The Vick Discussion

As many bloggers do, I post my blog to many other web sites in order to maximize my audience. To date, my blog post on Tucker Carlson of FOX News calling for the execution of Mike Vick has sparked a heated discussion on multi fronts. I decided to present a few comments that appeared in Michael Baisden's Mingle City website.


Comment by Basketball Coach
I love dogs ... and I have no hatred towards Mike Vick. Unfortunately we still live in a society where "Blacks" are seen as less than dogs and it is shown by all the ill feelings toward Mike in the media and by animal activists. Dog fighting is common in America and yet it wasn't a major concern until a prominant Black athlete brought dog fighting to the limelight and yet other Black athletes who commit "real" crimes are no more frowned upon than a person stealing a cookie from the cookie jar. Nobody cares about Plaxico Burress or Adam Jones' issues with the law... Is it because they are less admired than Mike Vick ? or is it that its just them doing damage to their own ? I say "both" and Mike paid his dues. Whatever happened to the president of PETA when she left her dog in the car to suffocate ? ? ? ...Just something to think about FOX NEWS..


Comment by Ronald L. Salter
The news media will report on whatever is a hot topic. They can't report all of the news. I don't agree with Basketball Coache's assertion that black folks are seen as less than "dogs". The reality is that black folks treat each other worse than dogs, and then blame it on other people. There are more than eight thousand murders of black men by other other men yearly. So we need to tend to taking care of our own people.

Micheal Vick has redeemed himself. Who gives a hoot what Tucker Carlson thinks? He got kicked off of MSNBC for being such a fool. Why do black folks listen to anything that is said on Fox news anyway? They are a propaganda machine for the Republican party. Carlson relented on the statement and said that he is against capital punishment for anyone. But then again, it still doesn't matter what he says.

There are still people who dispise Sarah Palin and Cheney, as well as other hunters. When I saw Palin shoot that innocent deer. I cringed. Just like her. That animal has children. And they might have been near by watching their parent get slaughtered. It is unbelievable that they would show that on TV. It should be against the FCC rules.

Animal lovers are not racist. They consist of people from all races and they have protected animals against celebrities wearing mink coats etc. They have also protested other forms of aggression against the animal kingdom. So, lets not demean what they do, by calling them racist. They will also stand and take a bullet for a black person.

As for me, I see Micheal Vick as being a crazy young person who went too far. But there is a difference between animal cruelty and human abuse. Most laws are designed to protect humans.

Comment by Q
Ronald, we have to be vigilant in understanding how the press depict and distort our image to the world. The point in The Souls of Black Folks by W.E.B. Du Bois is that we possess two natures that are in conflict with each other -one American/white and one African/black. The self-hate and self-loathing that leads to self-inflected violence and self-worthlessness is taught by mainstream culture and internalized by us.

We have to challenge these attacks whenever they arrise, as well as, take personal responsibility for our actions. It's not one or the other in the battle of taking care of our own. I can not emphasize this enough, we can not allow the dehumanization of black folks to occur in any medium - and yes, even out our own mouths, journals, press. music, video, church, school etc.

My brother, I don't have to remind you, unchecked propaganda machines (think Germany and Rwanda) are dangerous. FOX NEWS can not be allowed to report or present slander, distortions, lies without no one to challenge them. Their poison infect the minds of millions and pollutes the atmosphere of race, class, ethnic discussion.