This country is going to the dogs

A Federal indictment has been brought against a group for several alleged crimes. The indictment alleges the suspects engaged in some horrific behavior:

- raising dogs to fight
- training them specifically to fight
- holding dog fights
- when dogs do not fight, torturing them, including killing via electrocution and hanging

Now, in my book, that is pretty bad. It does not matter to me who the people are doing it, they should be prosecuted and punished severely. Of course, not everybody goes by my book. Some people believe the prosecution is a race issue.

How?

The most famous suspect is Michael Vick. He is a quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons. He is a high-profile figure. He also happens to be black. So to some people the fact he is under indictment is racially motivated.

I fail to see the connection. A couple years ago a couple of Portland Trailblazers were in trouble for dog fighting, but that dog fighting was not ending in death or even serious injury to the dogs. The case came to light, they received criticism, some of the involved players were released, and we moved on. It was bad, yes...but it was not involving the systematic torture and killing of dogs. As it happens, some of the Blazers involved were also black...and I can honestly say I think they were treated neither better nor worse than a white or yellow or red person would have been with the level of crime involved. Nor do I think Vick is being unfairly singled out.

And I do think, if the allegations are true, that it is a horrible, horrible thing. And I do think there should be a stiff punishment...jail time, fines, the loss of his contract and endorsement deals I do not believe would be too severe.

But I also think there is a real disconnect from reality on the part of society on at least 2 counts.

1) The race thing
How is this prosecution "racist" or "racially motivated"? You point to anyone hanging and electrocuting dogs and there is going to be a HUGE outcry by PETA on the fringe and by reasonable, right thinking people in the middle. If the perpetrator were instead a "high-profile white athlete"...I am trying to think of an example of one...let's say Lance Armstrong or Dale Earnhardt Jr.... the reaction would be almost exactly the same. He would be villified in the community, lose most of his fan base, and face heavy, heavy sanctions from his sport. (Yes, Armstrong is retired, but I doubt you would see him receiving any further endorsements). I think the only difference would be you would not hear anyone saying the prosecution was "racially motivated". I am positive the prosecution would be taking place, however. If anything, the white athlete is more likely to be victimized by a rush to judgment. Remember how the Duke lacrosse program was destroyed over the allegations and how, in the end, they proved to be false and the prosecutor's career was ended catastrophically because he did things wrong in his desire to prosecute the white boys on the team.

2) The severity
Yes, killing dogs is terrible. But it is still not as bad as things other atheletes have been accused of (and, in some cases, found guilty): remember Kobe Bryant being charged with rape? Ray Lewis being charged with murder? Rae Carruth being convicted of conspiracy to commit murder in the case of his (now ex) girlfriend and their unborn baby? Ruben Patterson and his domestic assault troubles? Should I continue? Now, maybe I am out of line here...but to me rape is more serious than dog killing and murdering a human being is more serious than killing dogs. But the firestorm over this might, if anything, be more intense. Since the above cases all involved people with the same skin pigmentation as Vick has I am going to say race is not a relevant factor...people's over-indulgence of their pets IS.

Athletes need to stop getting free rides. They should not be above the law and when they act as if they are and get caught people need to stop playing the race card. If anything, that is the most racist element imaginable...justifying any crime, alleged or proven, by saying the prosecution is just a race thing.

If Vick is, indeed, guilty, throw the book at him. If he is innocent, get past this quickly. And in the future, remember that rape and murder are worse than animal mistreatment, no matter how miserable that treatment is. Then again, maybe the people involved in this case, if found guilty, should be subjected to what they put those dogs through...