For U.S. District Court Judge Henry E. Hudson, actions speak louder than words, I guess. Prior to his sentencing on Monday, Michael Vick, from the inside of a jail cell, wrote the judge a five-page letter asking for leniency:
"Your Honor, I am not the bad person or the beast I've been made out to be. I have been talked about and ridiculed on a day to day basis by people who really don't know Michael Vick the human being," Vick wrote.Ron Mexico sure sounds contrite when you read his words, but given Hudson's history of not cutting soon-to-be inmates any slack on their sentences, this can't come as a surprise. In addition to Vick's plea, Hudson also received letters from Hank Aaron and George Foreman (no word on if the letter came attached to the new S525). Hey, maybe all the last-second support persuaded Hudson to only make it a 23-month sentence.
"This has been painful because my son watches the news and can understand what's going on with his father," he wrote, adding that his daughter asked him on a regular basis when he would be home to play games with her, "but I have no answer."
Vick also wrote that he takes "full responsibility" for his actions, and is "ashamed" that his "actions hurt animals and allowed animals to be hurt and killed." Well, in taking full responsibility, Mr. Mexico will have to spend nearly two years in the can. It's awful to think that he'll be away from his three kids for that long, but nobody forced him to kill those puppies.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
12-13-2007 @ 7:27PM
Havok said...
Vick can lie to his kids, just like he's been lying to everybody.
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12-13-2007 @ 8:58PM
FootballOnuts said...
Stupid is as stupid does.
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12-14-2007 @ 8:42AM
Mike Rath said...
Most all criminals are sorry, ashamed and "find religion" once they get caught...
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12-14-2007 @ 4:13PM
Amy Grandstaff said...
Michael Vick should have thought about his family (and the animals he was abusing) before committing these crimes. I don't feel sorry for him...he deserves much more punishment than he received! He is trying to cover his @ss with the apology and letter for reduced time. What say did the dogs have before being killed???? NONE! Vick should rot in jail!
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12-14-2007 @ 7:05PM
todd22 said...
You the people that continue to speak like you know so much about Michael Vick obviously the people speaking negatively do not know a single thing about him or the situation at hand. Listen to what he has said and how he grew up seeing things like this in his childhood and now he understands the severity of his wrong doings. His own father turned against him in hopes of getting money to keep quiet. So many people on this earth love to knock people when they are down. Well I say enough is enough if you followed this great athlete from where he started to where he is today you would know and see all the great things he has done and accomplishments he has made. Dog fighting is not one of these great accomplishments and yes its a terrible thing, but the man has been punished and stripped of his great ability and now his pride as a father... Michael Vick has apologized and in every form of religion ant human understanding we are taught to forgive and forget. If God forgives so can you people that continue to bash on him. Mickael Vick needs to know that people still care about him as a human being and for the great things he has done. I know this will not affect a simple minded miss guided mind out there continues to hate but for those that cannot be changed please realize this hate is now hurting others that surround him and its not because of what he has done but because of all these terrible lies and hatred being said about him.
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12-14-2007 @ 10:54PM
sam freed said...
perfect response. found at www.gadab.org (on the blog)
Dear Michael Vick,
That was some letter you wrote.
How nice that a judge permitted you to be home for the birth of your child, but I sincerely hope you don't love your children the way you "love" animals: by drowning them, hanging them, starving them, electrocuting them, and smashing their skulls into the ground.
You say you've "lost everything" including your freedom, and I have to admit that would be difficult -- especially since you were living the life of a super star. But unfortunately you've lost all that the same way murderers, kidnappers, sex offenders, or burglars lose their freedom: through their own actions. You weren't singled out and imprisoned randomly -- you committed heinous crimes. If not you, who should pay? Should we not insist that a child molester serve his sentence, simply because his only other recorded crime is a traffic violation? Your actions were unbelievably cruel. Do you get that?
You seem to think you lost your endorsements unfairly. Was it not you that committed these offenses? Is it actually surprising to you that an endorsement would not be desired by someone who actively causes excruciating pain and suffering to another? The public does not want to buy any product from a brand that represents itself with someone who finds sport in the torture and killing of animals.
As for being exposed to dog fighting when you were growing up, I don't doubt it. Many people are exposed to ugly, horrific things in their lives -- it doesn't mean they grow up to perpetuate that ugliness. At any rate, I would expect a grown man -- who has also been exposed to incredible kindness and generosity -- to be able to tell the difference between right and wrong. "Growing up with" is a great excuse to perpetuate bigotry, child abuse, racism, and misogyny. At what point does one start thinking for himself?
And now you want leniency? How much more lenient could we be? In fact, we are showing you the very compassion that you deprived others. We are not torturing you or denying you medical treatment. We are seeing that you have daily meals and a bed to sleep in. We are not forcing you to spend your entire life tied up outside in below freezing temperatures. Why you think you should not have to pay for the crimes you committed is beyond me. You say you found religion? If you believe in an eye for an eye, you've gotten off easy.
I don't doubt that jail is unpleasant. But you will never ever know the kind of pain and suffering you inflicted on others. As for wanting to be there for your kids, you should have thought of that before you decided to torture, maim, and kill other living beings. I believe that your animals, your kids, and even your houseplants are safer with you behind bars.
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