Dogs Deserve Better Than That

Thru the social media innovation of Facebook, I learned an old friend had to put her dog, Sadie, to sleep. I have my issues with Facebook but if it is good for one thing, it is for keeping in touch with old friends – real friends. Without Facebook, I would have lost contact with her but I would have always remembered her nonetheless. She is one of my favorite people I have crossed paths with.  That I can keep in remote contact with her and watch her grow a family and enjoy life, both its highs and lows – such as saying goodbye to a member of the family, I believe is a good thing. Like most things in our life, the value of Facebook is dependent upon how we use it. Susan is a special person. Nothing I could write could convey her charms, strength, humor and personality. She was going to lose a close friend and that bothered me. 

I really didn’t know what to say (or message to her). Nothing I could say would capture how I really felt. I understood her pain and I know from experience how hard it is.  

It did lead me to start to contemplate why dogs are so important to most of us. It is fascinating to me. If, as a planet we do not annihilate ourselves, when future scholars study America, they will recognize the unique bond we have with dogs.  It is true they have been a part of mankind’s history from the beginning, but American’s have elevated them to a unique and special place in our culture. 

They helped us conquer a continent, which was wild and untamed. They have been by our side in every conflict.  From warning us of Indians creeping in the edge of the wood line to sniffing out IED’s in Iraq and Afghanistan, they have been with us and fearless. My personal favorite is the black and white picture of a Doberman somewhere in the vast Pacific, sitting alert while a young Marine sleeps. Lewis and Clark’s crew ate over 240 of them but the Captain’s performed emergency surgery on Seaman to stop arterial bleeding when he was bitten by a beaver. That proves to me Seaman was just as much a part of that expedition as any other member of the Corps of Discovery. You don’t waste limited life-saving resources for just anyone. Every step of the way, as Americans, they have been right by our side.

                

They find explosives for us and chase down fleeing bad guys for law enforcement. They are companions who help the handicapped by giving them a friend who does not judge, all the while helping them navigate life.  

                

They help our wounded warriors heal with their companionship and as we seen all too recently, school children from Sandy Hook. From grizzled vets who have seen unimaginable deaths and experienced the loss of brothers in combat to the most innocent among us, they help us heal. That is amazing diversity.

                

I have read where they now detect the presence of cancer on our sick.  

                

To some couples, they are surrogate children. They fill the place until they are able, either biologically or financially, to start a family. Arguably, this has saved marriages, probably more than all the  75 dollar an hour Master’s credentialed therapist combined. I don’t advocate treating dogs like people. People that do that creep me out.  I think they prefer to be treated like dogs and that is how I treat them. A sweater on a brisk winter’s walk is acceptable though.

               

  Not to be forgotten, their most prominent role, as members of our households, part of the family.

                

They are valuable to us in so many ways and they rise to a level of endearment not quite reaching the love we have for our family. So putting one to sleep is naturally difficult. Not exactly the same as losing a family member or loved one, but the next closest thing.

               

  Not surprising, dogs have always been a part of my life. My first memories are of crawling around the floor in a diaper, eye level to a dog. Throughout my life I have almost always had one, except when military circumstances determined I couldn’t. When I did not have one, something was missing. They have always been special to me.

Thinking about dogs led me to think about Michael Vick and his horrific dog fighting ring. I came to the conclusion that something is not quite right in this nation. We have lost our way. We are barreling at warp speed to something and I think only a select few know exactly what. I don’t think it is for the better. I don’t understand how Mike Vick could do that to dogs. Some say it is a culturally accepted behavior where he is from. In whatever culture that breeds monsters, I suppose. What is even harder to understand is how he his cheered, pushed as redemptive story, and used in multi-million dollar advertising campaigns to peddle goods. In whatever culture that breeds monsters, I suppose. 

My conclusion is that our culture is rotten, and the Vick saga is just one example. I have many more examples, but I guess this is as good of a place as any to start.  

                

The story of Michael Vick goes something like this: He was one of the brightest stars in professional football. He was on the cover of Madden. To the say the least, athletically gifted, and the type of ability to lift a franchise and carry it for a decade or so. He was arrested and convicted on dog fighting charges. The descriptions of what occurred to those animals at “Bad Newz” Kennels were hard to listen to. Torture is the only way to describe it. Electrocutions, drowning, and horrific fights that only ended when one of the animals was dead - all the while being cheered by gangs of thugs. Whatever good I saw, and most of us realize in dogs, he did not. He is lacking as a man in so many ways. 

He served his sentence, paid his fines, was subjected to a little public embarrassment and was released. He was signed by another franchise and won back the starting job and played as well, if not better than ever.

 The overwhelming sentiment from sports journalists was that it was an incredible accomplishment. The message of the media was: Vick was not only an amazing athlete, but he overcame the odds of a man released from prison and regained success and glory. He should be held up as a model for others whose circumstances lead to incarceration. He was cheered as a hero.  That is what we were led to believe. I was sucked into it for a while and I rooted for him. I wanted to see a comeback.

I have changed my opinion. I am not buying that propaganda, which is what it is. Honestly, Vick making it back is not amazing and he should not be a role model. How could he not make it back? He had a multimillion dollar gig waiting for him to play in the NFL. Advertisers in the wings waiting to sign him to endorse their product, because evidently, wearing the same shoes as him is something people want. In a culture, completely absent of right and wrong, with its moral compass spinning constantly, it should not be a surprise.

                His parole stipulated that he could not own a dog for three years. Not too long ago, media reports indicated Vick was upset because he could not get a family pet for his little girl. Somehow, we were supposed to have empathy for his plight. Don't attempt to figure out how  a man who sees the love and value a dog provides to a family yet, if it were not for pesky laws he would be fighting them to the death and torturing them.

                I have no problem with him earning whatever he his worth on the free market and in a free society. I hope he is able to piece his life back together but let me make some things clear.

                He should be booed, not cheered. His story is not amazing, it was predictable. If he had to take a job  sacking groceries and worked his way to General Manager of the Piggly Wiggly,  that would be amazing, regardless of his skin color.

                He is not a role model, unless you want to embrace the thug and gang culture. Football skills, fine, speak highly of him. As someone to emulate in everyday life, such as wearing his shoes, iis insane. Everyone steps around the issue, but honestly, isn’t booing what any sane people would do? 

Come full circle, and you have comments made by ESPN analyst Rob Parker about Robert Griffin III, or RG3.

RG3 is a man who has stated he wants to be defined by his work ethic and character, not his skin color. He has a white girlfriend. His personality fills up my big screen high-def TV. The first interview I saw of him was while he was at Baylor. I had heard his name and saw his highlights. After that interview I turned to my son and said simply “I like that guy.”  The internet is a crazy thing, but rumors are already swirling of a political future for a guy that has only played a few NFL games. He has our nation’s capital buzzing. He is the toast of the town and as a rookie all reports are he has done what rookies are supposed to do. Work hard and learn. He seems to be a natural leader as well.

 

Robert Parker is black, and he made comments to another black ESPN talking head that he has issues with RG III. Namely, rumors that he is “not down with the cause” and somehow, having a white girlfriend takes away from his blackness. A "cornball brother". Worst of all, he might embrace values that are normally associated with decency. Almost unspeakably, he may be a Republican. Steven Smith, the other analyst said “I don’t think I am comfortable going where you are going right now.” I don’t know if it is because he disagreed with where he was going or worried about the possible controversy.

I don’t know what “the cause” is. In the context it was used, it seems that everyone knows. My assumption would be that exercising your God given talent and ability to think freely and live your life according to morals and standards you feel are appropriate and will lead to a life of happiness and success is not part of “the cause”. I can only draw further upon that by assuming that living your life as a role model for our youth – of any skin color –  hurts the “cause”. Embracing a culture that peddles  sewer filth on cable, internet, music, Hollywood and the “arts”, by contrast is part of the cause.   Imitating the clothing and language of the thug life while degrading women must therefore be part of the “cause” as well.   Call me old fashioned, I find it a compliment, but I want nothing to do with the “cause.” The message pushed by the media reaches our youth. It is everywhere and unstoppable. 

I am certain that the “cause” should not be that because of your skin color, as if you were chained to a certain pattern of thought, behavior and standards. It is directly opposite of what our “cause” is, or so I thought.

Not to mention, if say perhaps, a white NFL talking head, let’s suppose Terry Bradshaw, would have said, “I’m not too sure of RG3, he’s got a white girlfriend, you know.” The fallout would have been of nuclear proportion. “Back in chains”, segregation, racism, all would have been brought forth and Bradshaw would be rightfully chastised into oblivion. That kind of talk breeds hate is and has no place in our society would be what we are told and I would not disagree.  Mix and match whatever skin color you want to any of the people in the story and it comes across just as racially charged and vile. If Brahdshaw's comment would stir up resentment in the "white community", wouldn't Parker's do the same in the "black community"? Either way, it is equally deplorable, right? I guess not. 

The story is buried and Parker not severely chastised and not ran of the business. He will be back grinning in front of the cameras in no time. Who determined that?

Somehow, in our twisted culture, the salvation of Vick is promoted as good and RG 3 is suspect at best. It is a warped and twisted message which your children soak in, as do you. Sometimes it is merley background noise while we go about life.  

Whatever the message of the collective culture, it led me to cheer a psychopathic dog killer. For reasons stated above, what I experienced with dogs in my life led to me to a healthy respect and love for them - and they deserve better than that - cheering that pyschopath.

 I was completely hoodwinked to abandon what I had discovered on my own - that dogs are remarkable animal and deserve special respect from us, was slowly deteriorated by a media driven campaign that help repair Vick's image and I was sucked into. I was pulling for a guy who just simply did not deserve it. The media barrage changed my values and I did not even realize it. It has done the same to you and your children.

If you actively participate in society it is unavoidable. Be careful of the message you embrace.