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Michael Vick. Wayne Pacelle. HSUS. Forward Pass or Run the Clock Down?

Wayne Pacelle, he needs no introduction. In his blog entry for May 20th, Pacelle talked about working with Michael Vick, now that the animal abuser is set to go free. However, the peculiar thing about Pacelle's post is that he prefaced his point with a long history of his and the HSUS's campaign against animal cruelty. It gave me the impression that he's not yet comfortable with the idea, like he's expecting a tsunami of criticism for even suggesting the idea. You don't have to gear up like a hockey goalie, Wayne. It's not such a bad idea.

Well, as a matter of fact, I have previously considered the idea before I read Pacelle's post, and found it to be quite the natural progression from this point on. Vick has paid the price, in time and money, and he is free to rebuild his life. Will he go back to dogfighting? I don't think he is that stupid. All he wants to do now is to regain his former glory and begin to earn mega bucks once more. Has he learned his lesson? Time will tell. Vick is smart enough to know that some humility at this point will help in his comeback. Because talk is cheap, I would seriously doubt the sincerity of any remorseful statement from him, for now. I wouldn't be surprise if he posed with some animals to soften up his image. It will be cheesy, but some people will buy it. I don't believe that a prison term will engender a love of animals in a person who went to prison for animal cruelty. Vick experienced no epiphany in prison, but I do believe he regrets the loss of time, money, and fame.

So, I am with Pacelle on this idea. Let's offer Vick a chance to show some real compassion and sincere regrets. The HSUS has a lot of programs for Vick to participate in. I want to be proven wrong on my hunches. Don't just say you're sorry, Vick. Run the extra yard and make a commitment to animal welfare. Don't leave this experience behind you. Take it and run with it.

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