"Michael especially was a role model for the City's underprivileged children. To them, Michael was much more than just a football player. He gave those kids hope."
These are the words Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin wrote in a letter to Judge Henry E. Hudson in defense of Michael Vick.
Mayor Franklin is right. Vick was/is a role model to children in Atlanta and that is why it is important that we must not send the wrong message to our children. The message should continue to be, "You do the crime, You do the time" no matter how much money or fame you have.
Despite anyone's opinion of this case the fact remains that Michael Vick broke the law and must suffer the consequences.
It was disheartening to read that the Mayor is getting involved in this issue. Maybe instead of supporting common criminals, she can write letters and speak out on more important issues such as police corruption, the Atlanta Housing Authority Fiasco, the Beltline's effect on low income residents, or Grady.
I find it deplorable for the leader of our city to event get involved in this garbage.
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8 comments:
Just like you, Shirley Franklin is entitled to her opinion. If she wants to write a letter on his behalf asking for leniency(not exoneration), then that is appropriate. She is under no obligation to appear impartial. Thank you Shirley.
You are absolutely right.. As a private citizen she is entitled to her opinion. However, as the Mayor of Atlanta, it is irresponsible to use the office of the Mayor to pull strings for criminals
Had she written in the letter that she was speaking on behalf of the citizens of Atlanta or if she had written "I know I speak for the city of Atlanta when I say..." I would be in agreement. But she didn't. She made it clear that this is her opinion and hers only. Besides did you actually read the letter? She doesn't ask the judge to let him off the hook, just that he take everything into account when he sentenced him. It seems like anything short of 100% condemnation + the death penalty is not enough for the Get Michael Vick crew. Sheesh...
Franklin can write what she wants, of course, but this is the letter I would've written (from gadab.org's blog):
Dear Michael Vick,
That was some letter you wrote.
How nice that a judge permitted you to be home for the birth of your child, but I sincerely hope you don't love your children the way you "love" animals: by drowning them, hanging them, starving them, electrocuting them, and smashing their skulls into the ground.
You say you've "lost everything" including your freedom, and I have to admit that would be difficult -- especially since you were living the life of a super star. But unfortunately you've lost all that the same way murderers, kidnappers, sex offenders, or burglars lose their freedom: through their own actions. You weren't singled out and imprisoned randomly -- you committed heinous crimes. If not you, who should pay? Should we not insist that a child molester serve his sentence, simply because his only other recorded crime is a traffic violation? Your actions were unbelievably cruel. Do you get that?
You seem to think you lost your endorsements unfairly. Was it not you that committed these offenses? Is it actually surprising to you that an endorsement would not be desired by someone who actively causes excruciating pain and suffering to another? The public does not want to buy any product from a brand that represents itself with someone who finds sport in the torture and killing of animals.
As for being exposed to dog fighting when you were growing up, I don't doubt it. Many people are exposed to ugly, horrific things in their lives -- it doesn't mean they grow up to perpetuate that ugliness. At any rate, I would expect a grown man -- who has also been exposed to incredible kindness and generosity -- to be able to tell the difference between right and wrong. "Growing up with" is a great excuse to perpetuate bigotry, child abuse, racism, and misogyny. At what point does one start thinking for himself?
And now you want leniency? How much more lenient could we be? In fact, we are showing you the very compassion that you deprived others. We are not torturing you or denying you medical treatment. We are seeing that you have daily meals and a bed to sleep in. We are not forcing you to spend your entire life tied up outside in below freezing temperatures. Why you think you should not have to pay for the crimes you committed is beyond me. You say you found religion? If you believe in an eye for an eye, you've gotten off easy.
I don't doubt that jail is unpleasant. But you will never ever know the kind of pain and suffering you inflicted on others. As for wanting to be there for your kids, you should have thought of that before you decided to torture, maim, and kill other living beings. I believe that your animals, your kids, and even your houseplants are safer with you behind bars.
You animal activists are all right. It is completely fair to compare human life to an animal's. I admire your wisdom in comparing a dog fighter to Jeffrey Dahmer and Ted Bundy, who killed human beings and ate them. I'm sure Michael Vick killed the dogs and mounted their heads on his bedpost as a sick fetish. You are a genius for making this brilliant comparison. Now I feel like America as a whole should go after everyone who has ever hurt an animal; I suggest that we ANIMAL ACTIVISTS go after the sadistic ranchers of America that kill cows and chickens inhumanely in order to feed America. Forget the fact that people enjoy and need God-given meat to survive; killing animals in an efficient yet unkind manner in order to keep meat and produce prices low enough for the general public is unforgivable. How would those cows' parents feel? Furthermore, I feel like we should all work to imprison the owners and employees of every pet store across the country for disgusting torture and killing of animals. The way that they breed mice in cages just so that some sick little child can take them home and watch them run for their life and die viciously in the mouth of a snake/bird of prey should be against the law. We should put all pet store owners and anyone who buys feeder mice in jail for 23 months or more, because these people aren't just fighting the animals but instead are guaranteeing their violent death. Michael Vick definitely deserves his sentence; we the general public are completely justified in judging his character; since he fought dogs he must be a sick twisted man. Never mind that he bought a church for his community, never mind that he supported handicapped children on his own accord, never mind that he has a family and personal issues in dealing with them just like the rest of us; he's a sick, twisted, perverted man needing to be put away from society for watching dogs fight. Watching this man suffer in jail instead of out in the the real world helping numerous human beings in the community is the real spirit of justice. Forget the fact that he is one of the few athletes/superstars that are sincerely concerned with public welfare and philanthropy without their agents/publicists pushing them to do so. Forget the fact that he did all these great things consistently for the community of Newport News and Atlanta without expecting a news report written on him or a great expose on ESPN. (and make sure to punish the mayor for thanking Michael for donating millions of dollars and his time to the community) We should lock this father up forever because he made dogs fight each other. Atlanta deserves a better mayor who would rather see Vick in jail out of her own sense of self-righteousness than to see him donate a large part of his money and his fame in order to better the trouble kids and people of Atlanta. In addition, we should try to erase from all memory the fact that Vick comes from a very very dangerous and poverty stricken neighborhood from our minds when considering this issue. Forget the fact that drug abuse, gang violence, and dogfighting were omnipresent in his environment during the 18 years that he grew up in Newport News. Forget that he never gave in to a single one of those temptations besides dogfighting in line to becoming an outstanding athlete. Most of you would rather assume that athletes are "given everything" and hate the man for his natural talent. We should assume that a man with physical prowess should of course be immune to all negative temptations of his environment from childhood to adulthood. I want to end my rant by reiterating a fact that we anti-Vick fanatics should all believe; it is completely in the spirit of justice to destroy this man's life for destroying the life of a dog's. In addition, whats to separate a dog's life from a cow or mouse's? We should treat ranchers and pet store workers too like the scum of the Earth that they are.
Hey anonymous/dk, if you're so lamebrained to come up with another post, and just duplicate the sloppy and pathetic one you made on the AJC here, you could at least acknowledge it. But then lazy and stupid are often connected.
BTW, a reminder: Mike Vick is STILL in prison, even though you and Squirrely Franklin would love to see him free because you like to watch him run around on astroturf in tight pants. The rest of us are happy that a psycho has been locked up.
Deal with it.
My husband and I debated this a bit - and the bottom line is that the entire situation is sad. Yet, given how few people of color will ascend to that level of income in our lifetime, I am especially mindful of the image it gives to children. I think your post is right - and that parents should take a good lesson from this as well. Train up a child...and train, and train, and train. Money does not buy everything.
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