Playing The Species Card

"I don't know if he was fighting dogs or not, but it's his property. It's his dog. If that's what he wants to do, do it." - Clinton Portis

"Now, granted he might have been to a dogfight a time or two, maybe five times, maybe 20 times, may have bet some money, but he's not the one you're after." - Emmitt Smith

"I believe Vick had a passion for dogfighting. I know many athletes who share his passion. The allure is the intensity and the challenge of a dog fighting to the death. It's like ultimate fighting, but the dog doesn't tap out when he knows he can't win." - Deion Sanders

Some might say it's a cultural thing (black culture, perhaps? professional athlete culture?), but even it is, dogfighting is a barbaric, abhorrent practice. Some might say that Michael Vick is being unfairly singled out, perhaps because of his race, perhaps because of his celebrity, but the fact of the matter is that if you're caught engaging in or facilitating this bloodsport, you deserve to have the book thrown at you. No matter how hard his increasingly out of touch cronies protest otherwise, dogfighting is completely unacceptable. Maybe the feds actually are trying to make an example out of Vick, but if he's duly convicted as charged, he should be punished to the full extent of the law. For the NAACP to come out and support Michael Vick the way they have just plain looks bad.

In this country, you are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. We all learned from the Duke lacrosse case how damaging a premature rush to judgment can be. But there's a difference between reserving judgment and rushing to someone's side in support, particularly when you're a racial advocacy group. By getting involved, the NAACP looks like they're playing the race card in a last-ditch attempt to help him dodge the charges, giving the appearance that protecting one of their own, no matter what, is more important than seeing the perpetrator of these misdeeds properly punished. Alternatively, it might also look like they're saying that dogfighting isn't that bad to begin with. Neither scenario is ideal.

In my humble opinion, the NAACP is not doing their constituents any favors. While I might not always agree with their methodology, their stated mission is a noble one. For the good of that mission, it might be wise for the NAACP to shut their mouths and quietly stand off to the side.