This week in review has everyone heads spinning. First let’s lead off with a theory. Let me ask you this…if you committed an act that society deems a crime. You were arrested and you plead guilty and saved tax payers some money from a trial cost. You served some time in jail for this crime. You are now back into society, would you want your friends and family to shun you, not want to house you or feed you? If you wanted a job, would you not expect to be hired? Let’s substitute friends and family with society. Would you expect society to have a conversation about you and the crime you committed and whether they should forgive you? Remember the answer and now let’s get into the story. The Michael Vick Story.
Mr. Vick a horrific person when he participated and funded dog fights. In addition, perhaps contributed to the death of several dogs during the course of his dog fighting career. He served 18 months in prison and during that time lost his home and millions of dollars. He was released a few weeks ago and since then landed a job with the Eagles football franchise. He has teamed up with the Humane Society and offered a public apology for his heinous criminal acts. Shouldn’t that be the end of it? Should we not at this point forgive him and let him live his life?
Well, the answer is no for hundreds of people that are actually picketing the decision of the football franchise to hire Mr. Vick. I was listening to talk radio this past week and heard a caller said that she believed in the judicial system what kind of message is that since he will be making his millions of dollars. Another said, he does not want to watch football and cheer for a team that such a reprehensible person is on.
Okay, here is my take on it. Legally, our judicial system worked where a crime against animal has a jail sentence and the perpetrator Mr. Vick served his time. He had a career before he went to jail and he resumed that career upon returning from work. His old employer did not want to hire a felon but another company was okay with his felony and hired him. Here is my question you on your moral high horse. If his career was that of a cashier that makes $10/hr and he served his jail time for the same crime and upon his return to society went back to that career would you feel the same way?
If the answer is yes, then when was the last time you requested Walmart or any establish that you frequent on a weekly basis to let you know their employees committed a crime and what crime was it so you determine if you want to boycott that establishment?
I’m not done! If the answer to the scenario regarding the cashier is No! then, you are not having a problem with the franchise hiring him on moral grounds you are having a problem with his current and future earnings. I then find you morally reprehensible and despicable. The situation is simple, a man commits a crime, he serves his time, he returns to society and becomes a viable person in society by working. He is not a societal burden because he went into the penal system. Those of you that are against his return to work because that is what it is, work, those of you that are against it should truly weigh your outrage. Do you want a society that does not believe in rehabilitation or a society that hates the rich?
Think about it seriously, unless you are self employed it is a rich person that is hiring you, so you can pay your bills. This man served 18 months in jail for killing dogs and the Lockerbie Bomber served 21 years in jail for killing 270 or so people. Turn your outrage to the Lockerbie Bomber situation because that requires disgust at the politicians that released a terrorist on compassion.
Mr. Vick should live his life in peace because if you don’t like him then don’t watch the franchise he plays for and use that time spent watching football to go PLAY with your children and have quality family time with them so they too may not be a statistic one day.
Alicia M. Phidd, M.P.S.,J.D. received her B.Sc. in Chemistry and Masters in Environmental Studies from S.U.N.Y. at Stony Brook in New York and Juris Doctor from St. Thomas University School of Law in Florida. She currently practices Business Law and Immigration Law in Tampa, Florida. In addition, she has taught law at Barry University, graduate school; University of Phoenix, undergraduate business school and Broward Community College. She can be reached through website http://www.aliciaphidd.com/ Follow her at www.twitter.com/phidd View http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jJVsm57Awk
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