Convicted criminal, Animal Liberation Front terrorist, and H$U$ mouthpeice John "J.P." Goodwin and his boss Wayne Pacelle are wasting no time in exploiting the media circus surrounding the wild allegations levied against Atlanta Falcon's quarterback Michael Vick in a federal indictment filed on July 18th.http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/falcons/stories/2007/07/20/0721activists.html
The ASPCA, those promoters of ending ownership rights are engaged in meetings with the NFL.
PeTA is picketing outside the meetings.
Even moderate and respectable welfare groups like the National Animal Interest Alliance and AKC breed clubs such as the Doberman Pinscher Club of America are issuing press releases supporting the throw the book at Vick movement.
Shockingly, no one is asking about the status, welfare or eventual disposition of the 58 innocent dogs seized from the property! SHAME ON ALL OF YOU!!! I guess that the press photos circulating after the seizure which showed them to be in overall good condition must have lulled all the "welfare" advocates into complacency.
The only mention of the dogs was in a possibly fraudulent fundraising plea from H$U$, which has subsequently been taken down. In it, H$U$ claimed to be personally caring for Vicks dogs but we know the H$U$ doesn't really do that sort of thing. The updated solicitation has a tiny disclaimer they hope nobody will read which now says your donation may be used for other HSUS programs and may not be used to help the dog fight victims...
The biggest problem here is that Michael Vick and his associates WERE NOT INDICTED FOR DOGFIGHTING!!! Yes folks, that's right...they were actually indicted on CONSPIRACY.
Ok, this is important so let me repeat; THEY WERE NOT INDICTED FOR DOGFIGHTING!!! If they had had any evidence that Vick was personally engaged in dogfighting it would have been a state felony, but he was not charged at the local level. This is basically a high profile test case for the new federal law. And President Bush just loves to sign conspiracy laws that push the envelope.
Aside from the fact that the feds could endict a grilled cheese sandwich if they so chose, and that the feds were responsible for such fiascos as Waco, Ruby Ridge etc. , let's take an honest look at the 18 page indictment.
The indictment can be split into two sections: allegations made by 4 "cooperating witness" receiving possible immunity from prosecution on drug charges, and evidence. "CW"s allegations include in every instance: places unknown, persons unknown, dates unknown, etc. Apparently they did know names of some dogs though...
This alleged evidence is as follows:
Bought property
named a kennel
put kennel name on shirts and headbands
purchased dogs
owned dogs (some with scars that may or may not have occurred while in the custody of Bad News Kennels)
built a fence
owned a shed
sunk axels with chains to properly secure the dogs
had on site caretaker
had exercise equipment and a breaking stick (used to STOP dogs from fighting)
The indictment also alleges that at an unknown time during 21 days (?) prior to the seizure, 8 dogs were "executed" on the property but makes no mention whatsoever about recovering any bodies from the property. Also, "wetting down" the dog (as alleged) is NOT how animals are electrocuted (ask a furrier) and would pose substantial risk to any idiot stupid enough to try it. And why, in 2007 would anyone resort to such varied, gruesome and outrageous means (as alleged) when the same indictment alleges that a pistol was used on previous occasions as far back as 2002 ?(and NOT by Mike Vick, I should add)
Also, dogfighting activities DID NOT go back to 2001 as has been stated by sources too numerous to mention, the feds just chose the purchase date of the property as an alleged starting point.
This indictment raises more questions than it answers for any thinking person. If Vick is convicted on "conspiracy", based on this "evidence" alone, than every legitimate breeder of American Pit Bull Terriers will likely be raided by HSUS/ASPCA in the months and years to follow. The ARs are just salivating at the thought. PeTa is probably loading extra srynges of euthanol at this very moment. After all, they all supported the Federal law in question because actual state felony laws were not imprisoning enough bona fide dogfighters to warrant their constant and unrelenting pleas for more donations.
Whether or not Vick had knowledge of, or involvement in what his relative was engaged in (drugs) or allegedly engaged in after the drug raid (dog fighting) is for a jury to decide. Unfortunately, because of the spin by H$U$ and their cohorts, and the regurgitation of inaccuracies surrounding the case, it is unlikely that he will get a fair trail. Now I certainly do not condone the allegations made against Mr. Vick by the fed's "cooperating witness" quartet, and if found guilty by a jury of his peers (if they can find any living under a rock somewhere that do not read or watch the news...) beyond a reasonable doubt,then he should be suspended, have his endorsements cancelled, and serve his sentence. Until such time, I prefer to focus on maligning CONVICTED criminals like H$U$ frontman John Goodwin and his ALF buddies.
If there is any dogfighting conspiracy here, my money is on H$U$. A while back they realized that the once dying sport of dogfighting could be a huge cash cow so H$U$ virtually revived it singlehandedly! Using carefully crafted rhetoric, and propaganda videos such as "Off the Chain", the H$U$ has all but written a thugs guide to American Pit Bull Terrier abuse, and marketed it as hip and financially rewarding to urban youth. Now they can point their dirty little fingers at the criminals they helped to create, and ask the public for donations to stop the abuse! Even those few surviving "old time" dogfighters that gave up what was once a "gentleman's sport" (attended by veterinarians and even well known public figures) when it was outlawed by the Animal Welfare Act are appalled at the treatment of todays canines. And the AR experts just keep telling the press how to do it and exactly what they should print.
The truth is anything you can get enough people to believe. "Lizzie Borden took an axe and gave her father fourty whacks..." (except that she didn't, and was acquitted!) so with the right spin and a lot of money to promote it, an urban legend is easily made.
See propaganda in action:
http://hsus.typepad.com/wayne/2007/07/vick-indictment.html
http://www.hsus.org/press_and_publications/press_releases/vick_nfl_071907.html
http://www.hsus.org/hsus_field/animal_fighting_the_final_round/recent_activities/dogfighting_effects.html
http://www.hsus.org/hsus_field/animal_fighting_the_final_round/dogfighting_fact_sheet/off_the_chain_reveals_betrayal_of_mans_best_friend_2.html
