PETA, please get off Michael Vick’s penis

in Sports by griffn — August 15, 2009 at 3:21 pm | 0 comments

michael_vick_peta_300 So, PETA is losing its mind over the fact that Michael Vick is officially back in the NFL. Yesterday, they released a harsh statement on Vick signing with the Philadelphia Eagles. Okay, fine. Later they updated the statement, encouraging their supporters to harass the Eagles organization with calls and letters to protest the signing of a man who has paid his debt to society. Um… democracy at work? I guess.

Later, a rumor broke that Michael Vick would be doing a public service announcement on animal abuse for PETA. For some reason, the thought of Vick being rehabilitated and discouraging others from repeating his mistakes was the last straw. PETA then released this statement, calling Michael Vick a “psychopath” who needs a psych evaluation and a brain scan:

To clarify misleading stories regarding PETA and Michael Vick, PETA withdrew its offer to do a TV spot with Michael Vick last winter when a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) report on Vick’s dogfighting activities revealed that he enjoyed placing family pets in the ring with fighting pit bulls and that he laughed as dogs ripped each other apart. PETA believes that this revelation, along with other factors in the report, fit the established profile for anti-social personality disorder (APD), and we called on Vick to have a brain scan to help confirm this.

People diagnosed with APD are commonly referred to as “psychopaths.” They are usually male, prone to lying and manipulation, often take pleasure in cruelty, and cannot feel genuine remorse, which frequently leads to recidivism. PETA had previously been in talks with Vick’s management, public relations, and legal teams about shooting a public service announcement to help combat dogfighting, upon Vick’s release from prison. In December, after consulting with psychiatrists, PETA withdrew the offer for the TV spot, and in January, we called on NFL Commissioner Goodell to require that Vick undergo a brain scan and full psychological evaluation before any decisions were made about the future of his football career.

Okay, really? I guess I don’t understand all this righteous anger. I mean, I love dogs as much as the next guy, and I think dogfighting is repulsive. But they’re dogs. And Vick spent nearly two years in jail for it. Donte Stallworth killed a human being, spent less than a month in jail, and I ain’t seen nary a protest. I’m just saying.

But really, what more can Vick do? If you still don’t feel like the punishment fit the crime, fight the legal system on it. Work to get the sentences for animal abuse increased; I think they should be. But don’t continue villifying and harassing a guy who not only quit dogfighting two years ago, but is now actively speaking out against it. Find a guy who’s doing it today and harass him. Vick did his time, he’s genuinely remorseful, he’s being mentored by Tony Dungy, and he’s trying to get back to life. Get off the man’s penis.

Oh, and that rumor that Vick would be doing public service announcements for PETA? Actually, he’ll be working– voluntarily– for the Humane Society, speaking twice a month to kids in urban schools about the issue of street dogfighting. What a psychopath.

Tags: dogfighting Donte Stallworth Humane Society Michael Vick PETA Philadelphia Eagles Tony Dungy