This is how Vick makes it back to the NFL

[Muze]

I am pleased to see you again. I enjoy a spirited honest and friendly debate, and you do present your stance well. So thank you.

Yes, our justice system is flawed, and I honestly believe that any justice system anyone comes up with will be inherently flawed because of a few simple things. And this may seem a bit off topic (well the whole conversation is kind of off topic, but the discussion has kind of naturally evolved), but I will tie it in, in the end. Crime and punishment. You commit a crime, and you are punished, we have went to crime and punishment, and rehabilitation. While it is good to try to rehabilitate, we can only rehab those who want to better themselves, and not end up in prison again. So the focus of prison needs to be punishment, or in another way of saying it, forcing them to repay their debt. If they do not “learn their lesson” then they will be back in prison. Unfortunately that is the only way it will work, because you can not, and never will rehab someone who does not want to be rehabbed. The only thing you can morally do, is let them mess up again, and eventually take them out of the society for good.

Now, I do agree that some of the punishments for some of the crimes committed against animals are not proportionate. So like I said before, we use our purchasing power, and our voting power to change them. For example. If we do not think that Vicks has been punished proportionate to the crime, we do not purchase any merchandise for any team that plays him. We go out and get a Neilsen Machine for our TV and do not watch any game, any sportscast, or news about that team, and we also, through power of our vote, do not support any politician that supports lesser punishments for these crimes. But that can be a tossup from time to time, because we may agree with other politics that, that politician supports. It is a long fight, but in the end, if you are tenacious in your fight, you will have effected change in your sphere of influence, and that is all you can hope for.
Now, back to a criminal getting out, and being forced to work at a lower wage. While some would see this as them getting their just desserts. I would argue that it would be a failing in the capitalistic nature that has made this country great. So, if he has served his time and received his punishment under the current law, I could not in good conscience support that. It would be akin to saying that if I, a normal person, got out of prison, and got a job cleaning dishes, I would have to earn less than a normal person working the same job. True the dollar amount is different in the two scenarios, but the ethics are the same. By making either he or I work at a lower wage, we would essentially take away from the whole. The impact would be lesser with the dishwasher, but it is the same thing. You are taking away the reward for success. Does he deserve to be successful? That is debatable.

So what do I think will happen to Vicks if he is not allowed to play ball? Well, he will go back to another profession, that probably is not so legal. And in the long and short of it, will be taken out of society yet again. In the end of it, that may be better. But by not allowing him to play, we have expanded the boundaries of the law, and retribution beyond what they should. And if can happen to him, then it can happen to us.

I hope this makes sense to you. It does to me, but sometimes my brain gets to working weird.

Same here. I appreciate discussions with Thinkers.

Your post made sense to me. I think that you are right. By using our purchasing and voting powers, we can make our opinions known. This is the power we can exercise in a democracy. And we should put it to good use for this and any causes we feel strongly about. We should also try to enlighten others who do not take seriously enough the issue of pain and suffering inflicted on the innocent and defenseless through violent crimes.

I also agree with you that it would become a vicious cycle if ex-convicts were not allowed to return to the workforce after having served their sentences. As a matter of fact, someone close to me served 4 years in prison for non-violent crimes (multiple burglaries. No weapons,etc.), and was offered a job as a computer tech immediately upon his release. I am sure that had he not been able to find employment, he probably would have resumed to criminal activities. However, it is much more difficult for me to accept that someone who inflicted so much pain and suffering on living beings (just for sport) will now be able to return to multiple-million dollar contracts, etc. It really is very difficult.

However, I understand that the law cannot be involved in what happens to an individual once they have served their time because this would probably change the dynamics of our justice system, and even our goverment. I believe it is partially society's responsibility to determine the success that said individuals ultimately achieve. Which is were boycotts, picketing, voting, etc. come in to play.

I think we now see each other's points pretty clearly (???)