err0r.net

Today i watched as Michael Vick spoke after the hearing where he pleaded guilty to crimes involving dog fighting. I feel a little better about his character after the speech. He did a few things I really liked. First and foremost he spoke as himself. He did not read from some prepared statement like most thought he would. He did not try and place blame on anyone else for his mistakes. I think Vick has taken in the initial right step forward. Time will tell on how sincere he is. I don’t prescribe to the people should automatically get a second chance. Especially when it comes to pro athletes. They are living a life that most ppl would kill for. I know it’s not all roses but it’s a heck of a lot better than what most of us go through everyday. I was for Vick never playing another down for the NFL. I’m still of that mindset but i will admit with the speech Vick gave today i’m now willing to listen and watch him in hopes he can gain a second chance.

Oh boy do I have alot to say about this issue. I mean a whole lot. There are so many angles to this story that i don’t know if I can cover them all.

For those that don’t know, Michael Vick is/was the quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons. He has/had tons of fans and endorsements. He was accused and soon to be convicted of various crimes including dog fighting, animal cruelty, and gambling. His cohorts have already plea-bargained and now Vick has done the same. He is expected to get 12-18 months in jail, but could face up to 5 years in federal prison.

The biggest issue with all this seems to be should he get to play in the NFL once he gets out of jail. I say leave it up to the team owners. What Vick has done has not only affected his life but the Atlanta Falcons. They invested well over 100 million into him and by his own actions he is not going to be playing for the team. They are not only out the money they spent on him but possibly the revenue generated by him playing on the team and the team’s chances for making the playoffs. I would like to ask all these people that are saying Vick deserves to play again this: Would you want a person like Vick representing your team. He’s shown poor judgment in many areas. If he does join your team you are going to have to deal with organizations like PETA and many fans that do not think Vick should be on the team. If you are the man that makes the decision to take Vick back and he doesn’t do a good job you are probably going to lose yours. But let that be the team owners decision. Many teams take chances on people like that and some win and some lose. I think Vick has alot to say and answer for if he expects people outside of his friends to forgive him.

DogFighting: I’m from Mississippi and while i’ve never been to a dog fight, i know they go on. And lets be honest. DogFighting seems to be a redneck and thug pastime. Vick grew up in a society that included dog fighting. How many rap video’s or mtv cribs episodes have you seen where a successful rapper has a pitbull. Pitbull’s ain’t for show as they say. Many studies show that Pit Bulls are the most dangerous breed of dogs. Most incidents involving attacks result from little or no provocation. These dogs are bred to kill and should not be allowed as pets. As I write this there are 100′s of cities and town’s with legislation either in place or in the process banning pit bulls. As i said dog fighting is a very cultural thing. I know i’m kinda lumping ppl in a mass group when i say thugs and rednecks. But i think the ppl that read this will get my meaning. Vick grew up in a culture that idolized dog fighting. The problem Vick had/has is that he didn’t leave his past behind him when he got to the NFL. He still kept the same friends and did the same stuff he did back then. I know the would Sell Out comes to mind for ppl that try to better themselves. That term most likely came from the haters that will never be more than they are. They pulled Vick down into the slums and when push came to shove they showed what true and loyal friends they were and turned on him. It seems Vick was more loyal to them than they were to him. That’s a lesson i think alot of young black athletes need to learn. Don’t think it’s a bad thing to leave your old habits and friends. You can still be true to who you were by helping ppl that were in the position you were in to better themselves too. I tend to think like most of Vick’s friends that he is a decent person. I think he got wrapped up into what his peers were saying and made bad choices. I also don’t feel people deserve a second chance unless they show they deserve one. It shouldn’t be an automatic thing. He needs to show ppl some remorse in what he did. That he learned something from it. Right now it just seems he’s sorry cause he got caught not for what he did.

There is still a chance he is going to face additional state charges for the deaths of the dogs he supposedly had some role in. It could be up to 5 years per dog. I think there were like 8 dogs reported killed. That would effectively end all talk of a comeback to the NFL.

Race Issue: This is and isn’t a race issue. It isn’t a race issue in that if a white NFL player had done the same thing he would have faced the same scrutiny and sentence. It is a race issue in that a certain group of black society glorifies dog fighting. Same as a certain group of white society does the same.

DogFighting: It’s not a sport. It’s horrific and brutal and pointless. I hope there is a special place in hell for those people that are a part of it. Torturing and killing any animal for amusement is deplorable.

I have alot more to say on this issue but for now i’ll leave it be as i’m getting a little pissed off just talking about it.

To Mr. Michael Vick:

I sincerely hope you have learned something from all this but in my opinion you haven’t. I think it would be a great injustice if you ever played in another NFL game. My wish is that you will over time realize the severity of your actions and what led to them. I hope you reexamine the decisions you made which put you in the position you are now in. I do hope that you come out of this a better man and go on to live a life you can be proud of. You had it all and threw it away. What a waste.

I’m a big fan of the shows Man Vs. Wild and SurvivorMan. Basically the shows are about a man trying to survive in different hostile environments. For example being dropped in a remote jungle and having to find food, water, and shelter. Basic survival stuff. I’ve always thought Les Stroud ( SurvivorMan ) was a little better. In his show he has no camera crew. He basically sets up all the shots and lugs the camera equipment with him. Add to that the fact he is trying to survive in some of the harshest environments on our planet, i think doing the camera work as well is going way above and beyond. Bear Grylls ( Man Vs. Wild ) carries a camera crew with him. Both shows are pretty similar in format. They show you basic survival tactics and helpful tips from their years of experience. A few weeks ago Bear was demonstrating the fact that you can drink your own urine to survive. He fills his canteen full of hot fresh piss and gulps it down. Now i know in a survival situation you do what you have to do. I’d have been perfectly fine with him saying “hey guys, if you have to you can drink your own urine” but doing it when you don’t have to is something i feel he didn’t really need to do. In another episode he pissed on a shirt and wrapped it around his face and head to keep cool. I know it’s just a show and they are trying to give it’s viewers a real idea of what to do in that position. But please don’t drink your own piss unless you just have to.

Like i said, i’ve always liked SurvivorMan over Man Vs. Wild. I believe Les is a little more believable. He at least tries to set up a possible reason and circumstance for being stranded. I even bragged that he was a bit more legit as he did his own camera work. And to top it off i said “at least he doesn’t drink his own piss”. Well guess what! I watched an episode where he DID DRINK HIS OWN PISS. Now it was pointed out to me that he didn’t just piss in a cup and drink it. He used a method to filter the water from the piss. But to me it’s still piss. Add to that the fact that this time he was stranded with a boat and didn’t use the boat to escape. Why the hell would you try and survive in a jungle full of animals and insects that could kill you when you have a damn boat. Les really lost some respect points with me this weekend.

Anyways both shows are worth watching, check your local listings for SurvivorMan and Man Vs. Wild

First off i’m 100% anti abortion. There really is no instance in which i think abortion is right. But and it’s a but bigger than  hilary clinton’s. I do not think it’s the role of the government to govern a woman’s right to chose. NOW HOLD YOUR HORSES all you abortion apologetics out there. I know the first question that popped into that head of yours, so i’ll address it right off the bat.

Q: What about masturbation? Isn’t that the same thing?

A: No! For those that didn’t get the birds and bees speech or skipped biology here’s a quick rundown.

“During sexual intercourse (sex), sperm is released into the cervix. They swim up the fallopian tubes. The egg cell moves down through the fallopian tube. The sperm meet the egg. One penetrates the egg, and the outer membrane of the egg locks out the other sperm cells. The sperm cell releases its nucleus, which combines with the egg’s DNA to create a zygote.”

So i say life doesn’t begin until conception. So if you feel the need to spill your seed by all means have a go.

Once that happens there is now life. Also you can save that little argument about how at that stage they have no real thought process or memories. As a baby your thoughts and memories are pretty basic. Hungry feed me, Cry i shit on myself. Do any of you remember anything about being a newborn?

Next you will be giving me on the hypotheticals, what about rape, incest, drugs, heath issues, etc., etc.. As i stated right from the very start. I’m 100% against abortion. That includes any case. No matter what it is never and i say again never the child’s fault. Don’t let one bad thing cause another.

My opinions on abortion have changed a little of the years. Mainly because of the following:

I understand this might make me biased but i’m totally ok with that.

Once last thing, here is a video from a band called The Right Brothers. I just learned about them and totally love their stuff.