Editorial for August 23, 2007 edition:


Sic ’em on Vick

The way society treats its animals, especially man’s best friend, says a lot about how it treats itself.
In a land that coddles some criminals more than our four-legged furry friends, justice is not always just.
Michael Vick, the quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons who’s set to plead guilty Monday to participating in animal abuse, is a menace to the animal world and therefore the entire world. Like all "people" who abuse animals, Vick should serve serious time in prison for his role in a dogfighting ring.
He faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for his misdeeds, but according to published reports, he might get away with charges that pale in comparison to what he actually did: Taking part in drowning or hanging eight dogs at a dogfighting farm near his home in Virginia.
The Eighth Amendment ban on cruel and unusual punishment notwithstanding, people who abuse animals should be subject to the "an eye for an eye" form of justice — any sorry excuse for a human being that drowns or hangs a dog for any purpose other than euthanasia would be subjected to the same fate. Dogs, after all, are more loyal, faithful and dedicated than most human beings.
Vick is a far more dangerous person than Pete "The Gambler" Rose, Tim "The ref with the bad rep" Donaghy, or any of the other pathetic individuals who have sullied the good name of professional sports figures.
Speaking of good bets, it’s a good bet that the vast majority of pet owners in Northeast Philly would have loved to be the judge and jury if the Vick case had gone to trial.
They would have let him know in no uncertain terms that cruelty to animals would cost him not only his career in professional sports, but a few decades of freedom as well. ••

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