Obama's Public Support of Michael Vick

[SoNotHer]

Originally Posted by purepisces

I cringe each time I see this thread pop up again. I’ve followed along at various times, but because it is such an emotional issue for me, I haven’t read the whole thing. But it does seem to have turned into a thread more about Michael Vick than about President Obama...

I hope that Michael Vick proves to be a loyal ally in the fight against animal abuse. Time will tell. I will stand with anyone who will fight to protect the innocent and the abused. I believe in rehabilitation and redemption. But, I also believe that we all live with the consequences of our choices and actions. I can’t forget the suffering he caused, his past doesn’t disappear. Neither does mine. All any of us can do is move forward and do the next right thing. Today is a new day.

Well said, Purepiesces. I have a bully girl who was used as a "baiter" dog in dog fighting. We found her dumped on a road side, holes in her body and severely underweight. She managed a tiny tail wag when we approached and then she tipped over. She didn't get back up again until five days later and two different vet clinics worked on her. I'm more than happy to share pictures of her before and after.

So I've seen up close the effects of dog fighting, and I have read the very disturbing details of the treatment of dogs in the Michael Vick case.

Lets let the true healing and awareness grow,and lets let cruelty not be consigned to a species or a type of person or to any convenient target. But lets make cruelty the target and work toward a more consistently kind and respectful way to treat all.


"You can judge a society by the way it treats its animals" - Gandhi

[The_Lady_Snow]

Michael Vick and End Dogfighting

Vick's participation in The HSUS' anti-dogfighting program
The Humane Society of the United States



The following are frequently asked questions about The HSUS' decision to allow Michael Vick to participate in our anti-dogfighting campaign.
Is Vick a spokesperson for The HSUS?

No. He is not a spokesperson for The HSUS or our anti-dogfighting campaign. We have experts on animal fighting who represent The HSUS in an official capacity. Vick has no particular designation or title.
Do you think Vick got a slap on the wrist for his crimes?

If someone commits a crime against animals, here's how events ideally unfold:

• The person committing the animal crime is caught and successfully prosecuted and pleads guilty to a federal felony.
• As the case plays out in the public domain, there is a wave of widespread social disapproval expressed about the conduct and a new awareness of the gravity of the problem.
• The HSUS drives a raft of political reforms to passage, and there is a new attitude and resolve in dealing with this crime across the nation.
• Finally, after the perpetrator is released from prison, he comes knocking and wants to do the equivalent of community service and help the leading anti-dogfighting group attack the problem.
• And that's how the Vick story progressed.
  Is any money changing hands?
  
  No. The HSUS has not received any contributions from Vick, the NFL, the Philadelphia Eagles, or anyone else in exchange for his participation in our community-based anti-dogfighting program. Nor is The HSUS paying Vick or anyone else for his participation. Vick pays his own expenses when he speaks at anti-dogfighting forums.
  Update: In October 2009, the Philadelphia Eagles launched "Treating Animals With Kindness" (TAWK), which provides grants to animal welfare organizations to protect animals. The HSUS was selected as one of the grant recipients and received $50,000 grant, which we used to launch our End Dogfighting in Philadelphia campaign.
  What has The HSUS done to leverage the Michael Vick case?
  
  Since the Vick case put the spotlight on dogfighting, we have worked with lawmakers, law enforcement officers, community organizers, and others to end dogfighting.
  Since 2007, we've upgraded more than 40 laws (state and federal) on animal fighting. The HSUS has trained thousands of law enforcement officers on investigating animal fighting and paid out at least 90 rewards for tips leading to arrests in animal fighting cases. We have worked with law enforcement on more than 400 raids on animal fighting operations.
  We also launched programs in Atlanta, Chicago, and Philadelphia to reach at-risk youth. Hundreds of people have participated in our pit bull training classes, which teach dog owners that their pit bulls can be friends, not fighters. We hope to expand these community-based outreach programs to other major urban areas.
  There is no other animal welfare organization with an entire unit focused only on combating animal fighting.
• While these efforts have put a dent in the problem of dogfighting, there is disturbing growth of the activity in urban areas. We need new ways to address the problem, and we seized on the opportunity to put Michael Vick to work because his celebrity and his unique story have the potential to turn thousands of young people into anti-dogfighting advocates.
  Is Vick handing over a list of the dogfighters he was involved with?
  
  This issue certainly came up with federal prosecutors during his trial. We doubt that prosecutors would disclose any intelligence they gathered from Vick, for obvious reasons. The HSUS never discloses our intelligence-gathering efforts in bringing these violent criminals to justice, although we constantly feed intelligence to law enforcement officials toward the goal of busting animal fighters.
  Since Vick is back in the NFL, doesn't your work with him signal that dogfighting is okay and that the penalty is weak?
  
  Given the penalties available at the time he was sentenced, U.S. District Court Judge Henry Hudson meted out a strong penalty to Vick. He paid a steep price for his crimes, in addition to serving his prison sentence. The HSUS has worked to upgrade the federal animal fighting law twice in the last two years. The penalties are much more severe now than in April 2007, when Vick's home was raided. The HSUS has been pushing for felony-level penalties for animal fighting crimes for years because that's the only way to drive criminals out of this business.
  Why didn't you choose a different celebrity to connect with urban communities?
  
  Vick was a role model for many young people, and he lost everything because of what he did to dogs. His story is the strongest possible example of why dogfighting is a dead end. Just as former drug addicts are able to reach people struggling with addiction, former dogfighters are some of the most effective voices against this crime. We realized the potential that Vick has to reach at-risk youth and pull them out of the quicksand of animal fighting. That said, we constantly attempt to recruit celebrities and others to join us in our crusade to end dogfighting and other forms of animal cruelty. We want to use all pathways to stopping the problem.
  Did Vick approach you or did you ask him to help you?
  
  When Vick was close to finishing his prison sentence, his representatives approached HSUS President and CEO Wayne Pacelle. He dismissed their first offers, but agreed to meet with Vick after considering the potential that Vick had to reach the estimated 100,000 participants in urban street dogfighting. If there was a chance that Vick could save one dog from suffering the same abuse he inflicted, the proposal was worth our consideration.
  After meeting with Vick and hearing him express his remorse, Pacelle consulted with The HSUS' board of directors and staff. Despite our utter disgust with what Vick did and our leading role in making sure he was convicted and punished for his crimes, we decided that shunning Vick forever would do no good for any animal. Vick paid $1 million for the care and rehabilitation of the dogs at Bad Newz Kennels. Now, we want him to contribute his time to attack the problem by reaching inner-city youth.
  Has Vick acknowledged that what he did to dogs was wrong?
  
  Yes. Over the course of several face-to-face meetings and during appearances at our End Dogfighting programs, Vick has apologized and acknowledged the suffering he caused. He has expressed his remorse and his desire to help more animals than he harmed by being an advocate for the humane treatment of animals. We only agreed to give him an opportunity to speak with kids if he was committed to the goal of ending dogfighting and recognized that his past actions were cruel and unacceptable.
  Are you supporting Vick's return to the NFL?
  
  We did not take a position on Vick's reinstatement to the NFL, and we did not lobby the NFL or any team to hire him. We planned to put him to work whether he returned to the NFL or not.
  Is The HSUS going to boycott the NFL or the Philadelphia Eagles?
  
  No. We have decided to try to engage the NFL and the Eagles in an effort to attack the problem of dogfighting. To this end, the Philadelphia Eagles have financed our End Dogfighting in Philadelphia program, enabling it to launch in late 2010.
  We'd like to get more athletes involved, and to urge the teams to invest in this important anti-cruelty work.
  Read more about how The HSUS' End Dogfighting program turns lives around for youth and dogs.

At this point this is what he is doing to make a change and atone for what he did, but frankly from what I have read in this thread that is now going to ever be enough for some folks, and Ender I'm ok with saying that this Country gets on a kick of "what is the cause of the week" and animals have at times to *ME* have out trumped children and women.

[purepisces]

Originally Posted by The_Lady_Snow

Michael Vick and End Dogfighting

Vick's participation in The HSUS' anti-dogfighting program
The Humane Society of the United States



What has The HSUS done to leverage the Michael Vick case?

Since the Vick case put the spotlight on dogfighting, we have worked with lawmakers, law enforcement officers, community organizers, and others to end dogfighting.
Since 2007, we've upgraded more than 40 laws (state and federal) on animal fighting. The HSUS has trained thousands of law enforcement officers on investigating animal fighting and paid out at least 90 rewards for tips leading to arrests in animal fighting cases. We have worked with law enforcement on more than 400 raids on animal fighting operations.
We also launched programs in Atlanta, Chicago, and Philadelphia to reach at-risk youth. Hundreds of people have participated in our pit bull training classes, which teach dog owners that their pit bulls can be friends, not fighters. We hope to expand these community-based outreach programs to other major urban areas.
There is no other animal welfare organization with an entire unit focused only on combating animal fighting.[*]While these efforts have put a dent in the problem of dogfighting, there is disturbing growth of the activity in urban areas. We need new ways to address the problem, and we seized on the opportunity to put Michael Vick to work because his celebrity and his unique story have the potential to turn thousands of young people into anti-dogfighting advocates.

Since Vick is back in the NFL, doesn't your work with him signal that dogfighting is okay and that the penalty is weak?

Given the penalties available at the time he was sentenced, U.S. District Court Judge Henry Hudson meted out a strong penalty to Vick. He paid a steep price for his crimes, in addition to serving his prison sentence. The HSUS has worked to upgrade the federal animal fighting law twice in the last two years. The penalties are much more severe now than in April 2007, when Vick's home was raided. The HSUS has been pushing for felony-level penalties for animal fighting crimes for years because that's the only way to drive criminals out of this business.

Why didn't you choose a different celebrity to connect with urban communities?

Vick was a role model for many young people, and he lost everything because of what he did to dogs. His story is the strongest possible example of why dogfighting is a dead end. Just as former drug addicts are able to reach people struggling with addiction, former dogfighters are some of the most effective voices against this crime. We realized the potential that Vick has to reach at-risk youth and pull them out of the quicksand of animal fighting. That said, we constantly attempt to recruit celebrities and others to join us in our crusade to end dogfighting and other forms of animal cruelty. We want to use all pathways to stopping the problem.[/LIST]

At this point this is what he is doing to make a change and atone for what he did, but frankly from what I have read in this thread that is now going to ever be enough for some folks, and Ender I'm ok with saying that this Country gets on a kick of "what is the cause of the week" and animals have at times to *ME* have out trumped children and women.

Thank you for posting this list. I snipped a couple things that really stand out to me as a positive outcome from a negative situation.

I hear you saying that animal abuse issues get more attention from the media than abuse of women and children, but from my perspectives this is one of the very few animal cruelty issues that has gotten any national attention, and for that I'm grateful. I would love to see the abuse of women, children and animals get more attention from the media. For me, it's not an either/or situation.

I hope he is able to reach the hearts of those who look up to him.

[SoNotHer]

Thank you, PurePiesces. Thank you very much.