Vick case thread....please behave

When I read Brunell's article, I see more of the same passing of the buck by the generation of older African Americans.

Am I out of wack for thinking that my children's failures or successes are a reflection of me? My daughter was recently accepted to one of America's top 10 urban HS. That's a reflecion of the hard work I put in along with my daughter into preparing her to get into the school. If she didn't perform up to par it's a reflection of what I didn't do.
Can you explain to me how my mode of thinking is somehow off kilter?

The problem with that article and many americans in general is how they absolve themselves of any responsibility for what they didn't do as parents. The "hip hop" generation didn't wake up and create these current conditions. It had alot to do with what the previous generation didn't do in teaching these kids the values or people Brunell pointed towards in his article.

Call me "Crazy" for believing that as a parent I bear responsibility, good or bad, for the position I put my children in. But few of you are in the position to tell me what the older generation of african americans did or didn't do. They did a poor job of teaching the younger african american generation of values they need to know.

Yet you find a way to tell me I'm wrong for applying these facts. I'm an equal opportunity basher of wrong doing. Whether it be the older generation of African American's whining about the end result they refuse to hold responsibilty for or the current body of white americans (if you're not one of them, congratulations. I wasn't talking about you) who continue to promote and consume the trash I see on the airwaves daily.

But then again, this is current day america. Where "they hate us for our way of life" slogans are much more believable than looking internally at what we may have done to add to our problems.

 

I wouldn't miss anyone's thug style. Is that a requisite now for you to admire an athlete, because he has "thug style?"

 

Big Chee I would agree that your reap what you sow as evidence by the time and effort you put into your daughter. You should be very proud of such an accomplishment.

What I would question based on everything I have read is whether there are even parents around to do this teaching.

 

According to SI's Peter King, the Falcons will in some way discipline Mike Vick by tomorrow:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/peter_king/07/22/vick/index.html

King believes the Falcons will opt for the permitted 4-game unpaid suspension for conduct detrimental to the team. Another option is for the Falcons to outright cut Vick, but the salary cap hit would be immense, as would the PR hit, particularly if Vick is ultimately found not guilty of some/all of the charges against him.

 

Which reminds me - William Rhoden defense of Vick must even make Peter King blush.

 

That is probably true, Boom

I must say, however, that some of the "anti-Rhodens" - those very stridently advocating for Vick's absolutely, positively, under-no-circumstances not being allowed to attend training camp even for a day - are even more offensive to me. I'm thinking about starting a thread about one such example on the journalism board if time permits. What Mike Vick did, if he did it, is illegal, offensive and repugnant. But those who are just obsessed with taking Vick down before he even has any legal redress also are anathemic to me. There is a blood lust in the air, IMO, and it is sickening. And you know how I often feel about Rhoden and what I feel are irresponsible usages of the race card. But in this case, the railroad-job is, I feel, very much in effect. And it's wrong, IMO. PETA should not be allowed to dictate the NFL's and the Falcons' agenda.

I guess we'll see how it plays out.

 

I agree 100%. That's the problem. Writers like Brunell love to admonish the end result rather than the reasons that lead to it.

 

Very well said, Chee. There's often, IMO, a fine line between advocating for personal responsibility and blaming the victim in a number of these instances. It's a real question, I think. Which means it's not necessarily the type of thing which will respond well to dismissive, 'you-suck,' condescending monologues.

On the other hand, you can't be dissing people like a Daniel Patrick Moynihan, who was legitimately trying to help with his study in the 1970's.

 

Unfortunately, in todays current climate of "journalism" anecdotal sightings of bad behavior trump the studies conducted by Daniel Moynihan and the William Julius of the world who over two decades ago said the very same problems the african american community are facing today would play itself out

 

I'm just glad to know another left-handed, mobile quarterback, Mark Brunell, has apparently weighed in with an article of his own.

That's to be expected, considering his strong moral beliefs.

 

Michael Vick is his own man. His parents didn't have a damn thing to do with him putting himself in the position that he's in. He made his own decision.
Now, he's hoping to get himself out of this position and if that means turning on people, he may do that.

 

The parents that gave us Mike and Marcus?

Yes, they did have something to do with the situation he is in now. They raised him.

I'm guessing reading chapter books and weekend trips to zoos and museums were not part of the weekly itinerary in the Vick household.

They raised these two, now the government will deal with the sons.

What's the over/under on Marcus popping up on a video or a witness statement? August 3rd? Thursday?