Anyone who knows me knows I am a vegetarian and I am for the simple reason that I am against all forms of animal cruelty. Call me a tree hugger, call me a nut job, call me what you will, but it is a decision that I made about 15 years ago and I am very happy with it.

So when I read some asshole like Michael Vick is running a dog-fighting ring for the last seven years or so, it made me very angry. You see, if people want to fight, it is by choice. The dogs didn’t have a choice in the matter.

What people don’t understand about the whole argument about not eating animals; the fact that you are eating something who didn’t have a choice. You are wearing something that did not have a choice. The difference between man and animal is choice. We can choose not to do the things we do, and the animals cannot choose not to be killed, eaten or in Vick’s case, trained to be a prized fighting dog.

Michael Vick, who’s an average quarterback at best, but would make an excellent running back, has a history of problems besides his “hobby.” Go back to 2003 and the innuendos surrounding Ron Mexico, the name Michael Vick allegedly used to get treatment for herpes. All brought to light by a woman named Sonya Elliot who claimed Vick gave her herpes. January 2007 we saw Vick let the fans of Atlanta know what he thought of them by giving the one-fingered salute. To his credit, he apologized, but he must have felt so bad he decided to take on horticulturalism. Well at least that is what security at Miami International Airport says. In April, he had a bottle confiscated and authorities thought marijuana was I in it. Turns out it was jewelry. So his history is definitely questionable.

But, never in a million years did anyone ever think that Michael Vick would be running a dog fighting operation called Bad Newz Kennels. His cousin gets nabbed for drug charges and a couple months later…presto. We see an indictment handed down to Michael Vick and four other people running this so called moneymaking machine. The part I found most disturbing in the indictment was the murder of the dogs and the ways in which it was done. If a dog did not do well in the fights, the dog would be hung, electrocuted, drowned, or shot. Yet, this shocks most of humanity, but guys why be shocked? This happens to the food you eat everyday.

If you want to feel sympathy for the dogs, fine. However you should know that murder happens to animals on a daily basis. Last year, the US department of agriculture reported that 10.4 billion animals were slaughtered to fill the bellies of humanity. I am sure those who didn’t have the “prime cuts” were just killed and left to the wayside. I have seen videos of animals brutalized for fun. If America wants to condemn Vick and do the right thing, find ways to stop eating animals. Yeah, I know. Everyone can’t live without meat. Well, try. Try for one day. See how you feel. If you like it, try it again the next day, and so on.

The point is this. If you are a carnivore, you can’t have it both ways. You can’t say how much of a bastard Vick is for the senseless destruction of many dogs for profit, when billions of animals are exterminated for the same reason, along with our so called well being of course. While your sitting there eating your dinner watching the next update of CNN regarding Vick, know you are eating a harmless animal on you plate in the name of someone getting rich out there. I am not judging anyone for eating animals, I am just stating my opinion. As far as Vick goes, he is a douche bag for what he is accused of doing, and if found guilty, what comes around goes around.

JAE