It would be a grave injustice if NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell refuses to reinstate Michael Vick to the NFL, who yesterday (Wednesday) was released from a federal penitentiary in Kansas.
Vick deserved to be punished for his role in participating and permitting dog fighting on his property in Virginia. His 23 months of punishment fit the crime. But this is America, where even the worst criminals are given second and, in some cases, third chances.
Vick is a victim of his celebrity. The uproar of animal organizations certainly had to have influenced Commissioner Goodell in making his decision to suspend Vick until he showed remorse for his unlawful actions. But what about the guy who pleaded guilty to killing 20 people? He walked after serving a handful of years and was given $20,000 by the courts to get on with his life. What about the former Major League star who played with the Mets? He was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol after killing a pedestrian. He is out after pleading to having a mental disorder.
A number of New York-based media types insist Plaxico Burress should go to jail and not be signed by any team in the NFL. Who did he harm except himself? The blue bloods of this country go fox hunting and kill those red-tailed foxes in northern Virginia–a sport Jackie Kennedy enjoyed. So-called sportsmen have licenses to kill deer, bear and every other animal moving. I hear not a word from animal rights groups, many of which have members who enjoy the blood sport of killing animals. It will be a grave injustice to further punish Vick. Like every other American, he deserves a second chance. And that second chance should start with Commissioner Goodell.