Michael Vick did it, overcame it, now let's try to get over it
Michael Vick did it, overcame it, now let's try to get over it
From a dog lover who is tired of people reminding us of his dogfighting days
When Michael Vick was sentenced to 23 months in federal prison for a dogfighting ring, I shrugged. According to the History Channel, Vick and three other men (Purnell Peace, Quanis Phillips and Tony Taylor) were charged with engaging in competitive dogfighting, obtaining and training pit bulls for fighting, and carrying out the enterprise across state lines. (All four men pled not guilty to the charges.) By now we all know what the results are from that case 13 years ago.
As a longtime dog lover, I thought it was absolutely idiotic to have a record 10-year, $130 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons and still be hurting harmless dogs in the process. At no point did I think anyone would make me budge from this opinion. That is, until I was asked to cover a news story on the Carroll Care Center (Chicago’s West Side) in collaboration with The Humane Society.
I hate talking about Michael Vick with fellow dog lovers the same way white Liberals hate talking to their Republican family members about politics at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
I walked into a building with 12 pit bulls in various stages of health — some energetic and healthy, others with clear injuries — and knew that I’d be perfectly capable of covering a story based on dog trainers and the animals. My biggest internal conflict was going to be talking to some of the men in the room who’d formerly participated in dogfighting. Now some were either trainers or dog owners and “re-training” themselves. I have covered many assignments over the years, most of which I agree with even if I was contracted not to say I did. This was one that I flat-out was not initially thrilled about writing.
Recommended Read: “The Humane Society of the United States and Carroll Care Center partner to end dogfighting”
Interestingly, it is by far one of my favorite pieces years later. I can pretty much look at any topic objectively, minus the circus act in the White House since 2016. This was another moment in time when I was having trouble being initially objective. I love journalism, too, but not as much as I love (wo)man’s best friend. This story challenged me in a way that I just didn’t see happening. To my surprise, I sat down in front of some of the most thoughtful, well-intentioned and optimistic men who simply had no clue that what they were doing was wrong. To them, it was no different than an omnivore shrugging off slaughterhouses. (Yes, I’m a vegetarian.)
But not everyone who is a dog lover has had the experience I’ve had. They may not all be able to humanize the people they’ve decided to demonize. They didn’t do the 180-degree turn that I did to finally look at Michael Vick’s full story to understand that he made a dreadful mistake. He paid for his mistake. He then partnered with the Humane Society to stop additional dogfighting and bring awareness to its harm. And I enjoyed watching Vick’s growth during the 2010 BET reality show “The Michael Vick Project.”
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But in 2020 — thirteen years after his arrest — people are still coming for him. I’ve given up completely on trying to defend it as “dog lovers holding a grudge.” Let’s call it what it is: You’re salivating over the opportunity to find another black person accountable for all of the wrongs of the world while conveniently ignoring anyone without melanin doing the same exact thing — or worse.
The Michael Vick trending topic that triggered this post
I hate talking about Michael Vick with fellow dog lovers the same way white Liberals hate talking to their Republican family members about politics at Thanksgiving and Christmas. (Don’t bother contacting me about minorities who voted for Trump. Seventy-four percent of African-American, Hispanic, Asian and other minority groups tried to make sure he never got into the White House.) I already know that it’s going to be a testy conversation with non-black folks, so I opt out. But one recent trending topic on Michael Vick made me say, “Enough is enough.”