Michael Vick Blogs An Apology For Dog Fighting Crimes
Filed under: animals — Michael d'Estries @ 2:54 pm
August 18th 2009
We’ve been covering Michael Vick’s apologetic media blitz the past couple days — and the latest one comes to us via Russell Simmons’ hip-hop community site Global Grind. Vick wrote a blog on the site in which he reveals that it was his meetings and discussions with animal lovers — and not his prison time — that made him feel remorse for his actions. His full entry is below:
“I’m sorry. That’s the place where I need to begin. My feeling of remorse. I ain’t never written a blog before, so putting my thoughts down on paper is a challenge – however it’s a challenge I must face. I can look a 250 pound linebacker in his eyes at the line of scrimmage and have no fear. But expressing myself when I know that there are millions of people who are so angry with me, and rightfully so, is a challenge unlike any other I have faced before.
“What I did was horrendous. Awful. Inhumane. And I’ve no excuses for my actions. It makes my heart hurt now to think about what I’ve done. And I’m gonna be real honest, it took a while for me to get to this place.”
“Sitting in a prison cell didn’t make me feel remorse. It was meeting so many animal lovers, speaking with them and looking them in their eyes. Staring at them. Looking so deep into their eyes that I began to feel their pain. Allowing that pain to enter into my body is when I started to understand how bad it really was. I have been trying hard to connect with people who feel this pain,because for my whole life I was disconnected from the suffering of animals. And you might say, “come on Mike, how could you do those things to those dogs?” And you’re right…I ask myself those questions every day. What kind of person does this? How does a human-being treat dogs or any animal with such pain and cruelty? And the hard part for me is the answer to these questions. Because the answer is ME. And I am trying so hard right now to become a better person, because who I was, I am ashamed of.
“Cause see, my whole life has been numb. I was numb to the violence in my community…cause I saw it all the time, ever since I was a child. I mean, how does one grow up in a city that’s nickname is Bad Newz? You can probably guess that from the jump, ya’ know I’ve seen some bad things in my life. And football was the only way that I could escape. As a kid, I even used to go out fishing, and most of the times I wouldn’t catch a darn thing, but just needed to get away from the chaos every once in a while. So, when the commissioner called my name as the #1 draft pick in the NFL – the first time a black quarterback had ever been chosen as the #1 pick, I thought my life was all good. But, what I didn’t realize then, that I have begun to realize now, is that even though I had more money in my pocket, big cars and big houses, I was still numb. And when I say numb, I ain’t talkin about not realizing the stuff that was going on around me, it was just like I was living life asleep. However, that is still no excuse for what I did. But let’s not forget that there are still hundreds of thousands of young people growing in similar environments and seeing violence at a young age has severe consequences.
“Now that I’m trying my best to wake up, I know I have a lot of work to do. And this isn’t about trying to win a Super Bowl ring or a MVP trophy…this is about trying to save lives. I think back to when I use to play football and of course I use to see all those kids in the stands wearing #7 jerseys. And I would never want them to look up to the Michael Vick who did all of those terrible things to the dogs. I know where I need to do the most work is with all of the people around the world who continue to fight dogs. Let me be straight forward with y’all: What I did was wrong, and what you’re doing is wrong. We must stop dog fighting, and I will do everything in my power to be a voice of someone who has finally woken up from the numbness, and knows just how bad it really is. My mission now is to be a source of service to save many animals. I am working very closely with The Humane Society and will be launching a new campaign shortly. If I had one hope in life, it would be that my actions will speak louder than my words. I know it will be hard to forgive me until you see my sincerity through my actions, but I promise you and I promise myself that that day will come.
“Lastly, I accept this challenge, not of writing this blog, but of redeeming myself.”
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Tagged: michael vick, russell-simmons
This thing whole issue is interesting and I don’t quite yet know what to make out of it?
When I grew up in the inner city, bored with a lack of constructive activities, me and couple of friends caught large grasshoppers and put them in jar and drop a lighted pack of firecrackers in the jar and blew up the body parts of the insects. Now, when I think about it, it’s was so inhuman.
Fortunately I escape the pits of the streets of Chicago, and went away to college and while at college I had a tank of two large piranhas. I would sometimes purchase a dozen gold fish and feed them to the piranhas. Now when I think about it is was again so inhuman.
Killing insects, gold fish, cats, dogs, cows, chicken, deer or eating pork chops might be considered not right and is basically inhuman. I imagine especially if it is for a sport, like hunting, fishing or dog fights as oppose to killing for food consumption. Where are all of the deer loving advocates so silent now?
Still furthermore insects, gold fish, cats, deer and dogs aren’t human.
We need to reach a reasonable point in our understanding and retribution thinking!
In urban american, many young males refer to their friends as “my dog”. In urban cities and surburbs we have gang fights or could be referred to as dog fights, and in these fights individuals are killed. Many black, latin and other groups of individuals are killed. And the killed were symbolically referred to by some as “my dog”. Unfortunately the multitudes aren’t spending a moment in remorse over these continuelly dying “my dogs” in the way they are for literal non human dogs in the sport of abusive dog fighting
@exult463…great point about the dying ” my dogs”, actually great points all around
“What kind of person does this? How does a human-being treat dogs or any animal with such pain and cruelty? And the hard part for me is the answer to these questions. Because the answer is ME. And I am trying so hard right now to become a better person, because who I was, I am ashamed of.”
So … he’s going vegan now, right?
Michael, stopping dogfighting with one hand and caging,torturing & slaughtering with the other is an absurdity.
I don’t know whether he is sincere or not. He would definitely have me considering the possibility of it if he made the commitment to go vegan. But for me, it is about what changes he can make now. he has a chance to speak up against dog fighting and I fully support the HSUS decision to campaign with him. If he isn’t sincere yet, maybe spending some time around the people who are will influence him to be sincere in the future. I hope so.
In my eyes Mr Vick, you have already begun to redeem yourself by posting this blog of apology. You have so much potential to change the ways of others who also are numb. Kids will look to you for guidance in how to be a better human being, especially the kids who are right now experiencing a childhood that you had. It’s hard to be humane in an inhuman environment. I am one of the people who cried with rage and despair when news broke of what you had done. You can make a huge difference in this world. It makes my tears of pain for all abused animals and people not in vain when I read your apology and promise to “make good.” Prison sentences do nothing to change the way people think or feel. I’m so glad other peoples eyes of pain finally penetrated your numbness. Good luck.
Mr Vick,
Last Saturday we had to have our beloved dog put to sleep. She was very sick and after years of fighting various illnesses she became weaker and weaker everything she ate and drank left her body as quickly as it went in. She could no longer walk or rise without assistance. My husband and I are not well and we were growing tired and sick. I grew frustrated that the vets had no answers and began to cry and yell at everyone from the Vet to God and even my poor dog. She did not deserve that. She deserved a longer pain free life and we could not help her. I have many regrets about things I should have said and done. I have regrets about spanking her when she was a puppy for eating my house one day I have regrets for yelling at her. I have regrets that I had to give her medications that didn’t help her. She dreaded the ear cleanings the teeth cleanings, bath time but yet when she was afraid of something she ran to me. If I left the house for more than 5 minutes she cried. When I returned she yelled and barked at me for leaving her We did have many fun times and games and those are the things I will remember. I have asked God and my precious pup of 11 years to forgive me and in my head a little voice came back saying “Mommy I forgive you”. Please remember that all God’s Creatures are at our mercy especially the littlest of children and animals. We should love and protect the defenseless and when we are tempted to lash-out because of past cruelty done to us (trust me I have experienced this as well, we need to listen to that little voice from God saying stop, take a minute, pray about it, walk away. God truly does forgive if we ask and seek His forgiveness and we repent of sin in our lives , why else would His only begotten Son, Jesus have willingly borne unspeakable cruelty and death to save us from sin. Seek His face and His will you will be surprised. I will pray for you sir.
so you are trying to tell me that this man???? for 6 or 7 years, and probably longer, heard the screaming and howling of dogs in intense agony, in their death throes was NUMB??????????
that he found having other people’s
beloved family pets ripped to shreds and dismembered and laughed? he was numb??
and all of a sudden he is reformed?
i have a bridge in brooklyn to sell.
I feel like this must be some publicity thing or maybe the only way he could stay on the football team was to “become” reformed and want to help the Humane Society. I think it’s all bull. He’s a piece of crap and I think he should have been in prison for 5 to 6 years and kicked off the football team. He’s a horrible person for doing the things he did. But,however, people to change and God does forgive. Is Mr.Vick a changed man… well, that will remain the unsolved mystery.