Michael Vick: A Willing Participant in Brutality

Michael Vick, the Falcons Quarterback, admits to his role in the recent allegations that he played a part in a dogfight operation, saying, "First, I want to apologize, you know, for all the things that - that I've done and that I have allowed to happen.

I want to personally apologize to commissioner Goodell, Arthur Blank, coach Bobby Petrino, my Atlanta Falcons teammates, you know, for our - for our previous discussions that we had. And I was not honest and forthright in our discussions, and, you know, I was ashamed and totally disappointed in myself to say the least." He then went on to apologize to all the children that are or were his fans.

But, is that enough? And does America really know where dog fighting originated from?

Dog fighting is an insidious underground organized crime that deserves much legal and political scrutiny. The blood sport, once sanctioned by aristocracy, embraced by medieval gentry and later promoted by colonial and Victorian miscreants, is now completely outlawed in the United States. Not withstanding the absolute prohibition in America, it has reached epidemic proportions in all urban communities and continues to thrive in many rural areas as well.

The collective American conscience has long been repulsed by the undeniable brutality within the culture of dog fighting, but the law enforcement community has been regrettably lax in appreciating the full scope and gravity of the problem. Historically, the crime was erroneously classified as an isolated animal welfare issue, and as such has been predominately disregarded by law enforcement. The communities that have been morally, socially and culturally scarred by the menacing pestilence of dog fighting have paid dearly for the apathy of the legal community.