Second Chances

Where would each of us be without second chances? We have each had times in our lives where we made poor judgments, bad decisions, and even hurt family or friends in the process. Afterwards, without the grace of God and friends and family, we were able to regain trust, repair relationships and move on. Whether we deserved the grace or not, we took advantage of it and were able to put things behind us.

In the news recently we have NFL quarterback Michael Vick. What he did to fall from grace in the public’s eye was at the very least poor judgment and at the very worst horrific, evil behavior. I lean somewhere more toward the latter in my opinion. As a participant in a dog-fighting ring, he was responsible for the maiming and deaths of many dogs. I am honestly still not sure how personally involved in the actual activities he was. I don’t know whether he provided funding and locales, wagered on results, or whether he actually was present when the dogs were trained and fought. No matter the level of his involvement, I personally hold him responsible for what happened to all those dogs that were maimed or killed during the time of his participation.

Michael Vick served time in prison for his actions. When he was released, though, there was an outcry that he should not be allowed to play in the NFL again. Roger Goodell, the NFL commissioner, had a tough decision to make, and in the end, decided to allow him to play. I would not have wanted to be in his position, but I do believe he made the right decision. Don’t get me wrong. I am an animal lover. I believe what Mr. Vick participated in was horrible, cruel and inexcusable. Not only did those dogs die from wounds suffered while fighting each other, they were killed for poor performance in training. The manners in which they were killed at the hands of the humans responsible were also horrendous. I am not sure what has happened to the others involved, but I hope they have paid dearly. Many people still feel he should not be able to play. I totally understand their feelings, emotions, and the rationale behind those thoughts, too. There is the argument that what he did was so unspeakable that he doesn’t deserve to play. There is also the idea that, as a role model for young people, he lost the right to play and serve in that capacity in the NFL.

While I am comfortable with the fact that many will disagree, I have a few thoughts on these matters. Many others in similar positions have paid their debt to society and returned to a productive life. Michael Irvin is one. If my recollection serves me correctly, Mr. Irvin was arrested and charged with cocaine possession at least twice during his career as a football player and then as a sports analyst. On each occasion he paid his debt to society and to the NFL and was permitted to reclaim a career. Since then he has been inducted to the NFL Hall of Fame. Ray Lewis was also indicted for murder and aggravated assault in the connection with the death of two men following and argument after a Super Bowl party. Because trial testimony against him was deemed inconclusive, the murder charges were dropped. Mr. Lewis plead to obstruction of justice, testified against his companions during the time of the murder, served one year of probation, and paid a fine of $250,000 to the NFL. He was allowed to return to his career and has even regained his reputation and endorsements. Countless celebrities (Robert Downey Jr., Wynonna Ryder, Tim Allen to name a few) have been charged with any number of crimes from drug use, drug possession and drunk driving to tax evasion and shoplifting. All have been permitted to serve time, pay fines, and return to their careers, most rather successfully. I understand these crimes are not as heinous as dog fighting and the result of that, but all in all they are still criminal activities which people have been permitted to rise above.

It also occurs to me is to ask, what if it were a garbage collector who was guilty of the same offense as Mr. Vick? Would we mind his returning to collecting garbage? What if an accountant did it? What if it were an insurance salesman, car salesman, plumber or any other average, every day person? Should he or she be prevented from making a living at what he is skilled at after paying his fine and debt to society? The difference is Mr. Vick has a high profile, high paying career. We are keenly aware of his crime because of that. If any of those others committed such a crime, we might not know. But because he is an NFL star, his fall from grace was big news. Is it fair to prevent his making a living at what he does best? I don’t think so. Whether he can make that living is up to the viewers, fans, and Mr. Vick himself. As long as he performs well and wins games, I expect Philadelphia fans will accept him. I probably won’t watch him, but I am not an Eagles fan and wouldn’t have watched anyway. Time will tell. For their sake team management should ensure that he stays out of trouble and should probably also provide opportunities to help him repair his reputation publically. Hopefully, he learned from this experience. Hopefully, he can speak to the lessons learned and build on that to improve awareness of the plight of dogs at the hands of these fight promoters. Hopefully, he doesn’t return to his old ways. In the meantime, I trust that parents can help their children learn a lesson about what happens when someone commits a crime. I also hope they can help their children find other suitable role models. There are plenty out there even though they may not have such high profile careers.

When all is said and done, I believe in second chances. I have had a few in my lifetime. I am willing to accept that Mr. Vick gets this one. I hope he doesn’t waste it.