Sunday, August 31, 2008

I'm Not Vengeful



Well, it is just possible that I may be just a smidgen. And if any one of us would truly admit it, we all are a bit glad when someone gets what is due them. I am referring to Michael Vick. Now, you have to understand that I grew up in a home with dogs, all my life. And I had dogs and cats when I became married. But in the end, my preference, for the most part is dogs. Yes, it can be annoying when they greet you, even if you just went to the mailbox. And it can be a bit embarrassing when they smell your private area, when they live with you. I don't say hello to my husband or children 5 to 6 times a day, and yet, my canine feels the undesirable need to put her nose in my groin area. Odd little creatures.

But there are times where I look into those big brown eyes and I could just squish her to pieces. She asks little and gives everything. She lives simply...no Coach hand bags are in her foreseeable future. When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride. Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy. Take naps. Stretch before rising. Run, romp, and play daily. Thrive on attention and let people touch you. Avoid biting when a simple growl will do. On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass. On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree. When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body. Delight in the simple joy of a long walk (or run). Eat with gusto and enthusiasm. Stop when you have had enough. Be loyal. Never pretend to be something you're not. If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it. When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently. Be always grateful for each new day. (I borrowed this from a fellow Blogger, Thoughts Out Loud and it suited this post.)

I got the tail-end of an Animal Planet Special on the Michael Vick Dogs. And let me tell you, I firmly believe that that man did not get what he deserved. So there it is, my vengeful streak. I am a firm believer in the Law of Attraction. You evoke negativity, you will receive it directly back to you. How can anyone take advantage of such innocence? I know that there are abused children and the same goes for them. But, I have heard from experts over the years that people who have that mentality, cannot be retrained, rehabilitated. They have a completely different methodology as to how the order of the world runs. They are superior and everything and everyone else is beneath them and they have total control over them, no matter what that control may be.

Truth be told, I do not have much sympathy for those who choose to do these things to animals or children. It has been shown that serial killers start their careers by torturing, mutilating small animals and then progress to humans. But I am guessing that Michael Vick got enough arousal to stop there. Those poor dogs. I can only imagine what those who died went through before they met their maker. And yes, I believe there is a place for animals in the after life. I just can't believe that they give us so much and then all that is left is a pack of bones to turn to dust. Sorry, I don't buy into the whole, "Animals don't have souls." Gee, I don't know if I have a soul, so how can I condemn these loving creatures to eternal damnation if I can't prove.

If there is some credence to the adage 'What goes around comes around.' Then Michael is living proof those words do fall upon those who break the rules. And man did he step way over the line. First and foremost he lost his NFL contract(Big shocker there). Then his endorsers dropped him like a hot potato. He is serving jail time (Not enough in my opinion) and he had to pay for the sheltering and care of the animals that had resided on his property(For that definitely was not living). He also was ordered to donate monies to other animal shelters. I saw the public apology, but I am not buying into it. The saving grace to all of this is that when he gets out he will have to start all over and none of his old stomping grounds will be welcoming him with open arms.
Even though he has declared bankruptcy, I seriously doubt he will be living on beans and franks. So my concern for him does not run very deep. I know this post is coming off as if I am really mad. I guess I am. And what I am more mad at is that there are hundreds of other rings like this doing thee exact same thing. And who will speak for those animals.

To disprove what people have been ushered to believe, all of the pit bulls rescued from Vick's property, except for two(Who had to be put to sleep for injuries they received during their stay at Vick's), have been rehabilitated and adopted out, and many to homes with children...imagine that. One has even become a comfort dog for cancer patients and for a assisted living homes for senior citizens...who knew.
I just want people to realize that these dogs are not the monsters you have been led to believe they are. Anyone ever come across a chihuahua. Those little creatures are wicked. Can you imagine a 75 pound chihuahua? And there are many a dog bites going on, but thee only ones being reported or making headlines are the ones being delivered by pit bulls. Where's the bite(Pun completely intended) in reporting, 'Child gets 10 stitches by 5 pound chihuahua.', there is no sensationalism in that, so they scour hospitals, or where ever it is they find their information and plug it into the hungry public.
Who wants to see volunteer of the year, when we can see the gory dog bite inflicted by the neighborhood pit bull. We have a pit bull mix, and I will be the first to admit, that I was scared of her for the first few months we had her. And I was even tempted to return her to the pound, but due to the fact that she had been returned once already, I decided against it and kept her. She is now a 55 pound mass of baby.
I do not believe that our children and animals are protected enough or that the people who harm them are punished enough. I know we should turn thee other cheek, but what about that animal or child who did not have anyone there for them, should they have turned thee other cheek while they were being abused? I know thee answer is 'No', they should defend themselves as best possible, but that is not always an option. So again I say, who speaks for those poor children and animals? And when someone or some group does come to the defense of animals, they are seen as fanatics. Why is that? If someone or some group defends a child we are all behind them, but you let PETA say something and they are labeled as radicals. Well, I'd rather been viewed as a radical than as a bystander, who complacently stood by, watching or listening to the news and just nodded my head.
I applaud those who do come to the defense of those who cannot defend themselves, mostly children and animals. Yay to those who stick their necks out and put themselves in the line of fire or in harms way, for it is a risky business stepping on the toes of the 'defendants'...puh-leaze. Again, I apologize for dragging out my soapbox, but if you had seen the Animal Planet Special I saw and knew what had been purposely done to these unsuspecting, innocent animals, well, it would have made your stomach turn. I know it did mine.
In closing, I hope that people think about what they have been spoon-fed about certain animals and to go a step further, think about what you are being fed by 'Thee Authorities'. Don't get me started, you might get a longer post. Thanks for sticking around long enough to read this massive post, for this is a matter dear to my heart...fighting for the underdogs(Pun intended once again).

7 comments:

Bill Cooney said...

Your honesty is brutal - in the best sense of the word. It's funny. I always end up reprimanding myself whenever I take delight in seeing other people get their just deserts. (I did a little research on the correct presentation of "just deserts" i.e. the spelling.)

I find Mr. Vick's behaviour to have been deplorable as well, but for some reason I always ask myself, "Why?" when people do bad things - not to excuse, but to explain. Almost invariably, I find the answers to have a mitigating effect on people's culpability. Strange, isn't it?

I would be curious to know whether or not he was subjected to any serious abuse as a child. It might explain a lot.

Great post!

Skippy said...

The only thing that would be a rightful punishment for Michael Vick, is something probably not legal in the United states. I think the man got off easy, and needs to be locked up for uh...yeah...a lot longer! He abused man's best friend, and made them vicious monsters for reasons I will never understand. Dog fighting is sick, twisted and makes me want to throw up. How people find that entertainting is beyond me. I'm just glad all the doggies got good homes, I was just sad I couldn't get one.

Miss. Maddie said...

Great write! :)

**Miss. Maddie**

Tara B. said...

Great post!

There is NO excuse for treating animals like that! I don't care if he was abused as a child, many of us were and yet have managed well into adult-hood without hurting or harming others. I get so tired of the "abused as a child" excuse for being a horrible person. Not sure if abuse explains such behaviour either. How do you explain the other survivors of abuse who don't torture animals or their fellow man?

As Gandhi said; "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." What does this and all of the other horror stories we hear about, not to mention our modern day industrial farming say about us? Yikes!!

Bill Cooney said...

Great point, Tara. There certainly is no excuse. I was only alluding to the myriad data that finds a correlation between those who were abused and their propensity to visit abuse upon others. It's a link that's hard to dismiss altogether.

Good comment.

Green Bean said...

Small world that you lived in Michigan, I had a rotation at Hutzel during school! In Labor and delivery of all places! So, keep up the great blogging, Vick is a dirtbag!

Synia said...

Bravo, great post!

It absolutely sickens me when I hear stories about dog fighting!
I was unaware of this particular story...thanks for bringing it to my attention.

I agree that whatever sentence he got for this horrible crime was NOT enough. People like him think that because they are wealthy they can get away with anything and buy their way out of it if caught...it makes me sick!