Michael Vick: Working with Humane Society to stop dog fighting.

[dkf]

Off the field, the new Vick has turned his disgrace into something positive.

Last week, he spoke to inner-city school students in New Haven, Connecticut, on the evils of dogfighting as part of his ongoing relationship with the Humane Society of the United States, whose members had initially urged the NFL to ban him.

"He made three school presentations and spoke to nearly 2,000 kids," Humane Society CEO Wayne Pacelle told Reuters in a telephone interview.

"On his day off, he got up at five in the morning, took a 6.30 a.m. train from Philadelphia for a three-hour ride to New Haven and spent the whole day talking to kids as part of our anti dog-fighting campaign."

The unusual partnership took form during a meeting Pacelle had with Vick at the U.S. prison where he was serving the sentence imposed after his August 2007 guilty plea to financing and participating in a dogfighting ring.


http://us.mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6B005U20101201?ca=rdt

I'm cynical enough to think he knows he has to clean up his act and I know he gets no credit from most for this, but there it is...

[Safetykitten]

1. In a perverse way, he actually is glamorizing it.

[dkf]

11. Well that would be ironic.

[sellitman]

2. A Murderer cannot repent enough for me

He is nothing more and nothing less.

He should be doing life

[RandomThoughts]

3. It could help him open his heart to feelings he had not really felt on as much.

I think it will be helpful to him, not only the animals.

And an admirable thing for anyone to do to help those in suffering.

[Critters2]

20. More admirable if you're not doing it for money, though. nt

[RandomThoughts]

26. Not sure why he is doing it.

Maybe he is doing it for public relations.

Although you can't say that exactly, people should have some balance, and work should be rewarded. I agree that motive is important also, but there are arguments for balance that concepts of doing for money, or for better reasons can be in balance.

You don't have to be poor to do right, even if for him the money is some recognition of growth on the topic.

:shrug:



I have posted many times on concept of balance, and don't think a person should be expected to do things for nothing. Unless they already have more then they need. Although doing for nothing can change what is done also.

I not sure if it is more respectable, depends on the situation.

Interesting question... Ah got it. You are thinking what he is doing is helping the animals, in that a gift is better then getting paid by PR or money. If the person is not in more need then the animals. However I am thinking it is to help him with feelings on the issue, so was seeing it from a different side. So he is getting a payment he needs from the animals. Not sure about the money part.

In that the animals get a payment for helping him find and learn on feelings on that topic. And he gets a payment helping the animals.

I think it makes some sense somehow.

Some people might help others by an excess of compassion they have to share, some might help others to help learn on topics of compassion. I think there are different types of situations.

[Critters2]

30. I don't know what the hell you're talking about, but Vick is working with the HSUS to improve his

chances of getting endorsements and making a shitload of money. Nothing more, nothing less. This man wouldn't know a principle if it bit him in the ass. Neither would the NFL. And, apparently, neither would the President.

[RandomThoughts]

32. Don't know about that.

Maybe he will learn something from helping them anyways.

[snagglepuss]

42. Exactly. nt

[blueamy66]

46. He's doing it

because the courts have ordered him to do so.

Just like any other criminal putting in his/her community service hours.

[hlthe2b]

4. Tell that to the actual shelter that dealt with his dead & dying,

mangled dogs.

If you are sincere about understanding why so many do not believe his "convenient" conversion, you will read the following:

http://blogs.bestfriends.org/index.php/2010/11/18/michael-vick-the-value-proposition
(Francis Battista, co-founder of Best Friends Animal Society, who took in and cared for the dogs Vick tortured, had this to say about Vick's "redemption" in November 2010)


From Michael Mountain, the other co-founder of Best Friends Animal Society:
http://www.zoenature.org/2010/12/michael-vick%E2%80%99s-true-message-to-young-people

[Hawkeye-X]

5. And Humane Society doesn't even have any shelters

They just disburse the money.

Hawkeye-X

[Critters2]

self-delete. Dupe. nt

[dkf]

My local Humane Society does.

If we didn't keep adopting strays that is where I would go.

[Critters2]

16. They do some good work. HSUS Midwest Regional staff were a huge

help to us who were starting a local Humane Society in Iowa. Lots of good advice, and always willing to answer our questions. That same office--Regional in Des Moines--was doing really good work on the factory farm issue in Iowa, in ways that farmers were willing to listen to. Quite impressive.

But this is just attention whore stuff. Most disappointing.

[Hawkeye-X]

27. I have a local Humane Society - I've volunteered some work there too

but we're talking about the American Humane Society (the national organization) who has done nothing for the animals, but spend our donations on fundraising for EVEN more money, and now they're working with Vick?

No thanks.

The spigot is off on that one.

Hawkeye-X

[Critters2]

31. I'm talking about help my local county Humane Society received from

the Humane Society of the United States Midwest Regional Office in Des Moines. The same org as the one Vick is working with. I don't know who the "American Humane Society" is. And in general, you don't know what you're talking about.

[flvegan]

6. They're using each other.

HSUS gets a lot of publicity for their message on dogfighting, Vick gets closer to a new endorsement. Really *means* nothing. Vick doesn't believe a word of it either.

[Critters2]

22. Exactly, nt

[Foo Fighter]

43. Yep, that pretty much sums it up.

The only thing Vick cares about is endorsements and the money they bring.

If he gave a rat's ass about animals, specifically those he abused, he would have at least made an attempt to contact Best Friends, the organization that took in in 22 of his abused dogs. He didn't. However, his PR firm did. How nice.

[Name removed]

56. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[flvegan]

57. See

I don't believe in violence. Sorry about you losing your bet.

[demmiblue]

7. Can you imagine having him as a guest speaker at your child's school?!

Ewwwwwwwwww.

:puke:

[Critters2]

10. My kid wouldn't be there that day...and maybe after that. nt

[Bodhi BloodWave]

12. which actually says more about you then Vick n/t

[hlthe2b]

15. Yes... it says they want a role model for their child...

who isn't a sadistic convicted animal brutalizer.

[Critters2]

17. Yeah. It says I don't want my child around a man who tortures animals. nt

[Safetykitten]

19. Hi kids. I'm a sado-masochistic torture freak. But don't you do it!

Now LOVE ME!

[Critters2]

23. LOL! nt

[demmiblue]

14. Mine wouldn't, either. Talk about traumatic. n/t

[blondeatlast]

47. I had to sign a paper to ALLOW my son to hear President Obama speak to

schoolchildren about the importance of education.

I likely would not have to do so in this case. Since he's 13, I would let him choose whether he wanted to hear Vick or not, but we would have sat down together and come up with some uncomfortable questions for Mr. Vick--my son is a big animal lover and a very, very smart young man.

[TBF]

8. Ugh. nt

[BeyondGeography]

9. Another Michael Vick thread

Damn you, Barack!

[dkf]

21. Lol.

Yeah it's the latest furor.

[tekisui]

38. What's funny is your sudden rush to support Vick.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[blondeatlast]

48. Consider the source--I do. nt

[adigal]

34. Sometimes, I think Barack has his head up his butt

He does such stupid things at times.

[pa28]

13. Nobel prize nomination!!11!

[dkf]

18. ...for bringing DU together.

Fat chance.

[hlthe2b]

24. Oh, does the committee now offer a "sick, sadistic, cretin" prize?

If so, hell, I'll get a petition together to nominate him.

[pa28]

25. He got up at 6:30 in the morning and took a three hour train ride.

His PR manager did not, repeat did not have anything to do with it either.

Get this man a ticket to Stockholm and a place on the mantle to display his medal.

[Safetykitten]

28. No, verily I say he must be worshipped. Three hours. On a train!

[Foo Fighter]

44. My gawd! How did he endure it?

The poor guy, How could anyone possibly be expected to endure the horrors of a 3-hour train ride? Oh, the humanity!

BTW, was he stapped into a "rape stand" on the train?

[virgogal]

29. I still have nothing but comtempt for the guy. eom

[adigal]

33. Don't believe any of it - it takes a sick person

to do what he did, and I don't think he has had any therapy to stop his bloodlust.

[Raine]

35. Just Bull Shit

ANYONE can say the right words but no one can convince me a souless person can develope one and care about animals after such a crime.

[emilyg]

37. +10

[northernlights]

36. if he would leave it at that, and leave the PR campaign out off it

I'd buy it as a step toward redemption.

But as long as he keeps trying to "prove" he deserves to have a dog with articles and HSUS speaking for him, I'm suspicious.

If he's truly sorry, he'd do it and leave the PR out. Otherwise, this is just more PR.

[niyad]

39. colour me SOOOo not impressed. three hours on a train? what, no schools around where he lives?

seriously, how many of these has he done?

no child of mine would be in school that day, and I would be having a serious conversation with the school board.

[astonamous]

40. HSUS using Vick using HSUS...

A circle of self promoting PR seeking thugs.

[digitaln3rd]

41. Vick is scum..

Who should still be in jail but, of course, he's rich so he gets a slap on the wrist.

[michaz]

45. "Turned his disgrace into something positive"? Nope, he didn't.

He got himself some publicity. As usual, it is all about him! No forgiving here, what he did is as sick as one gets. He deserves no breaks what so ever. He didn't just steal candy here. He tortured and obviously enjoyed it or he would not have done it over and over. That guy has one very sick mind!

[blondeatlast]

49. THREE HOURS?! Oh, the HUMANITY! Oh, the blood, sweat, and tears!

Get that man Bill O'Rielly's Pulitzer!

:puke:

[Name removed]

50. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[blondeatlast]

51. It's an opinion board, dear. We have opinions here. If that's hard for you to take,

maybe you should have lurked a little more before posting.

What do think of SCOTUS? the economy? the new Congress? I'm awaiting hearing your opinions on those subjects as well.

[Name removed]

52. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[blondeatlast]

53. You edited your post. Isn't that a nifty DU feature? nt

[Name removed]

54. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Vinca]

55. Where's my violin?

:nopity:

[LWolf]

58. Too bad he isn't working to help the actual dogs he victimized.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x578689

[Matariki]

59. Um, is dog fighting a problem in inner-city schools?

Are the kids there saying WTF? OR just happy to get out of regularly scheduled classes?