Michael Vick tells high schoolers 'I think I'm being used by God'

The Michael Vick partnership with the Humane Society's "End Dogfighting" campaign made stops at two high schools in Connecticut on Tuesday to encourage America's youth to be kind to animals.

The Philadelphia Eagles star quarterback says that kids are more likely to listen to what he says about animal cruelty because they've seen where he has come from -- namely 18 months in prison -- due to his activity with Bad Newz Kennels.

Before his arrest for racketeering Vick said he was blind to animal rights, but he now sees the light. "I didn’t really care what people felt about animals," Vick told the students about his lack of emotion while involved in dogfighting with pit bulls. "I didn’t care about the welfare of animals."

But that ignorance has been turned into a blessing from on high, the NFL star said, which includes a tightening of legal restrictions across the country once the spotlight turned to lax laws surrounding dogfighting and minimal fines. "I think I’m being used by God," Vick said, "because all the laws have changed since my incident."

"In my opinion he means what he says and this is a healing process for him" Caleb Levy told News 8 in New Haven, Conn., after Vick spoke to Wilbur Cross High School.

Vick was joined on stage with Wayne Pacelle, a New Haven native, who happens to be the president of the Humane Society of the United States.

[Correction: An earlier version of this post misidentified Vick's Bad Newz Kennels as Bad Boyz Kennels. We've corrected the error.]

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Michael Vick honored for courage at NFL award ceremony; animal activists protest

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Photo: Vick speaks to students at Wilbur Cross High School in New Haven, Conn., on Tuesday. Credit: Bob Child / Associated Press

Comments

[karsa]

Yes, Vick, you are being used as an example by God. God is showing the world what a narcissistic loser looks like. I hope you have learned something from all this -- but I wonder what you'll say after you've done your community service. I bet you think this all happened because the haters were jealous. I bet you haven't really changed at all.

[L.A. Voter]

Michael Vick didn't have "activity" with Bad Newz Kennels, he CREATED Bad Newz Kennels.

Normally this is a well-reported blog, but come on. Even a cursory glance at the Vick coverage since 2007 makes it abundantly clear that the whole enterprise, from buying the property at 1915 Moonlight Rd., to building the dog fighting buildings, paying the men who "cared" for, transported, fought and killed the dogs -- ALL of that was masterminded by Michael Vick. It was his idea, his money, and "Bad Newz" was the nickname of his hometown of Newport News, Virginia.

It's bad enough that people ignorant of everything but football keep insisting Vick has "paid his debt" because they have no idea of the facts. But for the Times to falsely minimize Vick's role in this years-long series of crimes is appalling.

That being said, you really couldn't have a clearer indication of Vick's narcissism than his belief that his brutal multiples killings of dogs is all part of God's plan. What he did, repeatedly, has nothing to do with abstractions like "animal welfare" and "animal rights." He looked in the faces of dogs and grabbed them, and held their heads under water until they drowned in his arms. He picked one up and repeatedly slammed him to the ground until he died. He strung up one dog on a board nailed between two trees and watched her strangle. When she didn't die fast enough for him, he looked her in the face, cut her down, put her head in a five gallon bucket of water and held her there until she drowned.

THAT is Michael Vick. And he thinks it all happened because God was using him. He thinks it's all about him getting up and talking about "animal rights." But what it's about is one man who repeatedly looked into the faces of dogs who were suffering and deliberately chose the most painful and prolonged way to kill them. He held their bodies and they thrashed and gasped for breath and he felt no compassion, he just kept clutching them, head under water, until they ceased struggling to survive. How many times do you think it took for him slamming the dog to the ground before he died? Four? Five? Before you talk about how he "paid his debt" imagine the kind of man who sees what the dog looked like, the sounds he made, after getting slammed into the ground the first time...the second time... Imagine the pain, the crying, and the blood. And Michael Vick, the hero, kept slamming that poor dying dog into the ground until the dog died.

And he thinks he's part of God's plan.

[C. King]

I too was ignorant of animal feelings; I wore fur coats, ate meat. Had I been confronted by a 'silly' animal rights person, I certainly had a remark for them and it wasn't pleasant. But then I saw a slaughter house and realized these are living breathing feeling mammals that we are hurting on massive scale. I'm so glad that I too saw the light, so to speak, and I work every day on some level to better the lives of aimals. I find I can relate to those who are just not 'there' yet. For me, farm animals are my main focus because of the massive numbers of these poor creatures who are routinely & legally abused. I'd just as soon eat the ebola virus than eat an animal.

[Elinor D]

Of course he is standing behind a podium that bears magic symbols. Unfortunately, Im not quite sure which God he is referring to? Given the time he had to repent, I really see little, other than words coming from him. Have yet to see him build an animal shelter, instead his bad behavior has been rewarded with a better placement in the football lineup

[Mary Trainor]

I sincerely hope that Vick is a changed person. The proof will be seen in the way he lives his life over time. Meanwhile, if his appearances can help reform one abuser, or keep one potential abuser from acting on his/her impulses, this will be good. It won't erase what's been done, but it's a step in the right direction.

[Ronnie Jones]

I don't think Michael Vick should even be out of jail. The fact that the speaks to our young people gives me the shivers. He repeatedly killed dogs and was totally responsible for the hell they lived in before they died. How arrogant a low-life he is to use his name and God's in the same sentence. God will forgive you, Michael, but I and many others will remember the dogs that died, and those that are still in shelters because they can't ever be adopted. You make me sick.