Drink Rum

Charlie, you should be thrilled to know that I am going to give your antics last night a pass and not make today's post about your drunken pokerness. Granted, I could easily post pages on what could be dubbed "Charlie Doesn't Have an Indoor Voice". Or about your stealthy moves climbing over a saddle or you logical flaw regarding whether or not Pam was serious about shoving a glass of water up your ass. (She was.) Enough on that.

Actually, not... Pam, thanks for hosting the poker party. It was good fun. Also, thanks for the Scotch. 12 year old single malt goodness. E-mail me the label if you don't mind. Also, also... I owe you $5. I did some math wrong during payout.

So... I'm in an absolutely foul mood. I'm quite tired. I've been fighting sinus problems for a week. Work was a mess. I just feel completely drained. So today's post will be a mean one. Oh yeah, I was almost run off the road today by a swarthy teen in a low-rider on the way to work. He got double middle fingers and had I not been late for work I might have followed him so as to hit him in the head with a tire iron. Probably not. Maybe. I thought about it. Good segue...

I hate people that seem to think that their entitled to something. Like the butt hole in traffic, Mike Vick (yeah I'm gonna talk about him) seems to think that because he's a star athlete (ath-uh-leet) with $100 million he can do whatever he wants.

Those of you who follow things, know what this is about, but for those that don't:

Mike Vick is an over-rated thug of an a$$ who is the quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons.
He was charged with federal charges resulting from his purchasing a piece of property for use in illegal dog fights, for organizing a gambling operation, and for the slaughter of dogs.

Mike Vick has plead guilty to a conspiracy charge to operate a dog fighting ring. He has also admitted through his lawyer that his actions caused the destruction of six dogs. This is all from court papers.

These are all Federal charges. Virginia is setting up its own set.

So fine. Vick is a disgusting human being. He goes to jail. He loses millions. His career is ruined. All perfectly fine.

But now come the apologists. The NAACP is saying that Vick's admission of guilt isn't really an admission of guilt... it's him just cutting his losses. It's really the witnesses who have made sworn testimony that VIck killed dogs who are out to save themselves. The NAACP also thinks that the NFL shouldn't punish him and that Nike should give him his endorsements back. I remember when the NAACP had a concern about black role models in society. Shame on you NAACP, shame on you.

Several NFL players have come out to defend Vick too. Most cite the fact that Vick came from a horrible inner city childhood and dog fights were a part of his culture. Ya know... I've know lots of people from that type of background... none of them ever got millions of dollars... none of them ran dog fighting rings... at some point you have to take responsibility for yourself. It's not always society. Sometimes... the problem is you.

Clinton Portis, who I hope breaks his other shoulder, supported Vick using the "they're his dogs, he can do what he wants to with them". 150 years ago, people could have made the same statement referring to slavery.

Several folks have talked about how Vick should be given a pass because of his superior athletic ability and all of the good things he's done. Sure. I guess if OJ gets off, let's let everyone run amuck.

Then there's the hunting arguement. If you kill a deer... it's hunting. If you kill a dog, it's a crime.

Except you don't breed the deer. You don't train the deer. You aren't responsible for the personality instilled on the deer. The deer doesn't look to you to provide for its livelihood. The deer doesn't trust you.

The saddest thing about it all is that as Vick was smashing his dog's head against a wall trying to kill it... the dog's thoughts were probably of trying to figure out what it did wrong to so anger its companion.

I can't think of a punishment gruesome enough for him. I was thinking he should either be fed to dogs or maybe have his head smashed in with a brick or maybe even electrocution until he catches fire.

Or maybe he should have to come to my house and play with my fun dogs and see what he's been destroying.

Or both.