`Hottest places in hell' await dogfight promoters, oldest U.S. senator Robert Byrd fumes

[Madspirit]

(I didn't see this posted. If it is, please delete. Thank-you.)

`Hottest places in hell' await dogfight promoters, oldest U.S.
senator Robert Byrd fumes

By CHARLES BABINGTON
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON -- Allegations of a vicious dogfighting ring prompted an
unusually emotional speech in the Capitol on Thursday, as the
Senate's longest-serving member fought back tears and called for
God's judgment on those who promote such activities.

"Barbaric," Democratic Sen. Robert C. Byrd shouted four times in a
Senate chamber that was mostly empty except for two dozen somewhat
startled tourists in the balcony.

"Let that word resound from hill to hill and from mountain to
mountain, from valley to valley across this broad land," he
thundered, raising his right hand. "May God help those poor souls who
would be so cruel. Barbaric! Hear me!"

Federal agents have charged National Football League star Michael
Vick and three others with procuring and training pit bulls for
fighting in Virginia and elsewhere. Investigators say some losing
dogs died in the pit or were later electrocuted, drowned, hanged or
shot.

Byrd, 89, said he would not prejudge the men's guilt or innocence,
but he left no doubts about his sentiments.

"I am confident that the hottest places in hell are reserved for the
souls of sick and brutal people who hold God's creatures in such
brutal and cruel contempt," he said.

"One is left wondering," he said. "Who are the real animals: the
creatures inside or outside the ring?"

When he finished, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, also a Democrat, who
sometimes brings his Portuguese water dogs to work, said, "Great
speech, Bob." As Byrd left the chamber, a Senate page and TV reporter
shook his hand and thanked him, and a young woman had her photo taken
with him.

[emilyg]

1. Thank you.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

2. Link, por favor?

The story sounds great. MKJ

[Madspirit]

4. Sorry

I don't have a link. It was posted on another group I am on. It says it's AP and the author so it should be easy to find. I would do it but I have to log off for a while. Sorry again.

Lee

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

9. Hey, no problemo, it's all good.

:hi: MKJ

[flvegan]

6. Here

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/07/19/america/NA-GEN-US-Senator-Dogfighting.php

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

11. I call bogus.

MKJ

[flvegan]

12. I just provide a link

I don't back it's validity. That's the job of the end user.

[Bluebear]

25. "I call bogus!"

Um OK...

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/07/19/278997.aspx

[illinoisprogressive]

3. this sickens me and I hate those who do this. I have 2 precious pets.

a dog and a cat. The very thought of them being treated this way brings me to tears. Especially since I just lost my beloved Tiger a few weeks ago.
I hate people who abuse sweet innocent animals.

[Dhalgren]

5. Thank you Senator! "Barbaric!" My feelings exactly!

Rec!

[earthlover]

7. Thank you Senator Byrd

I heard Vick being interviewed on radio. He said he had received nothing but "love" from people. He went on to say that this had nothing to do with his playing football and he intended to continue playing a sport that has better working conditions than that of his dogs.

Sorta says it all about his attitude.

Can you imagine someone who waited on tables for a living being indicted for this sort of creulty and making a point that it had nothing to do with the ability to do his/her job?

Can you imagine a secretary being indicted for this sort of cruelty and making a point that it had nothing to do with the ability to do his/her job?

Can you imagine a truck driver/pharmacist/teacher/homemaker/or any of the rest of us being indicted for this sort of cruelty and making a point that it had nothing to do with the ability to do his/her job?

Thanks again Senator Byrd for being who you are.

So Vick is a football player. My response to that: SO WHAT?!!!!!!

Being a football player should not give you a sense of entitlement that extends to using a crime's relevance to playing football as any relevant factor.

SO WHAT? Rot in jail, pond scum!

[Cha]

13. If that's what he said then..I say..

"that's not the point, asshole".

What was that crap about "better working conditions than that of his dogs?" So he's basically admitting his guilt and pulling a bushit..as in "so the fuck what?"

[hedgehog]

8. A'ccd to NPR this afternoon, dog fighting really took off in the 60's

The implication is that it was dying off before then. It's closely tied with gambling and is encouraged by some rappers.

[InvisibleTouch]

10. Good for Senator Byrd! n/t

[PBS Poll-435]

14. Byrd, To Me,

Is someone who has experienced life, rather that commenting on that.

I applaud him for everything he has done to heal our country in the last 50 years.

[JacquesMolay]

15. Man, is he still alive?

I haven't heard from him in years. He used to give these great speeches about Iraq, alluding to Roman history. Now he's talking about a damn dogfight. Dude.

And he's been alive like 150 years - I bet he went to a cockfight sometime in his life.

[Madspirit]

16. No...I'm channeling him.

Your comment...disgusting. ...and you don't have any idea what he's done in his long life. I'm 53 and I've never EVER seen or participated in any kind of SADISM.
Lee

[JacquesMolay]

17. Well, he was in the KKK for a while right?

I mean, he was in a different era, in an older South. There was some strange stuff goin' on in the woods. Those speeches he gave in the Senate Chamber against the Iraq invasion were f***ing sublime - learned and historically-framed. He shouldn't be harping on some damn backyard dogfight (and hey, those dumbasses should be punished to the fullest extent of the law - that's not the issue).

[Name removed]

22. Deleted message

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

[roguevalley]

28. so you assume all southerners of a certain age have seen or done

this sort of sport. none of my family has. we love and always loved dogs. he should speak for justice no matter who it involves. what people can do to animals, they tend to do to people. SPEAK OUT, SENATOR, FOR ALL THE DEFENSELESS OF THIS FUCKING STUPID WORLD!

[MLFerrell]

20. Amen.

[roguevalley]

26. I doubt it. he loves dogs and always has.

[Hidden Stillness]

18. It Was a Great Speech; Heard it on C-SPAN Today

The Associated Press article is very badly written (what the hell happened to the AP's standards, anyway?); slanted, not enough quotes to judge what it was about. I heard the speech live on C-SPAN2 this afternoon, and it was beautiful, and needed. Byrd is a well-known dog-lover, and really talks like one, here, at the recent hearings on poisoned dog food from China, and referring to loved family pets over the years. There were beautiful parts of the speech, on the sin of "training" these little friends of human beings, to ravage them, and send them to their deaths. Fights were described, taking hours, inflicting horrific damage, the losers killed, and even the "winners" sentenced to lives of torture. The whole sense of the speech, that these animals, like ourselves, are Godly creatures, and that the deliberate cruelty inflicted upon them, is a sin, the same as any other, committed against human victims. It was a touching and true speech. I wish C-SPAN would re-play it--probably won't--but it should eventually be on the Senate.gov/ website, speeches for July 19th, or on Byrd's own Senate site, but for those with faster internet connections able to play videos, it is on http://blog.washingtonpost.com/capitol-briefing/2007/07/byrd_to_michael_vick_go_to_hel.html . The greatest part of this speech was the total and genuine expression of love and compassion for animals, and the sense of sin committed by those vile humans who would enslave and torture them, with no regard or feeling at all. It was great, and I hope new legislation, if needed, will come of it. This outrageous story is spreading; tonight, PBS NewsHour had a segment on it, too.

[MLFerrell]

19. For once, I have to disagree with my venerable Senator.

* and the gang are *utterly* barbaric. Dogfighting is merely cruel at best.

Prioritize, Senator Byrd. Prioritize.

"God's creatures"

Does that include Iraqi HUMAN BEINGS, Senator?

:eyes:

[trashcanistanista]

23. FYI

Sen Byrd has been against the war from the beginning, one of the few who voted against it from the beginning. Has repeatedly spoken out against the war and *'s power grab.

[Sanctified]

21. Wait the hottest place is reserved for dog fight promoters?

Not those who lied to get a war, voted for a war or voted to fund a war? Sorry Mr. Byrd but Michael Vick is not going to reside in the hottest place in hell, it's going to be a President his administration a lot of Congressmen and a lot of your colleagues in the Senate.

[earthlover]

24. The hottest place in hell probably has room for both!

Vick is barbaric. Actually, that is too mild a word. He has company. That is why they are called barbarianS.

[Madspirit]

27. Yes!...There is room for both!...n/t