Let me preface this by being quite clear about three points:

1) I love dogs, particularly my fabulously fantastic lab/border collie mix named after my old neighborhood “Gentilly.” (I call her Tilly for short.) 

2) I think people who abuse humans, animals, and the rules of fashion are scumbags .

3) I hate the Falcons. 

I can now safely react to today’s sentencing of Michael Vick without being accused of lacking the necessary perspective to have an opinion. With that said, I don’t know if Michael Vick deserved the 23 month prison sentence imposed today by a Federal Judge. 

Now before PETA starts splashing my car with red paint to symbolize the blood of dead dogs, hear me out.  What Michael Vick admits to is absolutely grotesque and who knows, maybe he should be in prison even longer than the sentence mandates.  Still, the cynic in me can’t help but wonder if his sentence has more to do with Vick’s status than his crimes.  In other words, if he were Michael Vick the grocery store clerk and not Michael Vick the NFL superstar, would his sentencing be the same?   

I did some digging of less high profile dog fighting cases from over the past few months.  Here’s what I found.*

-Back in October, 48 year old Ronald Munerlyn of Houston got sentenced to 28 days in jail, two years probation and 80 hours of community service for running an illegal dog fighting ring.  26 dogs were seized from his property, some with fresh scars, others underweight, and none having access to fresh water. 

-Corey Devon Henry was sentenced to 45 days in jail and two years’ probation in September after police seized 18 dogs from his property, including one dead puppy. 

-80 year-old Ray Starks was sentenced to 12 months probation earlier this year after police found dozens of dogs on his property.  Some were infected, some wounded, others frail.  Deputies say the search also revealed 339 grams of crack cocaine, 269 grams of powder cocaine, nine grams of marijuana and two semi-automatic handguns.   

Drugs and dog fighting…and not a day of jail time.  Interesting.

Do I think all these sickos deserve to be punished?  Absolutely.  Does it get the message out more clearly to have someone like Michael Vick get more than a slap on the wrist?  You’re damn skippy.  But isn’t our legal system supposed to be centered on justice and not “just cuz”…meaning not “just cuz” someone is famous or “just cuz” that person has money or “just cuz” their sentencing will send a message.  To be fair, the judge says he opted for a longer sentence than what was originally worked out in the plea agreement because Vick hadn’t been forthright.  The NFL star originally denied any involvement in the killings of other dogs only to later admit, according to the judge, that he had a role in the deaths of two dogs.  (Here’s the lesson kids:  Be honest upfront or lie til the bitter end!)

Maybe I should just take the judge’s word for it, but that damn cynicism just won’t let me.  How can I believe we live in a world where status does not play a role in crime and punishment when you look at how it’s worked in the reverse.  Think about the laughable “sentences” imposed on Hollywood Ho-Bags like Paris and Lindsay, who’d been busted multiple times for the same offense.   While their actions were glamorized, Vick’s were vilified, which I can’t help but believe played a role in the judge’s decision making.  (Can you imagine the backlash had he not gotten tough with Vick?!)

If my gut is right and the judge is using this sentence to make an example out of Michael Vick, I can only hope his target audience is paying attention.  Otherwise this “just cuz” interpretation of justice is bound to hurt us all in the end.

 *Court ruling information found at pet-abuse.com.