Now that Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick has been indicted on dog fighting charges, the question has arisen on where the line should be drawn. If dog fighting is cruel and inhumane, what about horse racing? How about bull fighting? And what about hunting?Jackie Chiles of The Airing of Grievances took little time in sharing his feelings, and while well-thought-out, I respectfully disagree with his stance that hunting is just as brutal.
There are always going to be people who proclaim that the killing of an innocent animal is a horrible and despicable act, but there is a vast difference between hunting for food and fighting dogs for money. And before someone throws out the "what about those who hunt for sport" card, allow me to remind you that hunters rarely waste anything or kill more than they can eat.
Forget the overall outcome these animals face for a moment and take a look at the fish and game laws in the United States. Dog fighting is illegal; plain and simple. Hunting, on the other hand, while regulated, is not illegal. And why is that? Because raising dogs to kill each other is disgusting, whereas killing a deer for venison is delicious.
Here's the reality of it. Most hunters don't kill animals for the sake of killing animals. Typically, they do not raise them to fight against one another, they do not hang, strangle or electrocute them and they rarely kill more than their families will consume.
Perhaps the most telling difference between a hunter and a dog fighter is the emotion that goes into it. Some naive people will believe that it takes a heartless person to kill a cute little deer, but that's not entirely true. Most hunters always feel a bit of guilt after a kill and have followed sacred blood drinking rituals for many years. On the other hand, those who fight dogs only care about the outcome and how much they make or lose. So ask yourself, who is the heartless one?
This is a debate that will rage on for as long as we live, but to even suggest that hunting is as cruel as dog fighting is laughable. Now go enjoy a deer meat steak.
Note: While they are some hunters that kill for "fun," they represent the minority and are no better than those who fight dogs. But again, they are in the vast minority.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
7-18-2007 @ 6:41PM
Brian said...
Moral equivalence is a bad thing.
Hunting and dog fighting (and attendant issues like strangulation, rape, etc.) are on two entirely different levels.
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7-18-2007 @ 7:30PM
Nancy said...
It take a man with a little dick to fight big dogs....Little Dick Vick...the only balls he has are the ones he carries on the field.
His sentence should be 10000 hrs community service cleaning up dog poop at the SPCA. He and each member of his "kennel" make me sick. Myself and all my friends have chosen NOT to use any products that advertize with the Falcons until they rid themselves of this piece of garbage.
I hope his mother is so proud....she has raised two such fine upstanding young men....
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7-18-2007 @ 7:33PM
stanfordfan said...
I am not aware of significant moral controversies regarding hunting or bull fighting or horse racing. Maybe one could find some gray area to argue about. But the reported atrocities at the Vick property, with Vick's personal hand in them, violate just about everyone's sense of right and wrong. Are there any Vick supporters out there? I haven't read any. This is about as cut and dry as it gets. The only question is the level of Vick's personal involvement. But the evidence so far is compelling.
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7-18-2007 @ 7:37PM
marshall said...
anyone who relates this piece of trash Mike Vick to law abiding hunters is a complete idiot whis opinion doesnt even matter, because they are biased a-holes. Go ask your great, great grandparents about hunting, I bet they wouldnt have survived without it, and then your idiotic comments wouldnt have showed up on my computer
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7-18-2007 @ 7:45PM
Susan Wray said...
I am outraged and appalled about Michael Vick (and anyone else) who has been involved in the unethical treatment and inhumane treatment of dogs. Using them to kill each other for their enjoyment and financial gain and then, to top it off, to execute them for non-performance is unconscionable. He is NOT a hunter but an executioner! I want Michael Vick fired from the game of football and put in jail. I will not ever go to another football game in my life if he is allowed to continue to play.
Thank you.
A citizen of the USA .
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7-18-2007 @ 7:56PM
Angela said...
I am anti-hunting, but I do think dog fighting is certainly worse primarily because, as pointed out in the article, hunting does not involve long-term animal torture. Dog fighting does.
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7-18-2007 @ 8:00PM
dale laird said...
Anyone who has anything to do with dog fighting is
a sick sociopathic asshole. In Vicks case the N word
is derived from a life form gone wrong like him!!!
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7-18-2007 @ 8:32PM
Mary Cazalas said...
Yes. There is no comparison. Bull fighting is the bull against the matador. Maybe it should be Vic against the dog? The object of horse racing is speed and accidents happen, the animal's death is not the object of the racing. Deer hunters are supposed to use the meat.
Mr. Vick is a sick person who has apparently violated Federal and State laws. He needs to be in an institution--mental or criminal.
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7-18-2007 @ 8:37PM
stanfordfan said...
No Problem. If Vick gets convicted, Bush will pardon him.
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7-18-2007 @ 10:00PM
Matt Banhagel said...
The abuse of animals, especially for financial gain, is absolutely horrible. Vick and his henchmen deserve to be tortured and abused in the same manner. I'm sick and tired of our "stars" receiving preferential treatment because of their status. What type of example does this set for our children?
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7-18-2007 @ 10:01PM
sara root said...
MICHAEL VICK, ALONG WITH HIS DESPICABLE BUDDIES, NEEDS TO BE ELECTROCUTED, HANGED, DROWNED, SHOT OR SLAMMED TO THE GROUND...OR ALL OF THE ABOVE...HOW STUPID DOES HE THINK WE ARE TO BELIEVE HE "DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS GOING ON"!!...DON'T LET US DOWN NFL...
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7-18-2007 @ 10:17PM
ironwolfmd said...
So much for the NFL's much-touted new rules of personal conduct. They're letting Vick enter training camp and play.
Such crap. The bastard should be electrocuted.
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7-18-2007 @ 10:51PM
john gilbert said...
Michael Vick, not only shot or hanged but I would like to see him in the pit with all those pissed off pitbulls mauling, gnawing, and going for his jugular all the while he's crying like a sissy that he is. If the law fails us...then God help us all.
Hate his guts...hate him more than them terrorists..
lying sack of shit that is what he is...America's most hated has a new number 1. Michael Vick of the Atlanta Falcons...anywhere he goes to play there will be boos...all I want you to do is die Michael Vick, do us all a favor and just die!!!
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7-18-2007 @ 10:52PM
Terry said...
Let's see Tank Johnson is suspeded for 8 games for weapons violations. I would think Vick will get at least 8 years or however long so he does not play another down in the NFL.
Terry
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7-18-2007 @ 11:10PM
MEL said...
RE: BRENBREN 10;05 PM.
SHOULD BE--BLACKASSBLACKASS.
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7-18-2007 @ 11:11PM
Davesraves said...
V.I.C.K.- Vulgar Idiotic Canine Killer
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7-18-2007 @ 11:37PM
nancy mulkern said...
The only thing worse than animal abuse is child abuse. What Vick did to these dogs should be done to him. If he dare gets the chance to play in any stadium again, he should have dog dirt thrown on him by every fan present. I hope his football career is as dead as the dogs he killed.
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7-18-2007 @ 11:49PM
bizzo5000 said...
I'm not a hunter, but I'm not against hunting, unless you do the Dick Cheney/hunting in a pen type of hunting. Seriously, whats the difference between hunting game in a closed in pen and shooting fish in a barrel? And hunting normally doesn't involve starving the deer ahead of time or slamming the deer against the ground till it dies because it didn't train well enough for the hunt. Oh, and the people completely against hunting? I better never see you eat in a McDonald's or god forbid ever see you touch a piece of veal because I will make you drive a car outside a major city and see how many deer you destroy with your car.
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7-18-2007 @ 11:53PM
c k kirk said...
It is a question of law. If he broke the law he should be suffer the consequences.
As to the merits of hunting vs dog fighting they must be addressed by the laws we enact. If society condems hunting it can pass a suitable law.
Society has always considered it had the right to "control" individual behavior. Murder, robbery, etc. have long been banned by law. If it choses it can make hunting illegal and dog fighting legal - or visa versa. It's society's choice.
In this instance the choice has been made and Vick appears to have broken the law.
ckk
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7-18-2007 @ 11:58PM
Gary Malmberg said...
Here is the e-mail form to contact Nike.
http://swoosh.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/swoosh.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php
Enough about the platitude of innocent until proven guilty. That applies in the courtroom. People have a right to express their opinions on a public figure. To call this a witch hunt, racist, etc, or trying to sweep it under the rug by saying people shouldn't comment on Vick because there is a war on, because there are worse people, because dog fighting is popular in other places, etc, is nonsense.
Read the indictment. If you are too shallow or idealistic to form an opinion, good for you. But don't preach to the rest of us.
The RICO Act has nothing to do with the money Vick has earned as a football player. That money is safe in that regard. He may well lose a chunk of it in a fine if conVickted.
I am convinced Vick is guilty. I despise the man. That said, I don't understand all the talk about killing, raping, electrocuting Vick. Vick is lower than a dog. Vick is about as intelligent as a dog. You have to be pretty damn stupid to throw millions away because you like to gamble on dogs ripping each other apart. Most of all, Vick is sick. He doesn't have the capacity to empathise with the awful things he does. So if convicted, put him in jail, fine his ass, end his endorsements and his career. But enough already about killing him. Don't lower yourself to his level and that of his apologists.
It's been mentioned that Vick isn't a role model. No, he certainly is. Nike is paying for exactly that. It's that he shouldn't be a role model.
And please, no more Peyton Manning comparisons. What ifs are stupid at this point. Manning has never been suspected of anything. Vick is a walking sin.
Finally, the Benoit comparison is bogus. That was covered extensively and died down because the man killed himself. If you want Benoit treatment for Vick, let him commit suicide.
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