Is the Vick animal cruelty case based on race?

Question

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=dw-vickhearing072607&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Yahoo seems to think so. One side is the approx 90% white animal rights activists demonstrating outside the courthouse while the approx 95% black crowd is asking for due process. I'm actually for both sides here. Yes, it is wrong to force dogs to fight and torture the losing animal, but it is also wrong to assume guilt before the case has been heard. Vick has a lot of explaining to do, and his reputatation may not recover from this. I like that the NFL is holding off on any suspensions until the case is resolved. What are your thoughts on how much race will play a role in this case.

Answer 1

that's right butt kisser, go ahead and slash the victim card.
Race has nothing to do with it.
Let's think of the most whitebread person on earth..hmmm let's say Bill O'riley and he's accused of the same thing Vick is.. How much do you want to bet they'll be a huge throng of white people, both lib and con calling for his head..

That's the difference, most white people dont care what color you are; If you're scum' you're scum.

Answer 2

If there was another case where the person is doing the same thing, and is not being prosecuted with the same intensity then it could be race, or it could be someone who does not like the team Vic plays for, or even someone who wants to make an example of a public figure.

Hard to say, but I believe in due process and I am white. Before I would call it a race issue, I would try to find out what percentage of animal activists are white. If it is 90% then that is the makeup of the group protesting, not good gauge of how all white people feel.

As for the 95% protesting for due process, well that is a larger issue.

Answer 3

Honestly not much. If the federal government indites you you are pretty much guilty. They win 95% of cases that have been indited.

I think his past actions and his display of his lack character( if anything other than the mounding evidence) are more of a reason to think and judgments attitudes are involved.

However the NFL must think he is guilty as well. They have banned him from any practices and training camps until further notice as well as pulled all of his merchandise from NFL.com.

However, public opinion and what the courts say and do are two different things. People, including the NFL may be assuming things before he is convicted, but the gonvernment has not done that, the people have. This is largly due to the mounting evidence against him, much of which found on his property.

Answer 4

Animal rights activists are pro animal to the extent of taking actions that violate the law and rights of other humans.

I can see why people don't want him crucified by the press until he has had his day in court. No, it's not racial. Some of his supporters are white. I didn't know Vick was black until I saw him on TV last night.

Whether (rooster) cock fighting or dog fighting, animal fighting is a cruel activity. If a celebrity is involved, the positive part is that it focuses attention on all this.

I'm hoping that Vick will do everything he can to fight this evil kind of sport after all this is over.. But that might never happen.

Why was the word c-o-c-k censored by Yahoo?

Answer 5

The case isn't based on race. Part of the public opinion is.

You say that 90% of the animal rights activists are white. Well, in general, that's what it should be. Only 13 % of the US population is black. So unless blacks are over-representative in the animal rights movement, that sounds about right.

As for the "due process" crowd being 95% black. That seems racist to me and it seems they are trying to sway public opinion.

Due process doesn't mean an individual cannot base an opion before a court case is completed.

Answer 6

Vick deserves due process, as does anyone accused of a crime; however, I can't see where race has anything to do with the charges.

Addition: This is simply another sad instance when the race card is played for a violation that has no excuse or defense. I would certainly hope a white, brown, yellow, or purple person under allegations for similar offenses would be appropriately charged.

Naturally, due process should be accorded, but claims that the case is racially based are nonsense.

Would the animinals used in the fights believe their fate was racially based, or based on greed and sadism?

Answer 7

It's only about race because he's black. If it was a white football player who was being indicted, it would be based on animal cruelty, which is what it should be based on anyway.

I think when it comes to the legal side of the case, race won't matter that much. There's little telling how much it will play in the media and protests, though. Probably much more than it should.

Answer 8

I just asked the same question...pretty much. I think these black people are taking this "cause" to the extreme. I can't stand a racist...that goes for black against white as well. These black people are not interested in the facts of the case all they see is a black man accused of something! These white people would still be there no matter what color the person was. They are there for the cause!!! The animal cruelty is the problem not the color of the man accused! Can you see these black people being there if say...Drew Bledsoe was accused??? Hell No!! As far as being considered guilty already....this happens to MANY MANY people!! It's natural to want to hold somebody responsible for heinous crimes.
I think these black people are making themselves look ignorant. If I were black right now, I would be ashamed of these people representing my race! No??

Answer 9

Race is an inescapable factor in American life, particularly when the justice system is involved. What the story you cite notes is that blacks seem to be arguing that the man has a right to defend himself and that he is innocent until proven guilty, whereas white protesters are upset about the dogs and seem to be assuming Vick's guilt. Given that it has historically been difficult for anyone with dark skin to be able to get due process under the law in the U.S., I can understand the black protesters and sympathize with them. I've heard claims that dog-fighting is part of "black culture" and that argument leaves me cold (and doubtful about whether it's true). Vick's lawyers may play the race card in the media, as has happened before; I believe this tactic would be a mistake.

Answer 10

I don't think that we could possibly determine the percentage of the white folk protesting against Vick who are there because he tortured dogs, versus the percentage that are there because he is black, or even better, a rich black athlete.

We would have to walk the street, and interview them to determine their motive for protesting.

On the flip side, I wouldn't expect too many black folk to jump the gun and demand Vick be "punished" for his yet to be proven case against him. Not being racial here...but I expect minorities to stand up for each other. If I was minority, I would.

Vick does need his day in court, but if he broke the law, he should expect to be convicted and fairly punished, based on the crime, not who he is, how much money he makes, or the color of his skin.

Answer 11

he should get due process no matter what his race is. and just the same, someone should be held accountable for the cruelty that happened here, no matter what race the perpetrator may have been.
blacks are more concerned with being discriminated against than whites generally,so they protest about that. thats fine. however it is odd how they rally so rabidly behind anyone that is accused of any crime(s),no matter how horrible- as long as the alleged perp is black. sometimes they get carried away and make it appear that they support these behaviors.