Woof

As a lover of all things critter (ok, well actually just the mammals - and anything non-mammal but cute), I have had an incredibly hard time understanding the motivation behind Michael Vick and his dog fighting activities.

I just don't see this as a sport, sorry. Breeding animals to be vicious to each other just doesn't strike me as a good idea. But what I am absolutely incredulous about are those people who are attempting to defend him and the activities as CULTURAL issues.

Take, for example, Whoopi Goldberg's words: "Goldberg said that 'from where he comes from' in the South, dogfighting isn't that unusual.
'It's like cockfighting in Puerto Rico,' she said. 'There are certain things that are indicative to certain parts of the country.'"

Well sure, but that doesn't make them RIGHT. First of all, the manner in which she defended him is absolutely insulting to all Southerners. There was a time when the "cultural sport" in the south involved burning crosses in certain demographic groups front lawns--maybe preceded or followed by a chase through the woods. That was certainly "southern cultural" at the time - it didn't happen in the north. Why not defend those heinous activities as "cultural"?

Secondly, not all "cultural" things are equal. It was cultural for the Romans to capture people and make them fight as gladiators to the death (sound familiar?) - doesn't mean it was right. It was cultural for ancient Mayans and Aztecs to sacrifice virgins to the gods - doesn't make it right. It's cultural even today for women in many Islamic countries to be treated as second class citizens (or worse) - barred from going to school, working, owning property, voting. Just because these things are part of one's "culture" doesn't make them OK.

This is the problem with the liberal worldview. In their "anything goes, all things are equal, I'm OK, you're OK" world, there is no room for discernment, critical thought or - heaven forbid - judgement of values. Right and wrong still exist in this world, whether liberals choose to believe it or not.

It is not right what Michael Vick and his friends and family did. It's also not right to try and paint this as a cultural issue.