NAACP Leaders Urge Fairness for Vick

[The Straight Story]

ATLANTA (AP) - NAACP leaders urged public restraint Monday in judging Michael Vick before he has his day in court.

R.L. White, president of the Atlanta chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said the Atlanta Falcons quarterback has been vilified by animal rights groups, talk radio and the news media and prematurely punished by his team and corporate sponsors.

"If Mr. Vick is guilty, he should pay for his crime, but to treat him as he is being treated now is also a crime," White said at a news conference. "Be restrained in your premature judgment until the legal process is completed."

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8QN1JE80&show_article=1

[LeftyMom]

1. Dang. Usually they're smarter than that.

:eyes:

[Taverner]

22. Hell I want fairness too

And if the evidence shows that he did what he is accused of, throw the fucking book at him. That's fair.

[IndianaJones]

2. why...they're just looking for attention. fairness? pah. nt.

[Bluzmann57]

3. Bottom line: Vick is innocent until proven guilty

And for so many people to convict him before he has had his "day in court" is unfair. I wonder, if he is found not guilty, how many people are going to apologize to him? My guess is about zero. So why can't we just wait until the facts come out before we make any judgement in this case?

[atreides1]

4. Ditto

Everyone needs to wait until the end of the circus.

[A wise Man]

6. I'm in agreement with you

The total vicious attack the media and peta has done to him has proven that you are guilty until proven innocent.

[depakid]

9. The gratuitous slap at PETA wasn't really necessary

More than enough ordinary Americans are showing their true colors in this case, and they're just as ugly as anything PETA might say or do.

[LostinVA]

18. True colors in what way -- I believe he's guilty and should have the book thrown at him

Torturing animals is the mark of a sociopath. I'm allowed to have an opinion. It's doubtful I'll be called to be on the jury for his trial, but if I am, I'll tell the Court I can't be impartial. That's fair enough.

I'm disappointed the NAACP, an organization I very much respect, is saying this is about race.

[depakid]

39. At least you're honest about it

Most Americans don't actually believe in the system that's been passed down to them. That's abundantly clear from the last 7 years- and quite frankly, I've come to the conclusion that they don't deserve the rights they so willingly give away or deny to others.

Whether the trial is about race or not- I guess we'll see. I'd be curious as to how this would be handled if white players were involved (or poor white folks).

Knowing the South, my bet is that we'd see differences, as we so frequently do in other cases.

[AngryAmish]

41. PETA likes to kill dogs too

[flvegan]

48. Same ole, same ole

Right wing bullshit talking points from Consumer Freedom.

I could set my watch by you.

[flvegan]

50. "The media and peta"?????

Sorry dude, PETA is second string on this one. The HSUS has taken point on this one. THEY got Nike et al to dump that shithead, not PETA.

[dmallind]

7. Yes and no

The presumption of innocence is a cornerstone of a fair and civilized justice system.

However that does not constrain people outside of it from making up their own mind and assuming there is enough evidence to consider him a loathsome waste of skin. The jury has to withhold assumptions. We don't. It is not in my power to punish Vick, and if it were I would wait until he is proven guilty. However since it isn't, and since no harm whatsoever will come to him based on my belief, it's bugger all to do with the NAACP what I think.

[Drunken Irishman]

24. Wrong.

Vick is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. That does not mean people can't form an opinion on whether they feel he's guilty or innocent. We have every right to state we feel he's guilty/innocent. It only becomes a problem if HIS right to be proven guilty isn't afforded to him in court.

[BuyingThyme]

29. Nope. He's made it perfectly clear that he doesn't see dog fighting as a big deal.

That's enough reason to smear him into the ground.

[SoCalDem]

37. and my blood boils when they refer to it as a 'sport". It's not a sport.. it's a CRIME!

hey....why not attach razor spurs to toddlers feet, put spike embedded gloves on 'em... and toss them into a playpen.. just call it a sport:puke:

[AndyA]

5. Yes, I believe that Mr. Vick deserves all the breaks he gave those dogs.

Seems fair enough to me. If he did nothing wrong, if they were treated properly, he should have no problems with those terms.

Didn't his partner already plead guilty? :shrug:

[LostinVA]

19. Yes, and he's turning State's evidence

[Johonny]

35. Maybe

he was his partner, then again maybe Vick was NOT the guys partner. That's why they have a trial.

[judaspriestess]

8. evidence keeps mounting against this scumbag

Vick co-defendant pleads guilty to dogfighting conspiracy charges

By LARRY O'DELL, Associated Press Writer
July 30, 2007

AP - Jul 30, 11:36 am EDT
More Photos

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- One of Michael Vick's co-defendants pleaded guilty Monday to federal dogfighting conspiracy charges and agreed to fully cooperate with the government in its prosecution of the Atlanta Falcons star and two other men.

Tony Taylor, 34, who will be sentenced Dec. 14, said he was not promised any specific sentence in return for his cooperation.

Taylor faces a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, but federal sentencing guidelines likely will call for less. The guideline range will be determined by the court's probation office, and U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson can depart from that range if he finds aggravating or mitigating circumstances.

"You're pleading guilty and taking your chances, right?" Hudson asked Taylor.

He responded, "Yes."

more............
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-vickco-defendant&prov=ap&type=lgns

[Beaverhausen]

20. Yeah- I'm thinking this will change a lot of people's minds

This will definitely hurt Vick's case. He should do the right thing and plead guilty himself.

[Virginia Dare]

10. I have no sympathy for him even if he's innocent of the charges..

there is no way he didn't at least know what was going on there. It was his house and his cousin was running the show. At the very least he deserves all of the angst in his life for turning his back on it.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

11. LOL

:rofl:

[IndianaJones]

13. huh? nt.

[Virginia Dare]

34. Whether there's enough evidence in the end to convict..

him of the crimes in question, which IMO there probably is, at the very least he's guilty of allowing this activity to go on, on his property, and under his nose. The other people involved were his friends and relatives. It's just a question of whether he's guilty of moral corruption or criminal. Either way, as a public figure who makes a very handsome sum as a "personality", he deserves the jeers and public derision.

[ecstatic]

52. And there you have it. At least you're honest, unlike most posers nt

[VLC]

12. People on these boards routinely gripe about Bush and Cheney's crimes

along with Aschcroft, Rice, Brownie, Chertoff, Gonzales, etc.

Why the double standard? If we can call them guilty of things they have not been even ACCUSED of in a court, why can't we call Vick guilty?

While I agree with the NAACP that he should be considered innocent until proven guilty - like any other person - I also believe that if guilty, what he did is faaaaaaar more vicious and vile than anything the media "and PeTA" could do to him.

[BronxBoy]

14. Wow....

Why are they even getting near this?

While Mr. Vick should certainly be given full due process as it pertains to potential criminal penalties if he is found guilty of these crimes, he enjoys no special protections for his business dealings. Let's not get things twisted. Mike Vick is selling his image along with his abilities as a professional athlete. And if he was dumb enough to put that image at risk, even if it was just by associating with people who would tarnish that image, then he has no one else to blame. If I'm paying someone huge bucks to help brand my products, I wouldn't tolerate that person even getting my company remotely mentioned in the same conversation as "illegal dogfighting". This has been building for awhile. Where were they when he was dropped as a sponsor for Airtran Airways? He wasn't accused of a crime then and the NAACP was nowhere to be found. But now the NFL and his other sponsors are doing the same thing and he is being treated unfairly. Jeez, spare me.

And I find it somewhat hypocritical tht an organization that screamed mightly for the head of Don Imus, who uttered some offensive things but broke no laws is now taking exception to the fact that the same factors that led to his dismissal at MSNBC have been put into play in this situation. I guess we can suspend all belief and surmise that Michael Vick was somehow completey and utterly ignorant of any knowledge of what was being done in his name. But most people aren't and I suspect that most rational business owners aren't either.

It times like these that I feel that the NAACP earns the "irrelevant" label that they are sometimes accused of in the Black community.

[LostinVA]

15. Ugh -- this is NOT a race issue

And, I'm not on his jury and won't be.

[IndianaJones]

16. apparently it may be to some of the people that would know. nt.

[LostinVA]

23. That would know what?

[IndianaJones]

25. If it was an issue of race. nt.

[butterfly77]

17. Why isn't Peta...

out there protesting the fights between pitbulls and pigs, they defang the pigs before the fight..If he did the crime suffer the consequences. These people as well as the media know of other cases of animal mistreatment but, they want us to look at this as if it is the crime of the century.

[BronxBoy]

26. You know why....

Because most people in this country would just go "Ho-Hum" if it was your average Joe Blow from down the bloack. I've heard both the regional Humane Society director as well as the national one state that they have heard these allegations about Vick for sometime and had trouble trying to get authorities to investigate.

I know if I was fighting animal cruelty that is usually met with indifference by most people, i would cetainly use any opportunity to further my cause. Especially if a rich, dumbass multi-millionaire had me a PR bonanza on a silver platter.

[Virginia Dare]

30. Yup, the only reason they went in there in the first place..

was to investigate Vick's cousin for drug dealing.

[VLC]

36. You could not possibly be more wrong.

Animal protection agencies and individuals fight hard to get ALL cases of cruelty prosecuted. You wouldn't believe the roadblocks. Try it yourself. Report some animal cruelty and see what happens, if anything.

And by the way, you seem to be completely missing the point of the thread.

[butterfly77]

46. I get the point alright...

[VLC]

47. Sorry

Didn't mean to hammer away at you.

[Vinca]

21. Somehow, I think if it was a white athlete who had dead dogs

on his property that were reportedly clubbed, electrocuted and hanged, the reaction would be the same. Vick is vile scum in any color.

[IndianaJones]

27. Somehow I think not. nt.

[Beaverhausen]

28. Exactly right. This had nothing to do with race.

[Virginia Dare]

33. delete

[butterfly77]

32. Ok, I believe you. Not!

[LostinVA]

38. Agreed

[wisteria]

44. I agree,this has nothing to do with race. n/t

[BOSSHOG]

31. I am not a falcons fan so I hope they have him play every game this season

He's borderline hasbeen regardless of the case against him.

And where the hell was the NAACP when I got crossswise with an overzealous officer in charge back in the early 90's? My transgression paled incredibly mightily in comparison to what vick is charged with and my punishment came fast and hard. Fairness was not an issue then. My sympathy meter is in need of batteries.

[natrat]

40. fairness-how bout nail him on racketeering and whatever else applies to scumbags like him

no not a couple months in jail---10 years for racketeering

[wisteria]

42. Well, I am sure he will be given as much consideration as the animals that were mistreated. n/t

[bamacrat]

43. The evidence against Vick is pretty damning...

He ought to be vilified if it is true.

[natrat]

45. naacp just lost any respect i had for it-fuck em-and I'm black

[NashVegas]

49. Does This Mean They, Too, Want Him Chained to a Buried Car Axle?

and electrocuted?

[butterfly77]

51. I was just looking at Tucker and on one of the people over ,the

PETA organization and she said that six years wouldn't be enough time. Tucker asked her what would be the correct sentence and she said six years for every animal that was killed,then Tucker said I completely agree with you. Now, to me the sentence she wants is ridiculous.