On Michael Vick

I've got a lot going on in my life. I've decided to transition my career path, I've decided to start applying to grad schools for Fall 2010 admission, I've been dating for the first time in three years (I mean, those three dates in the past three years really weren't meaningful attempts). The schools that I'm applying to are not in Philly, which means that I will be moving in less than a year (unless all three schools reject me), so I'm already looking around at my books and thinking about a massive yard/book sale.

So given the upcoming stress in my life (most of it eustress, but stress nonetheless), it makes total sense that some of my most recent therapy session was centred around none other than Michael Vick.

The issue of Vick has been weighing heavily on my mind. I am known for being a completely leftist, bleeding-heart liberal. I took a lot of heat on my blog from total strangers for defending Ben Appleby, a death row inmate (and high school friend of mine). I won't go into that issue again on this blog post, but you can about it here. What I've been turning over (and over and over) in my head is how I can go to the mat over cases like Ben, but I've felt so ready to nail Vick's ass to the wall. I've felt so ready to join the Vick protests and refer to his return to the NFL with derision.

But where was my compassion? I've had so much compassion for Ben and other criminals. I've always tried to focus on society's responsibility (which I do NOT believe takes away from an individual's responsibility) to a person, whether in rehabilitation, assistance, fostering community, etc.

But with Vick, it's been different. And it's been bothering me. Is it because he hurt defenceless animals who had no voice? Is it because I knew Ben but didn't Vick? But I've also defended and advocated for others with whom I had no personal connection, so that didn't make sense. And this is why I went to my therapist with it.

And she helped me untangle it. It's still a little hazy for me, and I'm not sure why this is so difficult for me to wrap my head around. I'm hoping that my blogging about it and getting some feedback, it'll help me. But basically, here's how Nancy broke it down:

With Ben, if one believes that he committed the crimes for which he is in prison (he had told me he didn't, but testified in court that he did), then justice is being served. The injustice and compassion comes in because it is my belief that society failed Ben in a major way and that had society NOT failed him, he wouldn't be there in the first place. At one point as a young adult, Ben DID ask (in court, no less) for help and none was given to him.

With Vick, he absolutely committed the crimes (he admitted his guilt), but seems to show little remorse. Although dog-fighting was part of his culture growing up, at some point in his life, he must have realised that this mass cruelty was wrong and that bringing other neighbourhood children into this culture was all kinds of wrongity wrong wrong. When he made it big in the NFL, he had plenty of opportunities to pursue other hobbies, but instead kept on with dog-fighting - never tried to change. And now that he's out of prison, has anyone seen him in a shelter? Has anyone heard of him donating money to the SPCA? He's spent plenty of time at the Eagles compound - has anyone seen him at a pound? Didn't think so.

Nancy said she heard that one of the local SPCA shelters is using a Vick jersey to scrub the floors.

Still... part of my brain says, "But doesn't he, too, deserve his second chance? Is any less deserving of my compassion than someone who is accused of murdering and attempting to rape a 19-year-old young woman?"

This is what keeps me awake at night.

Damn you, Michael Vick.

(For more on this issue, please read the Philadelphia Weekly's cover story, Pit Bulls in Pain, which is on Philadelphia's weak history of punishing dogfighters.)

Ben filed an appeal

Let me say first that I try to be an open-minded person. I try to be the kind of person that is willing to listen to other perspectives. However, this is NOT one of those topics. If you don't agree with my thoughts/perspective/ideology on this particular issue, please just move along. This is one of VERY few issues about which I am really not willing to entertain varying perspectives.

A lot of you don't know the story of Ben. It's easily Google-able. Put in "Benjamin Appleby" and you'll find a wealth of information on Ben, most of it demanding his execution.

In a nutshell (because I could go on and one for pages about this, and to spare those who have followed the story through my other blog), Ben was accused of and convicted of murdering and attempting to rape a young woman in Kansas, who had just completed her frosh year of undergrad.

Let me say now (as I ALWAYS have) that I feel for the Kemp family. I can not imagine losing a daughter or a sister in such a horrific way. My thoughts and feelings about Ben in no way mitigate my sorrow for them and their experience.

Ben is from a very troubled family. His parents divorced when he was young and often fought about which one of them would be stuck with him. He found drugs and alcohol by the time he was 12. I met him in our junior year of high school when we were in Creative Writing class together. He is a very intelligent guy, funny and witty. I adored him. He's really the ONLY time I've ever understood the appeal of the "bad boy."

Everyone at school knew his reputation, and the summer after we graduated, he was arrested for armed robbery. Not long after that, he was arrested in a string of public masturbation and public exposure charges. Here's the thing: in one of his court appearances, he said to the judge, "I have a problem that I can't control. I need help." (Yes, this is publicly and officially documented.)

The case of who murdered Ali Kemp went on for years. Her family took out billboards and full-page ads in USA Today. Finally, a break in the case. They arrested Ben. He went to trial and was found guilty. He was sentenced the day after Christmas 2007. He will be eligible for parole when he is 94 years old.

Let me be clear that I DO NOT, IN ANY WAY condone or otherwise excuse the murder and attempted rape of anyone. If Ben did these things (he has always maintained his innocence to me), then he should be punished.

However... I believe that society needs to take responsibility for this. Social workers, government agencies, teachers.... we all failed Ben time and time again. There was never a more clear case of a "troubled" or "at-risk" youth than the kid I met in high school. He flat-out asked for help, recognising that he needed help for an issue that he felt was out of control. It is, therefore, extremely hypocritical of us to throw him in prison for the rest of life after the natural progression and escalation of sex crimes.

His case angers me for several reasons. It angers me that a young girl lost her life. It angers me that our society doesn't believe in correction and rehabilitation. It angers me that we focus more on retribution and punishment. It angers me that we can stand in judgment of someone who we turned our back on SO many times during his childhood.

(Believe it or not, this really is the short version of this story.)

Earlier this year, Ben's attorney filed an appeal. They are citing two issues: (1) he was denied an attorney when he asked for one during interrogation; and (2) he is being punished twice for one crime (because of how the sentencing was structured).

Stay tuned.