NAACP Vick Press Conference

[cgrindley]

Why is the NAACP attempting to lose all of its support? Why? This is crazy. Watch it on CNN now.

[IndianaJones]

1. support from who? nt.

[northernsoul]

2. Wait? Are they supporting Vick or something?

If they are, that's a great way to lose a whole lot of moral credibility with me.

[cgrindley]

5. They're claiming that...

a) he didn't do some of the things that he's saying he did
b) all the witnesses were railroaded
c) that he should continue palying for the Falcons
d) that it's all because of his doo-rag

this is probably the most insulting crap I've watched in a long time

[ecstatic]

9. Well the public demanded justice

A plea deal is just that. He was forced to admit guilt in order not to get the death penalty.

[RebelOne]

31. He wouldn't get the death penalty, just a longer prison sentence.

[Rockholm]

42. Oh, give me a friggin' break!

This is REALLY pissing me off! If Tom Brady was involved in dog fighting, I can guarantee you that he would be persona non grata here in Massachusetts and the rest of New England. No matter that he lead us to 3 Super Bowl victories.
This is NOT a race issue. Why is the NAACP ruining their reputation for this POS Michael Vick. I hope he rots for the cruelty he personally inflicted on those poor dogs. I would be ashamed of him, but I don't care about him. It really bugged me when he apologized to those whom he had hurt. Did he include the dead dogs in that?
Asshole.

[Mike Daniels]

71. I guess the apology was to the "fans" who will now have to watch the Falcons suck even more

I swear some of these "fans" would claim racism and defend/excuse Vick even if he lit a dog on fire during the national anthem at the Super Bowl.

[spanone]

3. Vick's crimes have nothing to do with his heritage....he killed animals

[LibertyLover]

74. That's apparently one of the things that the head of the GA NAACP

is trying to excuse. I can't give you the direct quote, but it was something like, so what that Vick killed dogs - hunting deer is legal.

[FyurFly]

4. Who would give a flying...

Fuck about what the NAACP had to say about fucking anything?

[IndianaJones]

6. now these are the responses I have come to expect. nt.

[dmallind]

8. So what should the response be?

What should the NAACP response to Viok's confessed crimes have been?

And, now knowing what it is, what should the response from the general public be to their support?

[IndianaJones]

11. don't know. There certainly is no history in this country of african americans...

being railroaded or screwed by our wonderful justice system. And there sure is a load of support for minorities and the groups that represent them.

This hateful rhetoric is laughable.

[The Straight Story]

20. There may be a history of it, but that does not mean every case is such

I think the NAACP should just use a little better judgment in the battles they choose. There are thousands of black folks out there now needing their help, but they are not NFL stars and getting press.

[IndianaJones]

24. We differ on the judgement of an organization that has spent its...

history struggling for civil rights. I trust them.

[TZ]

33. ah yes

You seem to think that all atheletes are above the law don't you? I haven't seen anything from you about any of the myriad atheletes with ethical troubles except about how great they are and anybody who attacks them is just ignorant. I don't know how anybody can defend this man except for those in society today (and there are many) that believe animals have been given to man to use as he sees fit

[IndianaJones]

35. I don't know what you are referring to? Bonds?

be specific. Me and the ethically challenged NAACP not jumping all over the man. Sucks don't it?

[LanternWaste]

86. I trust them too, yet that does not imply...

I trust them too, yet that does not in any way imply (at least in my case) that I believe the NAACP is correct in every and all positions they take.

[dmallind]

21. No argument on the general side

Sure a black man is more likely to get arrested, less likely to get a fair trial, and more likely to be heavily punished than a white man (let alone a white woman - there is a huge gender bias too!) doing the same things. Anyone who says justice is color blind is a hugh moran.

BUT (yes you knew a but was coming) that's the general. With Vick we are dealing with the specific. Not only a man who can afford excellent legal representation but one who was idolized by millions. And of course, one who has admitted guilt, and who was witnessed by several people, in a nasty crime.

I don't get the idea you are stupid enough to assume that just because black men in general get a raw deal from the justice system, the media and public opinion, that this means no specific black man can be guilty as charged and a pathetic excuse for a human being to boot.

I'm all for the NAACP when they complain about and act to change the general. I think that's a noble cause. I can't feel it emotionally because I'm a white guy, but I can see it rationally and I can believe the overwhelming evidence that their position is true. I'd also support them if they took the stance of supporting any specific example of a black man who was railroaded and wrongly or unfairly punished. Where they lose me is when they support a specific example of a black man who is admittedly (and obviously) guilty and who, thanks to his wealth, will probably get off quite lightly.

If this were Peyton Manning would you have the same opinion? Would the NAACP? I would.

[IndianaJones]

25. our prison systems are filled with african americans that have experienced the general side.

why the government and media should enjoy absolute trust in this case is baffling to me.

[dmallind]

27. Let the NAACP support them in press conferences then

Not a guy who has confessed and who was witnessed (by other black guys at that). We don't NEED to absiolutely trust the media and government here.

Again - reassure me please - is it possible for a black man to be guilty and deserve punishment? If Vick has done what he (and other black men) said he did, should he deserve support?

[IndianaJones]

30. Witnessed by men that themselves attempting to avoid long stints in prison?

How does that prove that the government is trustworthy? Is it the ability to set one black man against another to save his own life? Given the experience and mistrust of the justice system by many african americans, the vast majority in my opinion, what do you expect a black man to do when faced with the full power of the federal goverment? Going to trial and expecting a fair shake is a luxury reserved for the race in power in this country. I know a lot of people don't like to hear that. The NAACP realizes it and so do I.

[dmallind]

34. Oh jeez hyperbole now?

Is there a death penalty for animal abuse now? Whose life is at risk? Do black men who give evidence against others become automatically untrustworthy? Why do white witnesses do the same if they have the luxury of a "fair shake" when "facing the full power of the federal government"? Is any evidence given by involved witnesses railroaded - or just black witnesses? And even if they are Vick can afford excellent lawyers and if he is innocent can put on a good defense surely.

Again - is it possible for a black man to be guilty and deserve punishment? I did not initially see you as the irrational type who automatically defends all black men no matter how badly they behave, but please know it's getting close to the point where I hjave to change that opinion. Your conspiracy theory expects me to believe that one prominent black athlete out of hundreds was randomly picked for completely false charges of animal abuse, that physical evidence was planted on his property and that fake witnesses were rounded up and forced to lie about it to avoid their own jail time, and that an innocent man with the power of celebrity and access to a multi-million dollar defense team decided to plead guilty rather than fight to prove his innocence, as other rich black athletes have done successfully?

Isn't it just a bit simpler to assume that he admitted it because he's guilty, that the evidence was there because so were the abused dogs, and that the witnesses, out of either belated honesty or an attempt to partially expiate their own responsibility, told the truth? Occam must have a thick full beard in your world.

[IndianaJones]

36. It is often easy to express outrage when your world is filled with generalities....

unfortunately, specific cases come up every now and then. Thanks goodness for the NAACP.

[dmallind]

41. Whuh?

That doesn't even make sense. It's the specific that is the problem here. We agree on the general. It's that you seem incapable of coming up with any reason why this specific black man is innocent -against his own word and unlimited ability to defend himself in court - that is the specific issue.

Again - why is Vick innocent (NOT why are innocent blacks sometimes imprisoned - we agree there)?

Again is it possible for a black man to be a criminal and deserve punishment (not is it possible that some punished black men are innocent - we agree there)?

Your only possible explanation is a wildly implausible random conspiracy and absolutely stunning complaisance on the part of a rich and powerful innocent man. Can you reslly try to sell that idea?

Let's BE specific.

[IndianaJones]

48. I don't believe you are studied on the NAACP's stance on the case.

Perhaps some research.

[dmallind]

52. Perhpas some answers first

I'm discussing this with you not with the NAACP.

[IndianaJones]

53. it really appears that you are discussing it with yourself...

who has proclaimed Vicks innocence?

[dmallind]

58. You have not said he even COULD be guilty

let alone that he is.

If he is not innocent why did the witnesses have to be railroaded? If he is not innocent why should he even be free let alone still playing football? If he is not innocent why do you refuse to admit it's even possible for any black man to be guilty. Above all if he is not innocent why does ANY self-respecting organization want to call a press conferenec to defend him?

[IndianaJones]

59. I believe this thread was started regarding the NAACP stance, was it not?

I have had numerous discussions regarding Vick in other threads. If you wish to discuss the things you are interested in start a thread, and I will post there. The NAACP stance does not include Vicks innocence of all wrongdoing.

[LanternWaste]

the luxury of justice is reserved for the rich...

"Going to trial and expecting a fair shake is a luxury reserved for the race in power in this country."

I disagree. It appears to me that the luxury of justice is reserved for the rich-- regardless of orientation, color, or religion.

[Wesman 85]

97. O.J. Simpson

'nuff said. "Justice" can be bought and paid for regardless of the color of your skin.

[BadgerLaw2010]

46. Hundreds of thousands of young black men in more need of NAACP support than Vick.

If Vick had any way to get out of this, he would have paid his lawyers to do it.

[IndianaJones]

49. I'm pretty sure the NAACP is able to work on multiple things at once. Do you doubt that? nt.

[BadgerLaw2010]

51. So why waste a press conference on a "persecuted" multi-millionaire?

Especially one that fairly blatently did exactly what is being claimed that he did.

His "friends" didn't build the compound or finance the dog fights. That's Michael Vick's money. You bankroll a criminal operation, you're guilty.

[cgrindley]

56. Judging from the press conference, I do doubt it

the spokesperson was an idiot.

[IndianaJones]

63. I'm sure members of the NAACP have heard all that before. nt.

[cgrindley]

69. They just defended a guy who ran a dog fighting ring

come on. Be reasonable. Vick is scum. There's nothing lower than dog fighting. Jesus. Even beastialty porn is better than dog fighting.

[FreeStateDemocrat]

38. Most black and white multi-millionaires get the best justice money can buy.

It is the poor that get run over by the justice system. Vick has extensive resources to get the best legal defense possible, the sick fucker deserves to get slammer time. The race card shouldn't get played here, it only cheapens its significance in the future. My opinion of the present NAACP leadership has been eroded by this type of behavior.

[IndianaJones]

39. that old stand by....the race card. lol. nt.

[BadgerLaw2010]

44. Hard to railroad someone with unlimited financial resources and the best legal representation

The idea that these charges are fabricated is absurd.

[IndianaJones]

47. I don't believe that is the NAACP's stance. Perhaps some research. nt.

[cgrindley]

67. They said that the testimony against Vick was coerced

and that Vick was railroaded into accepting a plea deal.

Instead, the NAACP should have protested the plea deal and complained how rich and poor black people are treated differently by the legal system. They should have argued that Vick should have faced the full fury of a RICO case. If there is a racial issue in this, it's that Vick received preferential treatment. Try running an interstate gambling operation if you're an Italian American and see how long you get to serve in prison.

[IndianaJones]

72. Now its preferential treatment in the justice system for the black man? LOL. nt.

[Mike Daniels]

73. Jesus, how was Vick railroaded?

His entire posse flipped on his animal-torturing ass and he copped a deal to avoid spending the full length of any playing years he has left in prison.

Hardly sounds like the actions of an innocent person who can easily afford the best lawyers in the world to defend him against false charges.

[JuniperLea]

92. Pardon the pun...

but they have no dog in this show.

A man broke the law. In order to lessen his jail time, he coped a plea. End of story. The color of his skin is of no matter here.

[BOSSHOG]

7. National Association for the Advancement of Cute Puppies??

Apparently not. If they are right, why did he plead GUILTY?

[IndianaJones]

15. perhaps to avoid 5, 10 or 20 years or more. the skewing of our justice system...

against african americans is well documented. Does it somehow not apply in his case?

[BOSSHOG]

16. Please

share with us all the documentation relative to this incident of jurisprudence that makes it a racial issue. Dogs were tortured and killed just for not "performing" up to expectations. He admitted to that. Are the laws in Virginia harsher for Blacks taking such action then whites? Please share evidence of a "skew" in this case.

[IndianaJones]

22. I do not know what evidence was presented. Apparently the NAACP...

has reviewed the case and is concerned. The hateful reaction here is not surprising. You know what I know....what the federal government and the media have told you. Your trust in them is noted. I do not share it. The evidence of these bastions of institutional racism railroading african americans and filling our prison system with them is well known to me. I will come down on the side of trusting the judgement of those that have much more experience with the governments idea of justice than I. I do realize after reading the myriad of posts regarding Vick, from the lynch him posts, to the "black dog" posts that complete trust in what the government has presented as facts is common here. To the point that the NAACP, a bastion of the civil rights struggle, is now painted with the same hateful brush. I don't share that trust in the government and media. I doubt what they say about him and his involvement. History is my evidence. I have argued this to the point of exhaustion.

[BOSSHOG]

26. Please

tell us what the federal government and the media have to do with the man PLEADING GUILTY. If he is not guilty why did he so plead? If others who pleaded guilty were not involved why did they PLEAD GUILTY?

Someone trusting institutions is totally fucking irrelevant to the fact that the MAN PLED GUILTY.

I look forward to your future post explaining how the government and the media railroaded Vick and the others and forced them to PLEAD GUILTY.

Your point of view is duly noted.

[Name removed]

28. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Kajsa]

37. "Hateful reaction"?

Some of us have supported the NAACP and are questioning why
they are doing this. That hardly constitutes " hateful".

We are not talking about Rosa Parks here.
We are talking about a guy who
had dogs tortured and killed for "fun" and profit!

Please, someone hook up this thread to a tank of sanity
and turn it on, full blast.

[IndianaJones]

54. have you read this thread?

cute puppies? fuck the....? ha.

[cgrindley]

61. The government should have RICO'd his dumb ass

why would anyone throw away hundreds of millions of dollars and a glamorous career for something as fucking trash as dog fighting? WTF! Anyone that damn dumb should be put away for life. And the NAACP defending this idiot just makes them look both credulous and mean spirited. The truly insane, absolutely shocking thing about it all is that the NAACP has just gone toe to toe with PETA and lost! Jesus. They should disband and reorganize under a new name in shame. Vivisectionists routinely kick the shit out of PETA.

[IndianaJones]

62. The NAACP has face opposition during its entire existence. It is a long struggle...it continues...

despite resistance.

[Kajsa]

76. Yes I have.

Does that speak for all of us?
No- no lone post does.

[IndianaJones]

79. uh huh. nt.

[blondeatlast]

68. "I do not know what evidence was presented..."

Dead dogs. Instruments of "discipline." Eyewitnesses galore.

Even most of his team doesn't want him back.

I'll save you the trouble of a Google search, here: http://www.google.com/search?q=michael+vick+evidence&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7GGLH

[IndianaJones]

75. eyewitnesses galore? The guys that plead to get lighter sentences? lol. nt.

[blondeatlast]

77. Yes, those guys--who don't have millions and the NAACP in their defense. nt

[IndianaJones]

78. exactly...the coerced witnesses the NAACP cites. nt.

[blondeatlast]

87. Well, where was the NAACP when the charges came down on THEM? nt

[IndianaJones]

88. I don't know. Is this the new direction of the discussion?...

the NAACP is preferential of some blacks over others?

[CreekDog]

81. Yes, we have to trust big institutions that know more than us "little people"

like for instance, how all the experts in Gov't were right on Iraq in 2002.

[IndianaJones]

84. we must only mistrust the government when it does not involve the black man.

about that it is always honest and accurate.

[Name removed]

99. Deleted message

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

[LanternWaste]

91. It certainly doesn't appear to me to be a hateful reaction

It certainly doesn't appear to me to be a hateful reaction. It does however appear that you have been sidestepping a number of specific and relevant questions.

Everyone here is well aware of institutional racism, yet I also believe that most here have the depth of wisdom to distinguish between the criminal and the color of the criminal... and I'll be honest-- it appears to me that you can't (or won't).

While it's true that history may be used as evidence, it's also true that many use history to camouflage the specifics and hide it within the general.

[Kajsa]

50. Three Words.

OJ Simpson trial.

[dionysus]

66. 20 years my fucking ass

what an idiotic stance you've taken here.

[IndianaJones]

70. there was a range involved...of course you picked the longest one...

and there were other charges to be brought, which could have resulted in much longer sentences. Of course the cussing makes you look cool.

[dionysus]

103. fuckin a right it does.

Defending the piece of shit animal exectutioner, classyyyy. Did Mark Furhman plant the evidence?

[Colobo]

10. Two thumbs down to the NAACP.

[AndyA]

12. The bottom line.

It doesn't matter whether a person is black, white, male, female, or otherwise...if they abuse animals, torture them, and kill them it is wrong. And anyone or anything who defends those who do such abominable things is just as guilty.

Animals should be treated with respect and dignity. Vick confessed, and his co-conspirators also admitted guilt.

What the hell is the NAACP defending?

[AusTexDem]

13. R. L. White Pres. NAACP Atlanta

R.L. White President of the Atlanta chapter of the NAACP today made comments in support of Michael Vick and asked that the NFL not ban Mr. Vick.

Here is a quote form todays press conference.

"Let's maintain our humanness when we are trying the remedy the whole situation.Yes there are many dog lovers, fans in the NFL. But, there are also many many others who love Michael Vick. And these people are significant in numbers. What we should do is try our best to recognize that whether it's Michael Vick or anybody. Humans are redeemable. In some instances I believe that Michael Vick has received more negative press than if he had killed a human being. The way he is being persecuted he wouldn't have been persecuted that much if he had killed somebody." -R.L.White

[underpants]

14. R.L is an asshole

Don't trust....

[Forkboy]

17. So if he killed someone he'd get less than 18-36 months?

The way he is being persecuted he wouldn't have been persecuted that much if he had killed somebody."

Alriiiiiiighty then.

[flvegan]

19. Does ole R.L. make a statement about every black fella tossed in the pokey

on drug charges, making the same "killed a human being" allegation? Or is it just the rich, famous ones?

[BonnieJW]

29. At least

another human (man Vick's size) would have had a chance. What chance does a dog have aginst several grown men who hang it and then drown it?

[Marnieworld]

32. Yes of course football stars who kill don't get much attention

:eyes: I'd like to refer the NAACP to the years 1994-1995. :rofl:

[BadgerLaw2010]

40. Kill someone in Virginia and see how that one works out for you.

This is the "we can execute the boy too" (regarding the DC Snipers) state.

[Mike Daniels]

80. Interesting that RL asks people to maintain their humanness while the man he's defending

has shown himself to be lacking in pretty important human qualities.

[napi21]

90. There may be "many" who love Vick, but they sure don't constitute

the MAJORITY! I live 3 miles from the Falcon Training Camp! I saw all the protestors there right after this news became public. Michake will NEVER play for the Falcons again, and I'm not really sure any other NFL owner would hire him either.

Kick yourself in the a** Mike! You had the world by the tail and YOU screwed up big time!

[Marnieworld]

98. They need a more recent vote

There were many who loved him BEFORE this came out. Not anymore. Exhibit A all of the Vick jerseys being sent to Humane societies now. To compare the love one has for their dog (let alone the love returned) to being of fan of a football player is dishonest. There are many players I support and admire and I even have a few jerseys myself but that's a 16 days a year love (more if your lucky) not a 365 day a year love of a dog. If anyone is forgetting their humanity it is Vick and his friends.

[rinsd]

102. Yeah the press went easy on Rae Carruth

:eyes:

[Philosoraptor]

18. It struck me as beneath the dignity of the NAACP, & beyond it's purpose.

I'm sure vick will be treated fairly by the law, as he is a multi millionaire.

[Supersedeas]

95. money talks -- maybe they expect a hefty donation in exchange for this PR move

[WorkingClassGuy]

23. Sometimes You Can Overidentify With Someone To The Point Of Lunacy

eom

[musiclawyer]

45. Same think with the Latino groups and Gonzo

They were waxing poetic over him. I was throwing up. I'm latino. Like I've said many times, enthnicity based gorups have a place, but their publicly supporting politicians and celebrities strictly based on identification is BS and should be ridiculed.

[sampsonblk]

43. Yep. This ain't good.

[GeniusLib]

55. Just when I thought they couldn't make themselves look more irrelevant and ridiculous

[Drum]

57. Overall, I'm not sure how this (press conference) contributes much

to the "Advancement" part of the NAACP's name...nor to the plural indicated in "People."

Fair representation in the legal system: hell yes, I'm for that. But I think the NAACP might not want commit too loudly in this case. Too many factors are already in Vick's favor to make him any kind of typical defendant. I agree with other posters up-thread who think the organization's clout would be better used supporting less-advantaged individuals in more important cases...important for all. I just don't see Vick as a victim of anything here---quite the contrary.

:shrug:

[cgrindley]

65. He did get biased treatment

probably due to his fame. The government had more than enough on him to make a case for running an interstate illegal gambling operation. That would have put him away for 25 years. He got off way too easy. Due to his fame, the government had no choice but to offer him a plea, just in case the jury would get star struck like they have in other cases involving famous people (eg Robert Blake).

[Forkboy]

60. This a funny ass thread.

[Squatch]

89. It really is...

at one point, I was scrolling through a subthread and the bright color avatars jumped out. Indiana-Wisconsin-Indiana-Wisconsin-Indiana-Wisconsin-Indiana-Wisconsin-Indiana-Wisconsin-Indiana-Wisconsin :rofl:

I felt like changing my avatar and throwing in a Texas or California just to mix things up.

[Zavulon]

64. How to turn a worthwhile organization into a worthless one:

Just make anything a racial issue and support scum no matter what.

I honestly cannot think of anything Vick could have done that could have cost him the NAACP's support. He could have fucked those dogs and their puppies in front of children, and the NAACP would still say he was being railroaded.

Out of the thousands and thousands of worthwhile racial battles to pick, these assholes pick this one? Unbelievable. Simply unbelivable.

[northernsoul]

82. the double tragedy of this

is that in taking the morally frivolous position of supporting a sadistic multi-millionaire, the NAACP has squandered its much-needed moral credibility on the many legitimate issues in which it is an advocate for justice.

[blondeatlast]

85. That's just it. It's like the AARPs first venture into taking corporate sponsorship--

you simply can never get that moral credibility back.

This was a colossal blunder and I'm assuming it's only the local organization--but now the national org may have to step up to the plate on this one and it will not be pretty with this biased, corrupt, and lazy mainstream media.

[JuniperLea]

93. Nailed it...

Concise, and correct.

[blondeatlast]

83. Where's the outrage for Genarlow Wilson?

You want a case that's obviously about racism where guilt is questionable at best? Here's your man--er, kid:

Once, he was the homecoming king at Douglas County High. Now he's Georgia inmate No. 1187055, convicted of aggravated child molestation.

When he was a senior in high school, he received oral sex from a 10th grader. He was 17. She was 15. Everyone, including the girl and the prosecution, agreed she initiated the act. But because of an archaic Georgia law, it was a misdemeanor for teenagers less than three years apart to have sexual intercourse, but a felony for the same kids to have oral sex.

Afterward, the state legislature changed the law to include an oral sex clause, but that doesn't help Wilson. In yet another baffling twist, the law was written to not apply to cases retroactively, though another legislative solution might be in the works. The case has drawn national condemnation, from the "Free Genarlow Wilson Now" editorial in The New York Times to a feature on Mark Cuban's HDNet.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=Wilson

[cgrindley]

96. Probably because people don't care as much

A 17 year old getting a 15 year old to suck his dick is more than a little creepy. I'm upset that the law seems to be all scrambled up, but I'd be willing to see all sexual contact between anyone over 16 and anyone under 16 punished by a healthy jail sentence, so-called consent notwithstanding. Children, quite obviously, are incapable of consenting to a sexual act. I really don't care about Genarlow Wilson.

[BronxBoy]

94. Ah Jeez......

I just knew they were going to go there. I wish they hadn't but they did.

I guess I got to go write an OP

Idiots

[Strawman]

100. The media will always seems to find some black "spokesperson" willing to help them trivialize racism

Al Sharpton wisely wouldn't take the bait this time so they just went and found someone else. He's gotta feel like he can't win.

It's like a role some black spokesperson has to play in this media drama so whites can be led to the false, but reassuring conclusion that racism is a thing of the past and "those people cry racism about everything." Shit like this and OJ are a big reason why a horrible referendum like Prop 2 (the affirmative action ban) passed in Michigan last year. It's a rare occasion where a white person is dumb enough to publicly engage in the kind of overt racism that Don Imus did earlier this year that allows blacks to be the sympathetic figures in media coverage. And I understand that racism is subtle these days, so there is a temptation to point out the racism in these high profile stories that are already getting coverage. There are fewer dramatic racist events that make our sensationalized newscasts than there were in the 1960's. Just things like boring statistics that show that it is undeniable that African-Americans are victimized by institutional racism in America.

But there's always some black "leader(s)" willing to take the worst possible test case like this one to the court of American public opinion in exchange for that media spotlight. Fucking sad. It makes me suspicious about whether or not these "leaders" actually fucking care about advancing their supposed cause. Many seem pretty goddamn comfortable in the status quo while they people they are supposed to represent suffer greatly.

I certainly won't deny that there a dose of racism in the outrage from whites about Vick, unfair contempt for young black males and the "hip hop culture" they believe he symbolizes that can't be separated out from the legitimate outrage over the wanton cruelty and animal torture he engaged in, but it is foolish for any black leader to take that bait. This guy deserves what he gets and standing up for him hurts the credibility of anyone who cares about standing up for the people who truly don't deserve to be harmed and are victimized by racism exclusively.

[BlooInBloo]

101. Support from people whose support was nothing more than verbal in the first place?

Whatever - I think they'll get over the loss of fake friends.

[devilgrrl]

104. Who's running the NAACP these days? Armstrong Williams?

:tinfoilhat: The reason I say that is, like labor unions, I believe that organization has been infiltrated by agent provocateurs to purposely look silly.

[MISSDem]

105. All I can say about the whole sorry lot is this:

The Associated Press reported this lovely tidbit, that about a dozen Vick No. 7 jerseys have been donated to the Atlanta Humane Society, which uses them for blankets and also to mop up.

That would be funny, except for the blood that was spilled in the woods on Michael Vick’s property, quite obviously with his active cooperation. Vick deserves a life away from football to ponder it.
This from an article in the Washington Post.