The following subject was not what I planned to write about today, but you have to know it blew every other subject off my desk when I read a blog sent to me by a friend in California. The gentleman who wrote this blog post is Nathan J. Winograd, Director of the National No Kill Advocacy Center in the San Francisco Bay Area (winograd’s page). According to his profile he is a graduate of Stanford Law School, an author, and is a frequent media spokesperson on animal sheltering issues. He is my hero for making this information available to the public!
What I’m upset about is the news that Michael Vick has been reinstated to the NFL after serving out his 23 month prison sentence after being arrested in 2007 and convicted on federal dog fighting charges. I ask everyone reading this to send a letter to Roger Goodell, The Commissioner of the Natonal Football League (NFL) protesting this reinstatement. I would point out that Pete Rose never was allowed to return to baseball, and O.J. Simpson never played football or regained the financial status of his glory years (as Michael Vick will be doing if this comes to pass!)
I also strongly urge letters be written to Ed Sayres, President of the ASPCA, who is quoted as saying:
“[T]he Commissioner has been particularly thoughtful and has weighed every factor in his deliberations. The ASPCA can only offer him our gratitude for the gravity to which he has lent the issue of animal cruelty, as well as the provisions that the Commissioner has set forth to ensure that Mr. Vick has a positive impact on the NFL and his community…Opportunities for redemption are rare—but that is exactly the opportunity that awaits Mr. Vick…”
As well as Wayne Pacelle, the CEO for HSUS. It is reported he appeared on San Francisco radio station to DEFEND Vick’s reinstatement to the NFL! HSUS then took another giant step and announced that Vick will become a spokesperson for the agency!
Mr. Winograd’s Oakland-based Center protested the decision to reinstate Vick, stating the Commissioner’s decision, nor the views of HSUS and the ASPCA, “reflect the values of the hundreds of thousands of animal rescuers throughout the country, nor the millions of animal loving Americans who were not only heartbroken and angered by the egregious acts of sadistic animal cruelty perpetrated by Michael Vick, but the NFL’s recent decision to reinstate him as well.”
I ask that you join with me and everyone else in writing a letter to these two major animal rescue organizations and let them know you are not willing to allow such horrific atrocities as those perpetuated by Michael Vick and his cronies to be treated with a slap on the hands.
Please click on the following link for a complete list of what the various ways Vick and his “associates” killed the dogs before burying them on his property:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/contribute/sn/persona?User=winograd&plckPersonaPage=BlogViewPost&plckUserId=winograd&plckPostId=Blog%3awinogradPost%3a9b62621c-4dd4-4604-9c4d-24a3085f6eef&plckController=PersonaBlog&plckScript=personaScript&plckElementId=personaDest
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