27.7.07

Vick:Dogs::Favre:Deer

Dear Blogs,

Excuse me while I dig up some information about Brett Favre, everyone’s favorite quarterback, hunting deer. Maybe I can find a picture. Here are a few quotes. How nice. Brett Favre is a big fan of killing deer:

PK: What are you hunting?

Favre: Deer.

Meanwhile, Mike Vick is getting raked over the coals for training dogs how to fight and killing dogs.

Killing dogs isn’t cool, don’t get us wrong. But killing deer doesn’t seem very cool either. Anyone honestly believe that Favre brings the deer back and use all of the deer for daily household needs?

We also fully understand that killing dogs is against the law. And for that Vick should be prosecuted. No argument there.

But how about you bloggers get off your ‘holier than-thou’ horse and think long and hard about those hunting laws. Think about how minks are raised in small, cages for the single purpose of making fur coats. Think about that hamburger, hot dog, steak, chicken, or ham sandwich next time it enters your mouth. Think about that veal that you had (or have always wanted to have) and how that’s raised.

We’re no PETA members. We enjoy our hamburgers and hot dogs. And we understand the difference between a deer and a dog (a domesticated animal). But we also realize that reason why bloggers are going off on Vick is because like many people, they are probably dog owners. And they love their dogs. And to see someone treat dogs that way is a cold, harsh reflection on something happening to their dog. How could someone treat dogs as if they were ants or spider?

Mike Vick may have killed dogs. That’s not cool. But athletes who harm other humans? We detest them much more than Michael Vick.
But where were you when Brett Meyers beat his wife last year? And have you blogged against Leonard Little, let alone cheer for him, after he killed someone because he was driving drunk? If anyone should be kicked out of the NFL, it's Little. And least us forget Pacman Jones, who appears to have a connection to a shooting which left a man paralyzed. Yet the blogging world treats Pacman as as if he's the punchline.

All these crimes, in our eyes, are much more damning and actually deserve our detest. No hurting dogs isn't cool. But harming, or killing, humans is much, much worse.

If Vick had been involved in cockfights, would anyone care? I mean, that's illegal too.
As for Favre, he's just an example. And he didn't break the law, which Vick may have done. No, we don't think less of Favre because he likes to shoot deer. We don't think it's cool, but let's all realize that if we're going to go all nuts about athletes killing animals, where is the Favre outrage?

14 comments:

82 said...

Here is the piece your missing.....

Dogs are MUCH further up the 'ladder' than most other animals.

First off, they are domesticated animals, not too many people keep deer as pets.

Secondly, they share more characteristics with humans than almost any other animal on earth. There is a reason they call them mans best friend, there is a reason they are used by police units, there is a reason they are used by blind people. Dogs are more intelligent, loyal, and caring than almost any other animal.

Thirdly, because of the first 2 reasons, humans take to dogs like they are a member of the family. Now I've never personally even had a dog, but I know plenty of people who have just as every other American out there, and everyone can attest to friends/family members to have a dog and treat him as a child.

So as you can see, the Favre outrage isn't missing, its not felt. Dog is not a consumable commodity in American, deer is. So is cow, and chicken for that matter. Not to mention you are comparing a felony to a hobby. Get your head out of the sand and stop calling for Favre outrage when its not comparable... and if you want bloggers to talk about the other athletes and their charges then talk about it, you are the one writing about Vick. Lets not forget that there are numerous charges on Vick for this, gambling, guns, drugs. Write about those if you aren't comfortable saying dog killing is a punishable offense.

Anonymous said...

Go have a conversation with your dog and get back to me.

Mr. Dart said...

Do you really not know the difference between harvesting the overpopulation of deer (rather than have them starve to death) and raising dogs to kill each other? What an idiot.

Anonymous said...

Amen. I made a similar arguement on the Atlanta Journal Constitution site. Nothing advocates cruelity. However, the guy is getting nailed. What is the distinction? I mean cows and pigs are certainly sentient creatures. As are deers. Why Vick is being held to this standard is absurd

Otter said...

How could dogs be further up the ladder? All animals are created equal!

Okay, "Animal Farm" references aside, the point isn't what animal is better. I used Favre and deer as a some what extreme example of the ‘other side’. The point is that there are two highly hypocritical things taking place at once:
1) How it's okay to harm some animals and not okay to harm others... where is the line? Why is it if this was cockfighting, no one would probably care? I realize, dogs are a much different animal than roosters and people have strong connections - but in the grand scheme of thing what Vick apparently did was sick (and illegal); but I just don't think it's as sick as beating another human (let alone a woman).

2) Vick didn't harm any people. The outrage over the actions of Brett Myers, Jason Kidd, Sean Burke and other 'wife beaters'? Where are the 100s of people protesting those athletes?

Anonymous said...

Still waiting to hear from the dogs about all of this... apparently their intelligence is only outshone by their patience.

Anonymous said...

Hunting deer for sport and not nutrition, is no better than dogfighting, no matter what philosophical judgements have been made here about the hierarchy of the animal kingdom. Shooting innocent pheasant, bear, deer, ot duck as "game", is cruel. The word game implies that both participants have an equal chance. Deer do not have free will, and never consented to be hunted. They cannot grant such.

If you think what Favre does is more humane, tell it to the deer.

Anonymous said...

Bayne,

I took your advice and told a deer that what Favre does is more humane, but I have yet to receive any resposne whatsoever. The deer just stared at me! Deer are seriously rude.

Anonymous said...

If Vick had hunted wild dogs, there wouldn't be a problem. If he had raised deer in a house, trained them (via baiting, beating, breeding, and starvation) to be overly aggressive, and then let them loose in a ring to tear each other to strips, then there would be a problem. It's not about the dogs moron, it's about how he treated another living/ thinking/ feeling thing. Do you not get that?

Anonymous said...

If Vick had hunted wild dogs, there wouldn't be a problem. If he had raised deer in a house, trained them (via baiting, beating, breeding, and starvation) to be overly aggressive, and then let them loose in a ring to tear each other to strips, then there would be a problem. It's not about the dogs moron, it's about how he treated another living/ thinking/ feeling thing. Do you not get that?

Anonymous said...

^And dogs are more living/thinking/feeling than other animals?

Anonymous said...

OK honestly anyone that thinks hunting deer is wrong is a complete and total idiot. Deer hunting has been going on for a very long time. If killing of deer was ever stopped (which it will never...ever be stopped) there would be an overpopulation of deer. Guess what that means?? car accidents galore, DOMESTIC animals being injured, and complete devastation of our current wildlife ecosystem/habitat/biome. And those are only a few things that will happen. Thats why i killed a nice 8 point buck only yesterday. Yep, you heard me, i MURDERED an innocent deer. Cry me a river. He's going to be hanging on the wall next to some of his buddies. Wow i still cannot believe there is a comparison of deer and dogs going on. There are dogs out there that are specifically trained to hunt deer. Call me a redneck. I really dont care because anybody that cant see the difference between a dog and a deer belongs out on my hunting land where i can shoot him/her. Mr. Vick is obviously a ghetto thug that hasnt the least bit of respect for animals and i hope he suffers for his despicable actions. And for all those out there that have never been hunting, i suggest you try it out.

Anonymous said...

OK honestly anyone that thinks hunting deer is wrong is a complete and total idiot. Deer hunting has been going on for a very long time. If killing of deer was ever stopped (which it will never...ever be stopped) there would be an overpopulation of deer. Guess what that means?? car accidents galore, DOMESTIC animals being injured, and complete devastation of our current wildlife ecosystem/habitat/biome. And those are only a few things that will happen. Thats why i killed a nice 8 point buck only yesterday. Yep, you heard me, i MURDERED an innocent deer. Cry me a river. He's going to be hanging on the wall next to some of his buddies. Wow i still cannot believe there is a comparison of deer and dogs going on. There are dogs out there that are specifically trained to hunt deer. Call me a redneck. I really dont care because anybody that cant see the difference between a dog and a deer belongs out on my hunting land where i can shoot him/her. Mr. Vick is obviously a ghetto thug that hasnt the least bit of respect for animals and i hope he suffers for his despicable actions. And for all those out there that have never been hunting, i suggest you try it out.

Anonymous said...

It isn't "cool" to hurt dogs or to hunt deer"? Why be so mealy-mouthed about it? Why don't you just come out and say "cruel," if only for the sake of saying the obvious?