Sports Fan's Responses To Athelete Domestic Abuse vs Athelete Dog Abuse

[DeSwiss]

Wife abuse vs. dog abuse

Salon - Broadsheet
By Tracy Clark-Flory
August 17, 2007

Radar's editors are in the mood for controversy, it seems. They've created an http://radaronline.com/features/2007/08/michael_vick_dog_fighting_kobe_bryant_01.php">online quiz (titled "Bitch Slap") aimed at comparing public comments about sport superstars accused of rape or domestic abuse with the spleen spewed at Michael Vick over allegations that he killed and tortured dogs. The quiz asks you to guess which comments, from teammates, coaches and fans, were made about accused rapists or wife batterers and which were directed at the Atlanta Falcons quarterback.

Jen Stein writes, "Vick's critics have been so unforgiving that a reporter in Pittsburgh went so far as to say that the player would have been 'better off raping a woman.' The reporter later apologized for his remarks but, based on people's vitriolic reactions, he may not have been so far off the mark... It seems that Americans will tolerate certain things from their athletes -- a sexual assault charge, stalking, the occasional domestic dispute -- but they draw the line when it comes to their pooches."

The quotes included in the quiz generally support the author's upfront thesis: The comments directed at Vick are reproachful and full of disgust; the comments about accused domestic abusers or rapists are much more forgiving and make pleas for judgment to be reserved for the courtroom. For instance, the following quote comes from Denise Kaigler, spokeswoman for Reebok (which banned Vick's jersey at its retail stores): "The number of e-mails and statements we're getting from consumers was pretty telling about how disturbing people find these allegations to be."

On the flip side, here's a quote from Tampa Bay Devil Rays manager Joe Maddon after learning that outfielder Elijah Dukes' wife had filed for a restraining order against him after he allegedly "left a death threat on her voice mail and sent a photo of a handgun to her cell phone": "In visiting with him, I can see he's pretty much upset. I anticipated that, so I thought the wise thing to do would be to not start him tonight and more than likely play him tomorrow."

Read more: http://www.salon.com/mwt/broadsheet/2007/08/17/vick/print.html?blog=/mwt/broadsheet/2007/08/17/vick/index.html

[hlthe2b]

1. I can not believe those who need to balance one

against the other....

Physical abuse and violence towards a human or animal is just unacceptable and in this case absolutely evil. To do so against a defenseless child or animal IS the ultimate in cruelty, however.

[DeSwiss]

2. I agree with your points....

...completely. Children and animals usually have no choice.

And yet is an interesting observation and maybe symptomatic of where we are in our society, that we generally don't hear the same level of hue and crying over domestic abuse by athletes of their spouses, when compared to the recent case involving animals.

I'm not trying minimize or excuse anyone's behavior, whatever it may have been. I suppose I just wish that as a people, we were just as indignant and un-accepting when it comes to the abuse and murder human beings....

[BlooInBloo]

3. Lots (maybe most) DUers believe that animals are as morally valuable as people.