Michael Vick

I've seen Jason Voorhees (think Camp Crystal Lake & a hockey mask) and Michael Myers (the escapee from Haddenfield's Smith's Grove Sanitarium who chased Jamie Lee Curtis) and Freddy Krueger ("1, 2, Freddy's gonna get you" & knives for fingers) at their worst. When I'm at the movies I can pretty much disengage from reality and there's this little thing in the back of my brain that constantly monitors the screen and lets me know it isn't real. Of course, when you're 14 and sneak into see "Halloween" and you realize the crazed killer is still on the loose at the end of the movie, well...it never hurts to sleep with the lights on for a few nights, right?

And maybe it's because I'm a dog person. I mean, our family has been privvy to dog greatness since a year or so into our marriage. We had Buford, The Greatest of All Dogs...a black lab mix who somehow managed to communicate to our family how much she (yes, "she"--long story) loved us. She did so even when we brought in Lloyd, The Apprentice, and was fully aware that her last role here was to teach this--shall we say, not very bright?--animal how to act as a member of this family. Under Buford's tutelage, Lloyd has risen above his genetic predispositions against intelligence to attain "Great Dog" status. We spoil our dogs at the expense of our furniture and sleeping space. They become sorry beasts once we get them. Or, more likely, we bring out the sorriness that's already embedded in their DNA. But their laziness is somewhat endearing.

But when I was listening to some sports radio talk yesterday and I was listening to them describe "an 18-page indictment detailing an alleged electrocution of a dog and numerous other sordid accounts of animal cruelty involving Vick", well, I had to turn it off.

The stuff that makes up the apparently "numerous other sordid accounts of animal cruelty"--all in the name of competitive dogfighting--was so unbearable to listen to. I won't bother to describe it. You can hit news sites that will give you that information. And, don't get me started on the other NBA and NFL players who came out and talked about the reality that competitive dogfighting is "out there." Who goes to these things? And what's the allure?

I'll be honest. I know human nature can be an ugly thing at times.

But I'm in cahoots with the Humane Society of the United States and, hold on to your hats, PETA, on this one. In fact, this is precisely the stuff PETA should be bringing to light and focusing their energy on.

If true (and I'm willing to roll with innocent until proven guilty, Mr. Vick), you shouldn't ever play in the NFL again and you should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law...and whatever fine they give you should make you "feel" it.

I couldn't watch the Rodney King video on the news.

I couldn't watch Reginald Denny get pulled out of the truck and get hit in the head with a brick and watch those involved clap and dance on the news.

And, like I said, it isn't like I haven't seen violence portrayed.

And, like I said, maybe I just have a soft spot for dogs.

But I couldn't even listen to the description of what Michael Vick is being accused of.

And, I'm disgusted.