Mike's Con-Vicktion Should Be Change

I am sitting here mentally refreshing myself from a very hard first year of law school. Just thinking about how much home has changed…or did I? I think about all of the things that made Boston, MA also made me and at times, I reflected the worst of my hometown while at other times, I displayed many of the positive things. The whole goal in life is to get better and recover from the mistakes we made and if we do something well, to continue doing it. I was far from a choir boy in my formative years and I still made some serious gaffes in my young adult years. However, through it all, I maintained a positive view of the future and took the words of the more experienced elders to heart. Believe it or not, I ended up in the place where I always wanted to be: law school. I also have put forth the dedication of providing readers with informative nuggets of my personal insight on the world of sports. To all of my readers, you are an inspiration for me to continue to do this and get better at it the more I put my fingertips to the keys. Despite the challenges to my will this past law school year, I believe I have come to realize what is important to me and how I can utilize my newfound knowledge of the law for the betterment of not only myself, but the community at large.

While on the subject of my personal growth, I cannot gloss over the hot button topic of former NFL quarterback Michael Vick and his journey back to his profession despite public outcries to bar him from his chief source of employment. Yes, what he participated in was egregious to say the least and his actions in regards to his forthrightness in response to questions of his knowledge of dog-fighting on his private property did not inspire faith in his character. As a result of his actions, he spent over a year in federal prison, which in my opinion was way too excessive. Leonard Little, a defensive lineman for the St. Louis Rams killed a woman in a car accident years ago and did less time in prison than Vick. Former NFL running back Lamar Smith (pictured on far left) was impaired while driving which led to an accident and the permanent paralysis of a teammate, yet he was allowed to come back to the NFL and play another day after serving time in prison. In 1984, former NHL player Craig Mac Tavish (pictured on the left) was involved in a fatal car accident after leaving a Boston area nightclub that killed a woman. He spent a year in prison and was allowed to return to the league and play with the Edmonton Oilers. Now, I understand the PETA side of the argument in regards to Vick, which predicates its argument on the cruelty of defenseless animals and making an example of those who participate in such activities. It is no question that Vick became the face of animal cruelty, but is this enough to keep him from earning a living? Does the public at large have the right to deprive one of pursuing their happiness even after he has served his debt to society in prison?

I firmly believe that the life of a human being is worth more than an animal based on the one thing that separates us: the potential to change the world. Any individual has the potential to alter the lives of others at any time while animals, which can provide happiness and are sources of unconditional love on a level that even humans at times cannot match, still cannot change the world. Why would anyone feel that Vick should be deprived of his right to make a living based on his mistakes in regards to dogs while others who kill humans can return to society and take advantage of gainful employment? Some may say he can work as a painter or in construction; he can bag groceries or drive trucks across the United States right? However, why should he be forced to do so? Is making money based on a physical talent punishable a privilege that should be taken away based on mistakes not related to what one does in their line of work? An elementary teacher who gets caught in a sex sting operation with a school aged child being used as bait is understandably a good reason to keep that individual out of the classroom; but what does dog fighting or killing dogs have to do with playing quarterback in the NFL? Are people of the belief that because he made a large amount of money playing professionally, he should be punished by not being able to do so based on his mistakes? If so, that is a poor reason. If these people understand anything about the elements that make this country different from others is one always has a chance to redeem themselves; they have a change to make something out of nothing and can change their lives based on the work they do for themselves and others. Although there are portions of American society that take on the distinctions of a caste system, the positive elements of the Constitution still lay out a classical view of American life…life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. It is not meant to be construed as life and liberty if the public at large allows and pursuit of happiness being conditional on how one is perceived.

I see our society moving towards a culture of taking away rather than providing…we are living in tough times where funding towards education, retirement and care for the mentally/physically impaired are being cut by governmental entities in all states and federal levels. It is not a good precedent to bar a person no matter what their socioeconomic or celebrity status from being able to earn money based on their talents. Michael Vick needs to play football as that is his skill, just as another person is a horseshoe maker and another is an auto mechanic. It is not fair, nor feasible to force him to do something else based on his mistakes. There also appears to be a little jealously abound because there are many of us who will never make the money Vick has made in a year during their lifetimes who love to see another knocked off the pedestal of wealth and cast down into the tax brackets of the ‘commoner’.

I believe that a trash collector who is convicted of a death of another human being or animal should not be forced to sweep floors in a warehouse after serving his time in prison and has adequately showed his/her positive changes. I hope Vick has a chance to resume his career in the NFL and has made the necessary improvements as a man in order to ensure he does not put himself in a similar position in the future. I would hope that any of my law school colleagues, if they make mistakes in their professional career that are not serious enough to disbar them will have the opportunity to redeem themselves. That is what it is all about…that is what’s fair. Good luck Mike.