Who Let Mike Vick Out?

I love dogs. I really do. I'm not even lying when I say I love dogs more than people for the most part. Dogs don't annoy the shit out me. I'm always happy when I'm around a dog, and if I could, I'd just hang out with dogs every day.

Seriously, Arkansas Fred — the only person who may love dogs more than me, maybe — and I have talked about running a doggy daycare of sorts. Imagine just chillin with dogs all day. Sure as hell beats sitting in on office for 8 hours.

What I'm trying to say is, I couldn't even imagine brutally killing a dog or breeding dogs just to have them rip each other apart. Not my style. But having said that, I agree with every last word in spence's post today. Michael Vick, who was released from prison today, deserves a second chance, no matter what that chance might be. Everyone does. Just listen to spence's words:

I cannot stand this kind of shit. Who the fuck are you to say that someone doesn’t deserve another shot to redeem themselves and salvage their career? Yes, what Vick did was fucking terrible and, as a human, it thoroughly disgusts me, and I don’t think he’ll be soon forgiven, but he’s still entitled to earning a living doing whatever he wants to for whomever chooses to employ him.

…

And you know what? God forbid you or any of your family members ever fuck up anything in their lives either, because if that’s the case, I wish them nothing but the worst of luck getting their life back on track because if Mike Vick doesn’t deserve a second chance, neither does anyone you care about.

The thing is, people in life make mistakes. Terrible, horrible mistakes. I have. My friends have. Everyone has. And you have to pay the price, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be allowed to live your life. Michael Vick did his time, nearly a year and half in prison, and if you think that's not a real punishment, go ahead and try spending five days in your local county prison. See how long you think you could last. My guess is not very long.

It's so easy for people to sit around and judge others for the mistakes they've made. It's not so easy to imagine yourself in others' shoes. Or maybe it is, but it's not as convenient. Or as glamorous. I can sit here and tell you Michael Vick is a terrible human being who should be forced to live the rest of his life wandering the earth, but that's not for me to decide. People can change. People can learn. People can grow. Maybe Michael Vick won't. Maybe he will. Without a chance, no one will ever know. And wouldn't that be a shame?

The point of the prison system is not only to punish criminals, but to help rehabilitate them. That's an ideal that's been lost in the shuffle. When someone gets out of prison, they have a stigma associated with them the rest of their life. Just because Vick is out doesn't mean he's done doing time. His crimes, his transgressions will follow him the rest of his life. It's up to him to try and not let those define him. Who am I, or you, or anyone else to tell him he doesn't deserve the right to do that, to try to get his life back, to rehabilitate himself, his career, his image?

People love to cast stones from their glass houses instead of just enjoying the sunlight. Well, one day it's going to hail, even on your house. Hope that glass is bulletproof.