Portis thinks Vick should be able to have dog fights...

[Concord]

Well, unless yer eatin' them, then they're pretty much messed up from the start.

Explain please.

 

[DallasEast]

To some, animals are simply possessions, no more important than a picture frame or a mop. If a dog gets mauled to death, who cares? They're throwaway items, right?

* This is getting on my nerves. I'm a cat lover and can't stand dogs, but I'm constantly defending their right to exist??? Sheesh! * :

 

[joseephuss]

Well, here it goes...

I am not going to lie. On the scale of things, this rates pretty mediocre in terms of "badness."

Is it illegal? Yes.

Am I going to lose any sleep over it? Notta wink.

Sorry. It is what it is. There are far worse things that "goad me" than dog fighting.

Cruelty to humans bothers me a lot more. Rape, battery, assault, murder, etc are far more damning that dog fighting because I value human moreso than animals. I am not condoning what Vick is alleged to have done. If it is true...what he did was very wrong. I am merely stating that I am not overly upset by this nor will I be joining any protesting over Vick either.

Is a person that is cruel to an animal that far from being cruel to a person? Maybe that is a morbid line of thinking, but maybe animal cruelty is a gate way violence. Some serial killers started their ways by first being cruel to animals.

I don't think running a pit bull fighting club is as bad as other things in the world, but I still see it as bad. I don't think rasing chickens to fight each other is as bad as getting dogs to fight each other, but I still see it as bad. Maybe because chickens aren't adored as pets by most. There are different levels, but the common component is that they are all bad. At least that is the way I see it.

I can agree with someone who doesn't think it is too bad. I don't think I would understand it if someone said it wasn't bad at all. I would not be able to comprehend that viewpoint.

 

[DallasEast]

Well, unless yer eatin' them, then they're pretty much messed up from the start.

Human beings tend to be messed up the moment they wade out into shark-infested waters...

 

[Big Dakota]

If these guys grew up in a bad environment and can't exist in anything but a bad environment then they need to be in a bad environment.

JAIL.

 

[Concord]

To some, animals are simply possessions, no more important than a picture frame or a mop. If a dog gets mauled to death, who cares? They're throwaway items, right?

* This is getting on my nerves. I'm a cat lover and can't stand dogs, but I'm constantly defending their right to exist??? Sheesh! * :

I love all animals...But I have four Cats.

They are wonderful!

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

If these guys grew up in a bad environment and can't exist in anything but a bad environment then they need to be in a bad environment.

JAIL.

Reason in a sea of insanity?


A novel idea, I grant you.

 

[bbgun]

Washington, D.C.: Mike-

I'm a fan of Clinton Portis, or at least I was...but his comments defending Mike Vick and dog fighting in general were outrageous. I realize they are only allegations right now, but dog fighting is a federal offense and Portis was quoting as saying, "...what you do behind closed doors is your business...I mean it's your dogs and your property..." This just completely blows my mind how someone could try and justify something so cruel and inhumane as dog fighting. Your thoughts?

Michael Wilbon: I must admit, the Clinton Portis comments didn't get any play outside of the greater D.C. area. If you're surprised by this, I'd say, don't be. There are certain things some of us find acceptable and others simply do not. Dog-fighting I find reprehensible. There's a subculture out there of people who find this totally acceptable, though it's against the law. But I'm not surprised anymore at anything. There's an entire way of life up and down the Hampton Roads area of people half my age that I'm not in touch with. I'm told Vick is not alone in embracing this dog-fighting culture. I don't pretend to understand it, find it completely uncivilized, but am aware that Clinton Portis and Michael Vick don't live in the same world I live in...They also live in a world where being young with money and celebrity and never being told "no" from 12 years old conveys a sense of entitlement in a way working folks have no idea.

Tenleytown, D.C.: I'm not sure I get your answer about the Clinton Porter/dog fighting question. It's clear where you stand on the issue of dog fighting. But, it seems that you're giving Porter a pass -- that's he part of a different culture. I don't think people who engage in or condone dog fighting deserve a pass, though I recognize that there is no allegation of improper action by Portis and Vick has not been convicted of anything improper.

Michael Wilbon: I'm saying don't be surprised. I'm very clear about what I'm saying. There are millions of people out there who don't share my values, or yours. And part of the problem now with people of different values is they have no idea what others value, and therefore have no chance at getting at the root of any problem. Portis can say what he wants, though you may not like it or agree with it. This notion that you can simply impose your will on people with different values is one of the biggest problems we've got. I want to know more about why in the hell Vick is involved in this...Is it the way he grew up? Was it legal then? Did he grow up with adults doing this in a place where it was permissible? I don't believe in a lot of things -- hunting deer for example -- that are accepted in other cultures in this country. Yes, that's legal...so was dog-fighting for some time, though I find that reprehensible...

Baltimore: Dog-fighting has nothing to do with different values. We, as a nation, have decided that dog-fighting is a horrendous practice, and every state has outlawed it. We have clear, shared national values on this issue.

Anyone who chooses to participate in this barbaric practice is well aware that it is illegal. That's why he had his own mini-veterinary lab at his house -- he knew he could bring those chewed-up dogs to a real vet or he'd end up in court.

Michael Wilbon: It does have to do with values, no matter what you think, because it wasn't always outlawed. That's a relatively recent and necessary development. Dog-fighting, once-upon-a-time, was legal. I don't know when Virginia outlawed it and I don't know whether Vick grew up around it...Laws are almost always adopted based on the values of the society and what its members value...Please, don't ask me to be as naive as you sound. I'm thankful it's outlawed, but don't act like laws are just arbitrarily adopted.

 

[Rampage]

clinton portis is a stereo-typical jock

 

[DLCassidy]

"Vick is a role model and contributes to the community. You want to put a good man like him behind bars over a dog fight"...

Yes I do. The fact that Vick denies involvement tells you he understands it is illegal and considered wrong. He gets that. And Portis gets that too. They BOTH just think they are above the law and should be able to do as they please. Why not? They always have. But as a society we don't need to try to understand the mentality of the Vick's of the world, we simply have to prosecute them when they break the law. I hope the law does and I hope the NFL treats this with the seriousness it deserves. And if a pinhead like Portis wants to continue to publicly condone illegal acts I hope the NFL suspends him too.

 

[silverbear]

:laugh2: That was good

Sometimes, recycling old jokes works... you never know who might not have heard them before...

 

[silverbear]

As I understand it, the NFL's exemption only applies to broadcasting deals. And I'd be interested to know what type of jurisdiction Congress can claim because of the exemption.

They could revisit that exemption, perhaps take it away from them... yeah, it's blackmail, but it's legal blackmail...

 

[silverbear]

Sorry. It is what it is. There are far worse things that "goad me" than dog fighting.

Cruelty to humans bothers me a lot more.

You are aware that sadists almost always get their start by torturing small animals as kids, aren't you??

So if serial killers bother you, then perhaps you SHOULD be concerned about the sadists who fight animals to the death for their amusement... you'll find a lot of profoundly disturbed sociopaths at any of those gatherings...

 

[Crown Royal]

They could revisit that exemption, perhaps take it away from them... yeah, it's blackmail, but it's legal blackmail...

I see.

Ug - reason number 493 I hate politics.

 

[AmishGangsta]

STATEMENT FROM CLINTON PORTIS

Ashburn, VA – The following is a statement from Commanders running back Clinton Portis regarding recent comments he made to a Norfolk, VA television station:
"In the recent interview I gave concerning dog fighting, I want to make it clear I do not take part in dog fighting or condone dog fighting in any manner."

Seems like a pretty sincere apology doesn't it

Sometimes Portis needs to stop acting like a clown and think things through before opening his mouth.

 

[Hostile]

STATEMENT FROM CLINTON PORTIS

Ashburn, VA – The following is a statement from Commanders running back Clinton Portis regarding recent comments he made to a Norfolk, VA television station:
"In the recent interview I gave concerning dog fighting, I want to make it clear I do not take part in dog fighting or condone dog fighting in any manner."

Seems like a pretty sincere apology doesn't it

Sometimes Portis needs to stop acting like a clown and think things through before opening his mouth.

Someone also tell Chris Samuels that wasn't at all humorous.

 

[Crown Royal]

I'm not going to quote it - but everything Michael Wilbon said was stupid.

Just wanted to get that out there.

 

[Hoov]

Dog fighting is not only amoral, its just plain stupid.

Now Cock fighting, yes...thats where its at

 

[Crown Royal]

Dog fighting is not only amoral, its just plain stupid.

Now Cock fighting, yes...thats where its at

I hope this is a joke.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

I'm not going to quote it - but everything Michael Wilbon said was stupid.

Just wanted to get that out there.

You got that right. I couldn't believe he said those things. Especially this:

Michael Wilbon: It does have to do with values, no matter what you think, because it wasn't always outlawed. That's a relatively recent and necessary development. Dog-fighting, once-upon-a-time, was legal. I don't know when Virginia outlawed it and I don't know whether Vick grew up around it...Laws are almost always adopted based on the values of the society and what its members value...Please, don't ask me to be as naive as you sound. I'm thankful it's outlawed, but don't act like laws are just arbitrarily adopted.

Are you kidding me? Think about some other things that once-upon-a-time used to be legal, Michael.