The sportswriters have run out of adjectives. They can’t find superlatives big enough to describe yesterday’s incredible, improbable, amazing victory of the Philadelphia Eagles football team over their archrivals, the New York Giants. The Eagles were losing 31-10 with only 8:09 left in the game. They scored 28 points—four touchdowns—to win.
The Eagles were powered, almost single-handedly, by quarterback Michael Vick. This is the same Michael Vick who, in 2007, was convicted running a dog-fighting ring and served 18 months in prison.
I’ve been writing about Michael Vick since the Eagles hired him for the team in August 2009, a move that outraged thousands of fans, myself included. After researching his history, I came to the conclusion that Michael Vick is a psychopath. I wasn’t the only one who thought this—People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) sent a letter to the National Football League saying the same thing.
Here’s my previous article: Can Michael Vick change his behavior?
Stellar football season
Last year, Michael Vick barely played. This year, he was supposed to be a backup quarterback, but the Eagles’ starter suffered a concussion in the first game of the season. Michael Vick replaced him—and played brilliantly.
Now, Michael Vick is football’s story of the year. Vick has the third-highest passer rating in the NFL. This season he’s rushed for 613 yards—far more than any other quarterback. Opposing teams change their defensive strategies just to cope with the fast, scrambling, multi-talented threat.
From a football perspective, Michael Vick has become a hero. “He masterminded the impossible yesterday with his legs and with his gumption,” gushed sportswriter Rich Hoffman in the Philadelphia Daily News.
Another dog
But Vick has been in the news recently for another reason as well. He says he wants a dog. “I think it would be a big step for me in the rehabilitation process,” he said.
Vick is on probation from the dog-fighting conviction until May 2012. While on probation, he is prohibited from owning a dog. Keep in mind, this is a man who personally hanged, drowned and electrocuted dogs that didn’t win. But he says he’s a changed man. He also says he’s not a psychopath:
“I really mean what I say. I don’t have a problem. I’m not a psychopath. I’m not crazy. I’m a human being,” Vick told The Associated Press on Thursday. “What happened in my past and what I did in the culture I grew up in doesn’t shape and mold me as the person I am now. I said it before that I wish I can own a dog and I’ll continue to say it. I’m not allowed to, but I’m just saying I wish I could because my kids ask me every day. It’s more so for them than for me.”
Read Michael Vick says he would like a pet dog; anger follows on SportsIllustrated.CNN.com
Humane Society
So the controversy rages among fans and dog-lovers: Should Michael Vick be allowed to own a dog?
Wayne Pacelle, President of the Humane Society, addressed this question in a recent blog post. Pacelle has probably had more interaction with Vick on this issue than anyone. Vick is working with the Humane Society to speak against dog-fighting to at-risk schoolchildren, and Pacelle says the quarterback is having an impact, making inroads where no one else could. He writes:
While the most important aspect of this work is the education it provides for these kids, it is also part of Michael Vick’s own rehabilitation and his process of relocating his reservoir of empathy, and exercising it and building it up.
Although Vick shouldn’t have a dog yet, Pacelle says, the time may come when he could.
Read Michael Vick and having a pet on Wayne Pacelle’s Blog.
Is change possible?
At first, I was highly skeptical of Michael Vick. I thought he wouldn’t be able to stay out of trouble. In fact, last summer, when Vick attended his 30th birthday party at a Virginia nightclub and his co-defendant in the dog-fighting case was shot in the leg, I thought the incident was the beginning of the end for Vick. But he was not charged in the shooting, and was accused only of bad judgment.
Read Quarterback Michael Vick possibly in trouble again.
Yesterday, I was at a family party. While the Eagles vs. Giants game was on the TV in the background, I argued with a relative about Michael Vick.
He said that Michael Vick had grown up in a brutal culture, where dog-fighting, and killing dogs that failed, was normal. But Vick was a changed man.
I said that Vick exhibited a variety of behaviors typical of psychopaths—lack of empathy, financial problems, run-ins with the law, sexual impropriety. He may seem to have changed, but psychopaths are capable putting on very convincing acts.
I also said that we’d probably never know if Michael Vick really changed until long after he left the NFL.
My relative said, “So you’re willing to concede that the jury is still out?”
I conceded the point.
Then he urged me to watch the Michael Vick interview with Bob Costas.
Talking the talk
NBC Sports commentator Bob Costas interviewed Michael Vick on November 21, 2010. Much of the conversation is about football. But at the end of the interview, Costas does ask Vick about his time in prison, life change and redemption.
It’s an intriguing interview. Michael Vick acknowledges that he brought his problems upon himself, rather than tossing blame around, as psychopaths typically do. He admits that his life is a work in progress. He says he doesn’t want to blow it again. He seems to be sincere.
Is it an act? I don’t know. There are two ways to look at this:
Cynical view: Psychopaths can control their behavior when they want to. The guy isn’t capable of a change of heart, but he is capable of looking after his self-interest. A lucrative football contract, nonstop media attention and the adulation of an adoring football public are enough of an incentive for Michael Vick to control his behavior and put on a good show.
Optimistic view: Michael Vick did grow up in a disfunctional culture. Then, as young football star, he was showered with money, attention, and who knows what else, which all lead to his psychopathic behavior. But he did have a seed of empathy within him. His time in prison, the losses he experienced, the counseling he’s receiving, and his work on behalf of dogs has allowed the empathy to grow.
Watch Video: Michael Vick talks with Bob Costas prior to Eagles-Giants SNF game on The700Level.com.
Withhold judgment
So why have I now written four articles about Michael Vick? Why is all of this important?
Here at Lovefraud, we tend to be ruthless in labeling people in the news as psychopaths. Usually, this is an important way to illustrate just how many of these social predators are out there, what their exploitation looks like, and how much damage they cause.
But maybe there are times to withhold judgment. After all, we don’t need to make a decision about Michael Vick. We’re not living with him or going into business with him. Heck, I don’t know if any of us are even in a position to have a conversation with him. None of us are at risk. So maybe we should just wait to see how this all plays out.
If Michael Vick can stick with the changes he’s made in his life years from now, when the media glare dies down, that would be mean, in some cases, change is possible. We have a lot of gloom and doom on Lovefraud. It would be nice to feel hopeful.
So – I can absolutely understand ALL of the various points of views expressed in the posts above…BUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There is ONE thing that SCREAMS more loudly to me than anything else here.
Let me say, first of all, that I am an animal lover. No, I won’t kill for meat (I am not a big meat-eater anyhow) but I have no issue with others doing so – humanely and without distressing the animals.
Then let me tell you that I REGULARLY kill animals, and at times have done so with my bare hands if nothing else was at my disposal and if it is an emergency. As a long-time carer for waifs and strays, a large percentage of the birds and animals I take in come to me badly injured or very ill. Many times, I need to make a judgement call as to whether they are in too much pain/are “too far gone” for me to help. At other times, after several days or weeks or even months of care, it will become apparent that a creature is still suffering and is unlikely to make a good recovery. Depending on the type of animal, the time of day it is (eg: is the vet clinic open or closed?) and/or where I am at the time (on the side of the road, miles from anywhere with a rabbit that the car in front has just partially disembowelled, or in my back yard with a parrot that is fading fast), I will often take care of it myself. I am fast and I am humane in these cases. If I am near a vet clinic, I will take it there instead and have it put to sleep.
I also agree that in some instances (not all, but some) certain breeds and types of animals need to be culled for various reasons – including the lack of suitable new homes for them.
The thing that SCREAMS at me – apart from the whole dog-fighting thing just being disgusting and wrong to begin with – is the WAY this person dealt with the unwanted animals. If you have a legitimate reason to kill a dog then take it to a vet or shoot it between the eyes with one shot.
Who in their right or sane mind HANGS, DROWNS OR ELECTROCUTES a GROWN DOG!!!???!!!
The METHODS of disposal speak more to the type of person than the act itself does (whether or not we can find an excuse for the act).
I personally, do not doubt that he is one sick ****
Okay, just did a quick googling and came upon the information that Michael Vick threw his own FAMILY PET into the “pit” ( where the dog fighting took place ) to encourage the aggression between the two dogs fighting.
“The instigating animal, usually a kitten or a smaller dog in Vick’s case ( his own family pet ), is left for dead or alive” ( from the article )
Source : http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/3953160-micheal-vick-determined-a-sociopath-by-officials
My knowledge of the Michael Vick debacle was very superficial before reading about it here. For example, I did not know about the electrocution and the throwing of the dogs against the wall as punishment for not fighting, and the sexual impropriety ( for behavior not related to dog fighting ). Now we’re in hot water. The article i read highlights the fact that “his brutality superceded the cruelty all ready in place among dog-fighters” ( it elaborates on this fact, some of the points which i wrote about above ) ..
So I am really unsure. Is a bad environment enough to influence an individual to brutally sacrifice in vain a creature he “should” by normal means have developed an emotional connection to ( in this case the family pet.. ) ? Or should we be evaluating one stark commonality amongst psychopaths : That they’re only sorry they got caught. Thinking again about all the factors that would be affected by his non compliance, his unacceptance of the wrongs of his behaviors- his reputation, his career- the whole world is scrutinizing him. How else would a psychopath react? I don’t know. I can’t say with absolute and undying certainty that this man is a psychopath- but I sure can’t come to the conclusion that he’s in any way someone I would let into my life personally. He has shown the world his behavior behind closed doors, his lack of mercy to otherwise helpless creatures, the most innocent of all : animals. It’s a shame that they themselves can’t speak for the brutality and ghastly treatment they’ve been subject to. All we have are the remnants of what we’ve seen. The anecdotes. The empty rings where the inhumane and unspeakable acts took place. Whether we determine his behaviors should be attributed to pathology, is ultimately up to each of us individually.
( As an aside, Michael Vick’s own father has said : “I wish people would stop sugarcoating it. This is Mike’s thing. He likes it and he has the capital to have a setup like that.” Source : http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/eagles/eaglespreview/20090816_Vick_s_history_is_laced_with_trouble.html )
How many times have we fallen for the “I’m sorry” schpeal by the sociopaths in our own lives? ( some of which, *at the time* were actually very convincing. ) Can we not say this ( Michael Vick’s “apology” ) is nothing more than the same thing repackaged to feed and ingratiate the masses which have turned their noses at Michael Vick’s actions?
Just goes to show that humans aren’t the only ones that pay for the sociopath’s self serving, perverse and destructive ( to say the least ) behaviors.
here, here
Dear blogger, I know the “circular logic” of
the “doing bad acts means someone is a psychopath” and “psychopaths do bad acts.” How do we know he is a psychopath? Because he does bad acts. How do we know he can’t change? Because he is a psychopath.
I was listening to a show on NPR the other day about a former priest who runs a program to get kids out of gangs, and he ended up hiring an ex con about 10 years ago and the ex con has been very successful in their recovery program and OVER A 10 YEAR PERIOD they have “rescued” almost 100 (a hundred) kids from the gangs in LA.
Two men working full time for over 10 years and have “rescued” less than 100 kids out of the tens of thousands of kids joining gangs each year.
I’ve been reading in the news lately about the 14 year old “hit man” arrested in Mexico, the kid is a US citizen and was “recruited” by the gangs as enforcer. He casually told how he cut the throats of 7 people on the orders of the drug cartel/gang.
Is he a psychopath or is he a kid that was essentially homeless due to who knows what causes and had a “God father’s choice” of “do this murder or we will kill you?” What’s he going to do, go to the POLICE for protection in Mexico? That’s a laugh!
The brutality of how Vick killed the dogs, etc and the use of “teaser animals” in dog fighting, and like Vick’s father said “he enjoys it.” I think those are all clues that Vick might actually BE a psychopath, that he might have the PATTERN OF BAD BEHAVIOR AND LACK OF NORMAL PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF EMPATHY AND CONSCIENCE, as well as IMPULSE CONTROL.
While I think we shouldn’t be “too quick to judge” I also think that we SHOULD be able to declare some behavior outside the norm, that we should be able to say that “that behavior is unacceptable” it is (gasp!) WRONG!!!!! That we should be able to say that a behavior that is WRONG and hurtful is prohibited, and that there should be sanctions for such behavior…and that if people persist in continuing patterns of WRONG behavior that they should be removed from society. That they should no longer be TRUSTED to not engage in prohibited behavior, that society should SHUN them, rather than give them chance after chance and glorify them for the act of running or throwing a ball.
While BloggerT may think that certain individuals have shown SELECTIVE empathy, I respectfully disagree. I don’t think it is “empathy” at all, but the feeling of ownership and not wanting THEIR PROPERTY harmed.
My own P son “loved” his animals, and after he became a young adult he “loved” “his pets” and protected them, but he wanted animals that were “tough”—a python, and a pit bull dog—simply, I think, because they were “tough,” not cuddly. It was ownership more than companionship.
The expressed sorrow for his past transgressions by Vick smacks to me of someone who has made a choice to get back in the good graces of the public and the law so he can go back to making BIG BUCKS. The man is in my opinion a psychopath, NOT STUPID.
If he were he was truly sorry he would not still be associating with his “co-defendant” and would have distanced himself from that person. When we quit drinking we don’t hang out with our former drinking buddies even IF they have also dried out. We find new and better friends who have not engaged in the dysfunctional behavior.
There seems to be nothing that convinces me that Vick has improved except that he is supposedly NOT CURRENTLY engaging in dog fighting and is speaking at schools to discourage it. Anyone with this much violence in their past is NOT LIKELY to have made a CHOICE for change….only 40% of parolees finish their paroles without committing new crimes, and AA only dries out long term about 20% of the drunks they get, and so I don’t have a lot of confidence in REFORM movements for adults, especially ones with VIOLENT pasts. Not that it is impossible, just NOT STATISTICALLY LIKELY.
ps BloggerT,
I’ll take the blame, ALL the blame, if you will post more! Hee hee
Ok Oxy 🙂
In regards to the selective empathy, I think I came across wrong. The point I was trying to make was that it can be easy to confuse selective empathy with no empathy. And I can not speak about Vick at all as there is very little information to go on. I do know that people can change, many do not even when they should and that includes psychopaths and non-psychopaths.
And of course we should label behaviors as wrong and right, acceptable and not acceptable. But again there is a huge difference in saying the behavior is wrong or even criminal and saying its “psychopathic”.
And just think about some things. Bear baiting, dog fighting, cock fighting, Bull fighting, heck fish fighting even. All of these have been around for hundreds or thousands of years and in many places and times openly acceptable. Today, in the US the consensus is that they are not. So are all those people who, for example, engaged in bull fighting and went to watch it, are they psychopaths? (are the ones that still go watch bull fights?)
Are how about this. I don’t think anyone on here would disagree that human trafficking/slavery are wrong. Further I would guess that many would say the people that do it are psychopathic or close to it. BUT…
For thousands of years, across numerous civilizations, including the US, it was seen as acceptable and normal, so much so that both the Bible and the Constitution have mention of it in them. And even though it still goes on today, the consensus is that it is wrong, very wrong. So were all those civilizations and people psychopathic?
Or was it learned selective empathy compared to a psychopath who probably has none.
Ultimately unless you are in a position where you have to deal with the specifics (i.e. doing research, guarding, treating, etc) it really does not matter. What matters is if they are abusive to you that is enough to say bye bye and stay gone. For example if a person embezzles money from a bank and gets caught, it would be beyond foolish for a bank manager to offer him a job in a bank when he is released. Doesn’t matter whether he is a “serial” criminal or if he is fully changed. There is never a 100% way to know for sure and there are plenty of other jobs he/she could do. Same with the abusive partner. There are plenty of other people for them to find and show they are no longer abusive. It is not what a person says, it is what a person does.
And Oxy in regards to parole, a huge part of that is because of the system itself rather than the people. And the prison system is NOT a reform movement, not even close. That is one of my pet peeves. It is a warehouse them system. And because of that those who often would/could do better don’t because you have to act like a predator inside or you become prey. The resources need to be directed to those that can and want the change and those that don’t are the ones that should stay locked up. One last tidbit, poverty plays its role, a big role, in criminal behavior.
Curse you Oxy, (switching to blaming others mode) you got to me again and drug another rant out of me. Hope you have a good christmas and hope everyone has a good christmas/holiday this year. Lots of work and projects happening right now so I am not sure how much time I will have for the internet .
Friend BloggerT,
I agree with most of what you say and that many things that our laws now call criminal (slavery for example)—I think I sent you that article the other day about the girls in NY who were being used as slaves, they had been brought in from West Africa, their parents were told they were going to the US to be educated when in fact they were used by this couple for a solon where intricate hair braiding was done, and the girls were literally kept captive as slaves to work for free.
I agree that the resources should be directed toward those that can and WILL change and the others kept locked up. SO HOW do you determine who will change and who won’t? to give those resources to?
I do believe poverty plays SOME role in crime and criminal behavior, but it is kind of difficult to get a kid to do well in school so he can get a 7$ an hour job when he can steal $50 per , or make $200 or more selling drugs.
Education I think is the way out of poverty for most people. My egg donor educated herself out of poverty, my son C educated himself into a profession, though through poor money management he will continue to live in poverty, but he doesn’t steal and he wouldn’t, he might beg but he wouldn’t steal.
P-son had a few jobs for a week or two here or there as a teenager, and after he got out of prison the first time he worked for some telephone dating service (probably some kind of scam) but he made enough to buy a new vehicle on credit. But he immediately started crooked credit card dealings and I think hauling drugs as well….but it wasn’t about poverty or even making money I think it was about EXCITEMENT and feeling like a big shot doing something illegal and getting away with it.
Adrealine high! Macho high!@....... Tough guy high! Look at me, I’m tough and scarry!
I would like to see more rehabilitation alternatives to prison, expecially for young men, modeled on the military style, teach them how to clean up, dress, show respect, study, learn life skills from how to cook, wash and press clothes, open a checking account, fill out a job application, get a job and do it. Public service jobs and REALISTIC education and mentoring rolled into one program.
Others, women and children are used as slaves to work in the garment industry, as well as “sex workers” (non voluntarily) so slavery goes on in this country today. The devaluation of these “slaves” by their exploiters (I won’t use the word owners)
Well,l I’ve lost my train of thought, I’m sleepy and gonna call it a night. We’ll type tomorrow night. G’nite Blogger!
Wow interesting point/counterpoint arguments. But I guess I have to agree with Donna that we should sometimes withhold judgement even though I am guilty of casting stones myself. But Oxy don’t you think many Christians or people who were of that “way” as they called them then thought Saul was a psychopath? He was there when Stephen was stoned to death. He then lead Christians in every city he travelled to be put behind bars to be tortured or maybe executed in some/many cases. Do you think he could be rehabilitated? We wouldn’t think so, but God operates differently. Is Michael Vick a changed man? I don’t know, but yes he can play football. I don’t think personally he should own a dog, but if he were in England they might take him shopping for a dog for Christmas……