Your author will avoid discussing the obvious events, which is the constant bombardment from Presidential candidates on both sides of the aisle and focus on behavior that is quickly becoming acceptable in our society. The behavior being recklessness and ‘thuggery’ with no one putting on the brakes but rather hyping it to infinitum. Finally your author must ask who is steering the wheel? This question will be a regular theme for some indefinite timeframe as he attempts to make sense of the most recent events. Who is steering the wheel? Who is calling the shots?
The recent uproar and plea agreement from NFL player Michael Vick is a prime example of someone in need of a wheelman, someone to steer his wheel. While Vick was initially charged with promoting and facilitating dog fighting he ultimately pled out to one charge of participating and funding a dog fighting operation and will likely receive at most a prison sentence of one year. Michael Vick was grossing, between his football contract and endorsements, well over $100 million. His supporters, who are few, have stated that Vick’s childhood in a Virginia ghetto sparked the interest in dog fighting. In fact according to some dog fighting is a regular part of their culture. So in other words Vick couldn’t help it, it is how he was raised.
Then you have his critics, which numbered many, stating that Vick should be thrown in jail and never to show his face on an NFL field again. While speaking of good taste and decency these critics may be just but where are these critics when we speak of say greyhound racing or horse tracks? Not only do these facilities promote gambling ultimately the animals are slaughtered unless they are adopted.
Where is the NFL in this media spectacle? As we know Vick lied to NFL head Roger Goodell and clearly stated he would be vindicated. It was only after several of Vick’s pals or homies decided to talk to prosecutors that Vick agreed to a plea. However the NFL failed to recognize events that occurred prior to this case. These include the following two examples:
Early 2004 two men were arrested in Vick’s home state of Virginia for hauling marijuana in a truck registered to Vick. Vick received a lecture.
In October 2004 Vick found himself at the Atlanta Airport where several of his pals were charged with stealing a watch belong to a security screener.
Where was the NFL? Who was steering Vick’s wheel and saying it was a good idea not to modify his behavior?
Your author proposes allowing Vick to come back to the NFL. Allow the market to determine if Vick’s actions can be tolerated. If every Atlanta Falcon fan stays home and stops buying tickets, memorabilia, etc then the message would be quite clear. The critics of Vick have yet to speak so loudly about the Kentucky Derby or Florida greyhound tracks. Furthermore many of these critics are worried that Vick is some kind of role model. The idea that anyone who is not living at home with younger children is some type of a role model is a joke. Any parent that argues athletes sign some type of an unknown silent contract and gets on a box of Wheaties should be revered as something other than a fellow citizen is an idiot who is raising idiot children.
Another individual who made bad choices was Jesse Davis. She was the mother of a two year old in Ohio and another one on the way who died when her estranged ‘baby daddy’ and former police officer Bobby Cutts, Jr. is alleged to have killed her in June. A bit of summarizing Cutts’ background clearly demands someone ask ‘who was steering Davis ’ wheel?’. Davis ’ two year old and the child she was carrying were fathered by Cutts. He had also fathered at least one other child out of wedlock.
While what happened to Davis and her unborn child along with the two year old left behind is heinous, what was she thinking? Having not one but intentionally having two children out of wedlock with someone who makes such an event a habit and Davis never thought to pause about her involvement with him? Now it is too late and if her husband is found guilty prosecutors have stated they will seek the death penalty.
There are a multitude of examples that your author could opine on but to only do so would bore the reader. However what the reader should be asking is where are the social commentators and media pundits? Why aren’t they asking who is steering the wheel?
