason why judges feel it is ok to blog is because none other than chief judge blake is one of the multiple organizers to this blog in on the gossip- how do you think rumpole gets all his info- ever heard of email.
Rumpole responds: We have never, ever received an email from Judge Blake. And it is our distinct opinion that relations between Rumpole and our chief administrative Judge have become downright chilly after Rumpole spent several days criticizing the firing of Judge Klein. Or maybe we’re just too sensitive.
See You In Court. Doesn’t the new traffic mess make Mondays worse than ever?
Google shuts blogging down tonight at 7PM for maintenance.
ReplyDeleteTo be precise, Rumpole and the Captain blog, everyone else (including the Captain and Rumpole sometimes) comments. The question is whether judges should comment. Commenting is more akin to Au Bon Pain discussions. Judicial blogging is more controversial.
ReplyDeletejudge blake is not the nice guy he wants everyone to think he is. not to mention the fact that he has no balls. lastly, he could read a fla law weekly every once and a blue moon. he does not no the law from a hole in the wall.
ReplyDeleteBesides judges posting comments, is it ethical for a judge who is up for election to personally call attorneys to ask for their endorsement?
ReplyDeleteI know they cannot personally solicit money, but what about asking for ability to use the attorney's name in advertising, etc.
It seems to me that, especially since I have cases pending in the judge's division, that this should be a violation of some ethical cannon.
I haven't returned the call yet, but I feel like I might be penalized somehow in the judge's courtoom if I don't tell him/her that I am endorsing them.
Yes judges should blog if they wish to opine on an issue. It adds to the discussion. The cheap shots at judges, made anonymously, are just that, cheap!
ReplyDeletebeyond a reasonable doubt
ReplyDeleteBlecher is Rumpole.
more to come.
Most if not all the comments and or blogging on this site are scandalous and lies. A one sided effort to portray deadbeats as important people. Yes, I include myself.
ReplyDeleteWhatever!
An ode to my good friend menachem mendel mohairsuit:
ReplyDeleteYou are the Dancing Jew
young and sweet
only thirty two.
Dancing Jew
Feel the beat
on the tambourine.
You can dance.
You can daven.
Having the time of your life.
see that girl
Watch that scene
dig in, the dancing jew.
Love,
Your "Irish" Brethren
Rumpole, thank you for your referral of Faber, Robin. He is a white middle aged male who is a judge. He presents with the chief complaints of lack of humor and self importance. He admits to thinking he is very important and that a particular blog he reads is full of nonsense. He believes that if everyone who wrote in the blog instead volunteered to do community service, things would be better.
ReplyDeleteI am not a specialist in this area, and I have referred Mr. Faber for additional testing, however I have a preliminary diagnosis of JJSS (Judge Jeffrey Schwartz Syndrome).
As you know this disease can be fatal, as it is named after it's most famous victim. Beyond symptoms of lack of humor and self importance, the sufferer can experience visions of grandour far beyond the normal reality everyone else around them is experiencing.
There are several experimental treatments, including yoga and meditation, and a holistic approach that includes removing the patient from their surroundings until they return to normal. However, the disease is particularly aggressive in white males (see Alan Postman for example) and the belief is that unless the disease is caught in stages one or two, the symptoms of self importance and lack of humor come to dominate the patient until they are removed from office. The end stage of this disease can be particularly grusome.
I believe that Mr. Faber has been luck enough to catch his disease in the early stages, but I have referred him to the Cleveland Clinic for further testing and to be seen by a colleague who specializes in this area.
Thank you again for the referral of this patient.
Football predictions: 1- Liverpool, 2- Chelsea, 3-
ReplyDeleteMan U, 4- Tottenham, 5-Arsenal, 6-Portsmouth, 7- Everton , 8-
Man City, 9-Newcastle, 10- Reading
Blake is a nice person, but he's overrated as a trial judge.
ReplyDeleteAs a young lawyer who attended the mandatory Practicing with Professionalism seminar, I can say that the topic of judges and attorneys feeling almost compelled to giving campaign contributions to the judges they go in front of and fear of retaliation was raised. And the answer was, its just like anything else in life - in theory there's no rule violation because no judge is going to admit to engaging in such tactics. And no one is really going to prosecute such cases because there's not going to be really solid cases with the type of evidence someone can prove anything beyond a reasonable doubt.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, the conclusion made at this ethics seminar was tantamount to "Tough, deal with it, its a reality of the profession we're in." So much so, the impression given was - who even knows if judges keep mental and/or possibly written lists of who contributes and who does not and if so - would you want to be one of the lawyers a judge remembers for not contributing?
I'm laughing at Dr Doctor's post. An instant classic. Thanx, Doc.
ReplyDeletei would be shocked if liverpool finishes higher than 3...and i dont think chelsea will finish above 4th
ReplyDeleteAlas, not even the Q could save Vick from himself.
ReplyDeleteBut he tried.
Exclusive: GARY NELSON, CBS 4 Miami's Top Cop Drives A Freebie Lexus SUV - - City of Miami Police Chief John Timoney drives a Lexus SUV provided by Lexus of Kendall at No Charge. The SUV is worth over 50K, and lease payments run $750 monthly. Three employees at Lexus of Kendall; a sales associate, a sales consultant and a service technician; confirmed Chief Timoney drives a dealership demo car and that he's been driving it for about a year.
ReplyDeleteAt Lexus of Kendall, an SUV similar to the one Chief Timoney is driving has a sticker price of $53,186, which with a typical lease would cost about $750 a month.
Under Florida and Miami-Dade county ethics laws, Timoney is required to submit quarterly reports disclosing gifts, including goods or services, valued at more than a hundred dollars.
State and county records reveal Timoney has not reported his free use of the Lexus.
OK, LETS SEE IF THE STATE ATTORNEY INVESTIGATES, . . . . HURRY SOMEONE CALL AL WHATEVERHIS NAME
Timoney: three words
ReplyDeleteCALL THE Q
now.
(Yawn) thats enough. I'm going to sleep.
ReplyDeleteThis is why some comments on this blog are nothing more than idiots thinking out loud for the purpose of attacking people:
ReplyDelete5:56 p.m. says "judge blake is not the nice guy he wants everyone to think he is.
OK, DO YOU HAVE EXAMPLES, MAYBE ONE EXAMPLE?
not to mention the fact that he has no balls.
OK, DO YOU HAVE EXAMPLES, MAYBE ONE EXAMPLE?
lastly, he could read a fla law weekly every once and a blue moon.
DO YOU HAVE PROOF HE DOESN"T READ FLW? (Also, it's once in a blue moon, not once and a blue moon you incompetent brainless dolt)
he does not no the law from a hole in the wall.
OK, DO YOU HAVE EXAMPLES, MAYBE ONE EXAMPLE?
Get the point?
Rump, why do you allow crap like this?
Anonymouse wrote:
ReplyDeletejudge blake is not the nice guy he wants everyone to think he is. not to mention the fact that he has no balls. lastly, he could read a fla law weekly every once and a blue moon. he does not no the law from a hole in the wall.
As a former employee of the system, this quote is wrong on every count. He was a pleasure one on one. He was a pleasure in committee meetings. He stabbed know one in the back unless cornered by obvious legal and bureaucratic forces. He knew the law and, when he didn't, he asked for the law.
Judge Blake isn't perfect, but he is one of our finest judges.
Sure 6:05 AM- he clipped Judge Klein and Klein didn't even see it coming and never spoke up on behalf of Klein when everyone wanted to know what was up. He's no Saint, He's no devil, he just is. Think he is so great? Ask him about Judge Tjoflat and how one stupid quip can almost ruin a career.
ReplyDeleteJudge Klein had more intergrity in his little finger then Blake has in his entire body. He has, in essence, sold out to the establishment. Loe man Klein was a hell of a judge. You Mr. Blake, should hide your head in shame.
ReplyDeleteI know Stan Blake.
ReplyDeleteStan Blake is a friend of mine.
5:56, you're no Stan Blake.
11:09, then who is your top two? Man U and Arsenal? Maybe, but is Arsenal going to be that much better without Henry? Not to mention that Lehmann's done. Man U's getting old, and it'll take the new guys a little bit to adjust to the EPL. Watch out for Sven!!!
ReplyDeleteThe Timoney story was extremely boring. Must have been a slow news day. Who gives a crap?
ReplyDeleteStan Blake (when he was a defense attorney) said, that Tjoflat was a foreign word that meant "dickhead."
ReplyDeleteJudge Tjoflat had just passed a rule that said that if you appeared in federal court for a criminal defendant, you had to do the appeal, even if it was for free. I can not think of a more "dickhead" rule, can you?
Stan was right so, what is the big deal.
99% of the people who deal with Stan Blake like him. Me too.
Lte me intervene on the Blake/Tjoflat contretemps-
ReplyDeleteTjoflat was the CJ of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. He had instituted a rule that when a defense attorney entered a NOA for a case, that is was representation through the end of an appeal.
Blake, wisecracking in an FACDL newsletter wondered what a Tjoflat was, and wrote that it sounded like something that ended up in a tissue in the room of a teenage boy (or words to that effect). He never called him " a dickhead". I believe there was abar complaint that was settled with an apology and a letter of advisement by the bar not to do that again.
Having made so much money in federal court, I never get to state court and thus have no opinion on Blake as a Judge.
i will not stand by and witness cowards slandering judge blake. i have known him since he was a student at UF. he is without a doubt a humantian and is one of the best judges we have on the bench. we should be grateful that we have him as the chief criminal judge.all judges should be like stan.those who trash him on this blog are clueless and are idiots.
ReplyDeleteNice to know Blake's mommy reads the blog. Ask him about Tjoflat and how judicial was that?
ReplyDeleteRumpole, Vick will be a QB after he gets out and serves his extra 1 yr that Goodell gives him.
ReplyDeleteIs there a position in the league, in any major sports league, as weak as the QB's in the NFL right now?? Look at all the clowns starting now, not to mention their backups! Get fucking real! Vick has led teams to the playoffs, yes he's a very flawed QB, but still....
He'll only be , what, 31, 32 at the most.
Apologize abjectly, donate some salary to some dog people, just pretend to be sorry, and he'll be back.
This is the NFL, not some goddamn church league!
1:14,Blake is a "humantian"? What the fuck is that? The material that emerges from a human's nether regions during anal?
ReplyDeleteRumpola- word in ABP (au bon pan) is that there is a new "lets be mean to blake" blog. Where is it so I can get in on the action when the getting is good?
ReplyDeleteBlake kinda opened himself up to it, you gotta admit. And, anyway, so what if not everybody loves Blake, who cares? He's a judge, not HS class president.
ReplyDeleteDOG PILE ON THE ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteTuesday, August 21, 2007 10:08:00 AM, This post must be an ASA in the Public Cuddle Division of the SAO!
ReplyDeleteI find it outrageous that you let people continously bash judges over personality issues. That ought to be out of bounds. Do you actaully ever censor anything?
ReplyDeleteBlake did Judge Klein the wrong way. I bet Judge Klein felt unwanted and dismissed--and after so many years. I think Blake needs to clear up his role in this bush-league mess.
ReplyDeleteJudge Klein was a decent man and good judge.
Judges to Comment or Not to Comment; That is the Question. Here are some arguments against Judges blogging. Canon of ethics for Florida Judges: Canon 1: a judge should have integrity and be independent: if they comment in the blog along with many non-judge lawyers they are not being independent. 2. A judge should avoid the appearance of impropriety: comment about lawyers who appear before him or their firms, i.e. pd and sao, gives the appearance of favoritism. 3. A judge should be impartial and diligent: is not impartial if take sides about an attorney or his firm and is not diligent when he has time to blog/comment but it takes 6 months to get your motion to suppress heard. 4.A judge should try to improve the legal system and administration of justice: how this is done by a gossip/slander/defamation concentrated anonymous blog is beside me. 5.He should regulate his extrajudicial activities to avoid appearance of conflict of interest: commenting after hours or lunch break is extrajudicial. 6. In his fiscal matters a judge should avoid appearance of impropriety- buddying up to a bunch of mostly criminal defense attorneys who you will solicit for campaign contributions when up for reelection has the appearance of impropriety. 7. A judge should refrain from inappropriate political activity- publicly congratulating an asa who is being awarded by a governor can be interpreted as an endorsement of that governor's policies(pro Republican), shows a favoritism to the sao, unless you also compliment the FACDL awards winners, and implicity connotes a favoritism to the sao and law enforcement which shows a lack of objectivity and impartiality towards the defense- in short another prosecutor with a black robe on. compliments of the ONION PEELER.
ReplyDeleteWith all the judges that all of us have been in front of, I can't believe that Blake is catching crap. He treats us great in court, makes sure we're complimented in front of our clients, and understands when we have a vacation planned. The bond hearing change and Judge Klein wasn't his idea and he doesn't owe the blog an explanation of decisions made by others. How many of us would have given a brother a kidney if we want to talk about humanitarian. His door is open for any beefs and he tries to do what's right. He's one guy who hasn't gotten black robe fever. With some of the people we appear in front of, it's unbelievable to me.
ReplyDeleteOh you'd be astonished as to the amount of stuff we don't post. Whose cheating on their wife- whose sleeping with who, you name it. We cannot censor a post merely because someone has an opinion of another person and we differ with that opinion. If we did that this blog would be worthless.
ReplyDeleteAs to Judge Blake- maybe some of this atuff is accurate, but we should say this
1) The guy stood up and did the right thing for Sy with the birthday party for his 75th birthday.
2) Judge Blake has a great perspective on the value of a case and has no fear in slapping down a dopy ASA who asks for ridiculous stuff like adjudications for first offenses.
Rumpy change of pace- met one of the new lawyers- not saying which office. I'm in love. An all american girl. Tall, blonde, from mid-west cornfields. Former Model. We chatted the other day after court. She says she is bored because she doesn't know anyone down here, so she volunteers her time on the weekends at an animal shelter. Can you believe this girl? Asked for her phone number and you know what she said?
ReplyDelete"Where I come from girls don't give boys their number the first time they ask."
Rump my head is spinning.She is all I can think about. Today she winked at me.
What do I do? I'm ready to get married. Help me o great one, advise me on the right way to proceed.
Go Gooners!
ReplyDeleteadvice about the blond: don't tell her any dumb blond jokes, how many tissues you have used up thinking about her, and on your first date take her to Canton for honey chicken or the steak not to south beach where you will be tempted to look at other women. if you go to south beach there is a great argentinian steak house on the corner of washington and 6th. sounds like you felt sorry for your old washed up ass and thinks of you as a mentor, if she likes dogs don't feel sorry for michael vick.
ReplyDeleteWhy is everyone picking on Judge Blake? He seems like a very nice man with a great demeanor on the bench. Wouldn't it make more sense to inquire as to WHY Judge Murphy would "mess up" a murder case TWICE?
ReplyDelete4:21, must be new to the blog and our world at the REGJB. We don't care if someone is nice or a good person, or has a good demeanor. If we can think of anything to say negative about them, we do. We don't care about anyone. Sorry. (not really)
ReplyDeletemeanwhile, Robin Faber is sitting back and laughing and saying to himself "gee that was easy. All I had to do was write 'stan sucks' and my name is dropped like a bad habit.Hahahahahaha."
ReplyDeleteGovernor Crist makes decision:
ReplyDelete(hey Captain - shouldn't you be reporting this)!!!
Joseph George Jr. was picked today by Governor Crist to lead the 3rd District Regional Office Of Conflict Counsel. He begins his term immediately and, according to the new law, he is supposed to be up and running by October 1, 2007. The Statute does provide a window whereby he has until December 31, 2007 to get the office comepletely staffed and accepting court appointments.
Therefore, if you are presently accepting court appointments, you may begin to see a decrease in those cases possibly as early as October 1, 2007.
Rick Freedman
FACDL-Miami
Breaking Blog News- Jimbo Best did not try a case this week.
ReplyDeleteRomeo- I am putting together some suggestions. While both the Honey Chicken and the Canton Steak at Cantons are great, it's not a good first date spot. That's more of a Sunday place or saturday night when you pick up some videos. Give me some time and I will tell you what to do. Just leave it to me.
ReplyDeleteIs anyone else getting phone calls from a sitting judge pandering for my endorsement?
ReplyDeleteFake George Costanza says for a date with a pretty blond DO THE OPPOSITE: she has already had many men tell her how pretty she is, not curse in her presence, not look at other women in her presence, dress nice, shave, wash the car before picking her up, arrive on time with flowers etc. do the opposite. take her to a place where you get food on your face like baby back ribs, arrive late, unshaven, don't open her door, tell her she needs breat augmentation, fart, burp, don't pull chair out, tell her she has a nice ass, and that women should raise babies and only go to law school to find a husband. end the date early by saying have to play poker or go meet a friend at a strip club, drop her off and don't walk her to the door. she will probably CALL YOU in 2 days wanting to see you agains. from single at 40. excuse me now, i have to take a crap.
ReplyDeleteWho the hell is Joseph George Jr.?
ReplyDeleteThe following is off of Mr. Georges's listing with Lawyers.com. Makes me all warm and tingly inside to think an Estate Lawyer will be in charge of a criminal defense firm. Go Gov!!
ReplyDeleteJoseph P. George, Jr. practices in the following areas of law:
Contested Trusts and Estates, Estate Litigation, Trust Litigation, Contested Wills, Guardianship, Mental Health Administration and Litigation, Baker Act, Marchman Act, Elder Law, VA Benefits, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Law.
Firm Size: 1
Joseph P. George, Jr. (Member) born Miami, Florida, October 8, 1954; admitted to bar, 1994, Florida; 1995, District of Columbia and U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida; 1998, U.S. Court of Appeals, Armed Forces. Education: University of Florida (B.S., 1977); Cumberland School of Law (J.D., 1985). Phi Delta Phi. Director, Florida Substance Abuse and Mental Health Corporation, 2003—. Practice Areas: Civil Practice; Probate; Guardianship; Mental Health Law.
I resent that!!
ReplyDeleteTo 4:56, Congrats, that was the funniest comment in a long time..especially since I just saw that episode a couple of days ago.
ReplyDeleteTo 4:33, You are an idiot. As a former opponent who won some but lost most to Jim Best I can tell you the he would tie you up in a knot and toss you out the building if you tried a case against him. You must be one of his washed up ex-employees that's STRUGGLING! Jimbo has done more trials than 90% of the lawyers in the building. If he never does another one, he will have done 10 times more than you will ever do.
Still a fan Jimbo
CK
4:21, Murphy messed up the case only once. Platzer messed it up the first time.
ReplyDeleteRomeo, you should have asked for her number the second time.
ReplyDeleteI believe I know 2 things about Joseph George Jr.
ReplyDelete1. He ended up being the only applicant for our circuit.
2. He is a probate lawyer.
Thank you Rick for the update. On another front, members of the criminal bar will be meeting with certain county commisioners in an effort to lobby the commision to sue the state over the constitutionality of sb 1088. if this happens, the county will ask the ct for an injunction. the county is on sound footing and poised to win the suit... however, we(the criminal bar) will have to come up with ideas on how to make the old pcac system cheaper. any suggestions???
ReplyDeletefida
Judges should avoid the "appearance of impropriety." Judge Murphy seems like a smart guy; and in the limited times I've spent in his courtroom, I haven't had a problem. But if something is going on with his court reporter, then he needs to make it stop. He seems to have a good reputation, and shouldn't want to ruin it.
ReplyDeleteJoe George is a great guy and an excellent attorney. He's coming from the family law/dependency side of the fence, so he's probably unfamiliar to most defense attorneys. His lack of crim law experience will be meaningless IF he can staff the office with qualified personnel.
ReplyDeleteI think the regional conflict counsel idea sucks. It's hooverific. But George is a good attorney who will try and afford his clients the best representation the system allows.
Rumpole, if you are really going to help me, I left out one important fact: My dear Juliet is a Capulet while I, alas, am a Montague.
ReplyDeleteCan you still help?
PS. I am not as someone wrote, an old washed up guy chasing a new lawyer. Juliet is actually 18 months older than I.
Family law/dependency side of the fence? What a fucking joke. He's NOT a criminal defense lawyer yet he has the expierence to head up the second largest criminal law firm in south dade?
ReplyDeleteIn short, he is nothing more or less then a scab.
Why did Joe George graduate from law school in 85' and get admitted to the bar in 94'?
ReplyDeleteSince he was in the armed forces, I'm going to guess he was JAG. But that would mean he has criminal law experience. Hmmm. Can we still hate him?
ReplyDeleteHate him? Nobody hates him. Nobody knows who the hell he is.. Why? Because he has never stepped foot in the criminal court house. And now he thinks he is qualfied to run a public defender's office? It's silly.
ReplyDelete1. A Regional Blog
ReplyDelete2. A Regional Pickle Barrel
3. No marginal, just regional lawyers working for me
4. Regional counsel will have free banking at Regions bank
5. We will not let Miami-Dade County control our schedule, we promise to be in our other county, Monroe, very, very soon. Until then, please waive speedies on all cases we handle there, NOW!
6. We WILL have the oldest case in every division.
7. All judges should be assured, that we are not ready on anything, nothing. Additionally, we are unavailable to announce that we are not ready.
8. The criminal courthouse is....this way????....no....that way??????
http://www.lawyers.com/josephpgeorge/jsp2155809.jsp
ReplyDelete"hia, my name is joe. come to my web page. here you will find out about my practice areas."
went to this guys web site. does he close down his practice for the 80k per year? he must be kicking ass in the civil arena.... why not take a stab at criminal?
ReplyDelete7:08...That is precisely the point. "IF he can staff the office with qualified personnel." Let's see...40-45 lawyers earning $40-45K/year handling criminal cases (including capital murder cases), juvenile delinquency cases, dependency cases, termination of parental rights cases, incapacitated cases, adult protective services cases, appeals, etc. Oh, did I forget to mention in both Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties. Should be quite easy to staff the office with qualified personnel.
ReplyDeleteRomeo, the advice from Rumpole about going to Key Largo with your beloved Juliet is quite sound. In the interest of romance, however, I'd suggest Snapper's instead of the Fish House. Snapper's has a more Kokomo ambiance with outdoor tables under thatched rooves, it has live music on weekends, the seafood is great (and reasonably priced), and the tarpon come right to the edge of the water waiting for your handout.
ReplyDeleteRumpole gives you another good piece of advice with respect to avoiding carnal knowledge in the Justice Building. Everyone knows the story about the couple caught by Judge Farina in a jury room some 20 years ago, and everyone knows about another couple who were going at it in the second floor's attorney service area less than 10 years ago.
The Q said:
ReplyDelete"I have worked very closely with Mr. Vick and I can tell you that he agonized over his decision and it was touch and go up until the very end. I am very grateful that in his time of need Mr. Vick turned to me for support. I was glad to help."
The Q.
If you are going to the upper Keys, you have to eat at Mrs. Mac's, if you can find a seat.
ReplyDeleteCK
The turtle rests on mondays
Lots of anger on the web about Michael Vick. Hopefully all this energy we are putting out there creates something positive in the long run...
ReplyDeleteIt is disturbing to think a certain percentage of the population is honestly going to be swayed by Michael Vick's "enlightenment" carefully crafted by his overpaid attorneys. Call me a cynic, but I don't believe a man who has been allegedly torturing animals since childhood coincidentally has a religious epiphany as a result of getting caught and losing his job.
If there is anything good about the Michael Vick story, it is that there is an emerging increased awareness about animal cruelty and animal fighting. However...
I think it is a sad commentary that we, as a culture, are using the Vick story to compare "What's worse?" "What's worse", we ask, "carelessly fathering illegitimate children, or dogfighting?". "Dogfighting or gambling?" "Dogfighting or rape?" "Dogfighting or racism?" "Dogfighting or hateful nationalism?" "Dogfighting or (fill in the blank)....?" The comparisons to dogfighting have been endless.
Dogfighting is one more piece of evidence our country is in need of a spiritual transformation (please note I said spiritual and not necessarily religious). Animals are sentient beings - they feel pain, and they suffer, just like we do. They are not more important, or less important than human beings, but like human beings, they are important, too.
Every major faith teaches its followers to be responsible stewards of animals and the Earth. Please help us get the word out that caring for animals, just like caring for people, is an important part of just being a decent person and citizen. If we make this a priority, there will be no more dogfighting horror stories, and no more pointless comparisons of evils. Let us all rise, together, to be better people than we are today, shall we?
Chaplain Nancy Cronk
Founder, www.AnimalChaplains.com