Monday, December 17, 2007
Bothersome Injustices
Perceived injustices bother the Militant Moderate. These are particularly bothersome when the judgments are made within the legal system, which is the last resort for the defendant in gaining fairness of treatment. Injustices in the court of public opinion, as presented, interpreted, and judged by the media, can also be quite bothersome.
One of these involves a person’s good name, but the other involves his freedom.
With these ideas in mind, let us look for a moment at the two-year sentence recently handed down to Michael Vick for dog fighting and related activities. The Militant Moderate is somehow bothered by that, although a lot of others think the sentence was light.
Raising, fighting, or euthanizing injured dogs are abhorrent acts to most. So, these were made against the law. But, are these the worst kind of offences? Are these enough to warrant ruining a man’s life or career?
The Militant Moderate would not be afraid to have Michael Vick visit his home. He would certainly like to have Vick with him on a walk down a dark alley at night. He would even trust Vick with a modest sum of his cash.
The point being, of course, that Michael Vick is no threat to either person or property of others by being free. So, why do we have him locked up with murderers, robbers, and rapists in a jail for so long? Are there no other more suitable forms of punishment? Would we not prefer our taxes spent to lock up dangerous criminals, instead of people like Vick or Martha Stewart?
In a brief stint of years as a young farm boy down in the valleys between mountains inside the edge of Arkansas, the Militant Moderate observed a few dog fights. Some were on a semi-pro basis. That is, some farmers kept mean dogs purposely, and they would match their mean dogs against others’ mean dogs – just like they might match fast horses in a race.
As a child the Militant Moderate found those dog fights frightening and disturbing. He had a low opinion of the cultural level of those engaging in such, and of those who “egged-on” and cheered the fights. That opinion has not changed. But he never really thought of sending them to jail.
The political actions of those who deny medical care and treatment to poor children, or to children of illegal immigrants, are also disturbingly bothersome to the Militant Moderate. One wonders how this compares on a moral scale with dog fighting.
One wonders also about criminalizing the actions of Good Samaritans, now even threatening seizure of their property (Son of HB1804), for acts of kindness toward undocumented immigrants. Caring for the needy “untouchables” of our era is evidently seen by some as equally bad or worse than dog fighting, and on the same level as drug-running.
Dr. Edwin E. Vineyard, AKA The Militant Moderate
One of these involves a person’s good name, but the other involves his freedom.
With these ideas in mind, let us look for a moment at the two-year sentence recently handed down to Michael Vick for dog fighting and related activities. The Militant Moderate is somehow bothered by that, although a lot of others think the sentence was light.
Raising, fighting, or euthanizing injured dogs are abhorrent acts to most. So, these were made against the law. But, are these the worst kind of offences? Are these enough to warrant ruining a man’s life or career?
The Militant Moderate would not be afraid to have Michael Vick visit his home. He would certainly like to have Vick with him on a walk down a dark alley at night. He would even trust Vick with a modest sum of his cash.
The point being, of course, that Michael Vick is no threat to either person or property of others by being free. So, why do we have him locked up with murderers, robbers, and rapists in a jail for so long? Are there no other more suitable forms of punishment? Would we not prefer our taxes spent to lock up dangerous criminals, instead of people like Vick or Martha Stewart?
In a brief stint of years as a young farm boy down in the valleys between mountains inside the edge of Arkansas, the Militant Moderate observed a few dog fights. Some were on a semi-pro basis. That is, some farmers kept mean dogs purposely, and they would match their mean dogs against others’ mean dogs – just like they might match fast horses in a race.
As a child the Militant Moderate found those dog fights frightening and disturbing. He had a low opinion of the cultural level of those engaging in such, and of those who “egged-on” and cheered the fights. That opinion has not changed. But he never really thought of sending them to jail.
The political actions of those who deny medical care and treatment to poor children, or to children of illegal immigrants, are also disturbingly bothersome to the Militant Moderate. One wonders how this compares on a moral scale with dog fighting.
One wonders also about criminalizing the actions of Good Samaritans, now even threatening seizure of their property (Son of HB1804), for acts of kindness toward undocumented immigrants. Caring for the needy “untouchables” of our era is evidently seen by some as equally bad or worse than dog fighting, and on the same level as drug-running.
Dr. Edwin E. Vineyard, AKA The Militant Moderate
