Michael Vick...dogfighting...the plot thickens

[flvegan]

Feds show up, search Vick's site
Warrant executed at property in Va.

By STEVE WYCHE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 06/08/07

Federal authorities have opened their own independent investigation of dogfighting at a Virginia property owned by Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, and the state prosecutor said he sees only one target.

"Michael Vick, is he the target? Who else would be?" Commonwealth attorney Gerald Poindexter said in an interview with the Journal-Constitution.

"I never imagined such interest," Poindexter said. "Obviously if the feds come in, the jurisdictional basis is some sort of interstate violation. We don't know what it is — the training of dogs, gambling, racketeering, whatever they want to call it."

Poindexter said federal charges could result in more severe punishment than the maximum five-year prison term in Virginia for dogfighting and animal cruelty.

Vick denied involvement in dogfighting in his one public statement shortly after police searched the grounds April 26 and seized 66 dogs, mainly pit bulls, and evidence of dogfighting. Vick has since repeatedly refused comment on the advice of his attorney and did so again Thursday at the team's Flowery Branch headquarters. His attorney, Lawrence Woodward, has not returned repeated phone calls.

MUCH more:
http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/falcons/stories/2007/06/07/0608vick.html

As someone involved in the eradication of this blood "sport" I can say that if he is indeed guilty, in any way at all, I hope his career is over and they throw his ass in jail. If he likes fighting so much, let him enlist.

[Duppers]

1. Inside the world of dogfighting

The Vick saga brings a blood sport into the national spotlight.
BY PAUL NEWBERRY
Daily Press
June 9, 2007
http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-insidedogfighting,0,7771289.story?coll=dp-widget-news


Just read it, if your blood pressure can take it.

[Duppers]

2. many fingers pointing at Vick

if he is indeed guilty, in any way at all, I hope his career is over and they throw his ass in jail. If he likes fighting so much, let him enlist.

AMEN!


From the article I posted above:

Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis quickly defended Vick's right to be involved in dogfighting, saying "it's his property; it's his dogs."

After coming under intense criticism, Portis apologized. But Gabriel Jones, who grew up in rural Mississippi, e-mailed The Associated Press to say Portis was conveying a fact of life the home state he and Portis shared.

"In the South, at least where I came from ... people have dogs for two reasons: They are either guard dogs or fighting dogs."



Well, just another frikin reason to be ashamed of being a southerner, but I'll have to say, I really don't know such damn fucking low-lifes. Thanks to some sane people here in Virginia, it's a misdemeanor to be even a spectator at a dogfight, but it should be more than just a misdemeanor. How sick is this society?


Btw, remember these threads:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=1003402
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=938426

[Duppers]

3. and....

I think Poindexter has a little extra cash lately, if you know what I mean.

Another search warrant might be illegal, my ass! The feds didn't have a problem with it.


http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-now-boddie,0,6918862.story

[TeamJordan23]

4. I don't condone what Vick (maybe) did but why doesn't the media also

target the hunting of animals by people all across the country. If dog fighting is illegal, so should hunting.

[yewberry]

5. Well, that's a position some people may take.

I disagree, though.

As unpleasant as I find hunting, I don't think that it should be made illegal. (Though some kinds of hunts should, in my opinion.) While I don't believe that most hunters hunt strictly out of need, *some* do. Many do. Also, given the kind of habitat destruction that many animal populations face, there is an ever-shrinking pool of resources (territory & food) for them. Large populations of, say, deer without predators to control their numbers are actually a bad thing. So, regardless of my own feelings about hunting, there are actually legitmate arguments that can be made about need.

There is never a need for dog fighting. No argument can be made in its favor. Dog fighting is never necessary--it is specifically for entertainment. Raising domesticated animals to be killers is pathological and revolting. Dogs are smart, affectionate animals, and going out of the way to twist them into fighters takes that away from them. It is a complete perversion and betrayal of our relationship with animals that we've domesticated to be in our care. These dogs are collection of horribly ruined lives, lives of nothing but pain and isolation, and for what? So that some sick piece of garbage can make a buck? To entertain a person whose humanity is so shrunken and charred that they actually enjoy enjoy seeing animals in pain?

[flvegan]

6. "If dog fighting is illegal, so should hunting. "

Interesting post. Equating dog fighting with hunting is kind of a stretch, and to be honest, makes me quite suspicious.

To answer your question, the "media" doesn't also target the hunting of animals because said "hunting" is legal. Dogfighting is not. Asking the media to target something based on ethics or morals is really kind of absent of sense.

I don't think that just because one thing is illegal then so should another thing be. That's the most slippery of slopes. If something is illegal, it should be upon its own accord.

[flamingyouth]

7. Here's more info on the court documents:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/07/06/national/main3024137.shtml?source=RSSattr=HOME_3024137

There's a thread about it in LBN.

The guy is a sack of shit.