Posted on 12/29/2010 8:30:41 PM PST by La Lydia
On tonight’s Rachel Maddow, EP Bill Wolff (filling in for Maddow) brought in Professor Melissa Harris-Perry for a fresh take, and she delivered: Michael Vick is the victim of centuries of black oppression– from dogs? Wolff requested of Harris-Perry a “historical” take on the matter, and while she barely mentioned Vick (and said nothing of Tucker Carlson), she gave an extensive history of African-Americans and dogs.
“We want to be really careful here,” she warned, “There are some complex issues at stake whenever you are talking simultaneously about African Americans and talking about issues of animal rights.” She explained that “questions about the humanity of black people and the relative importance of the life of animals have in fact been deeply connected,” complicating the issue for Vick. To tie the argument to the story, she noted that domestic animals are often “fetishized” such that, while “we’re not really all that horrified” about fur or food animals, the killing of a dog is a cardinal sin.
Compare this to the fact that “one of the ways that black people were enslaved… was that black people were equated to animals,” she continued, and that “dogs were directly used against black people.”
She doesn’t elaborate further than noting that there is a “weird kind of interconnection and anxiety” between animal abuse and civil rights, so it’s left to the view to try to figure out how to weave her historical context into the Michael Vick case....
This leaves many open questions as to what many of her comments– especially the note about dogs being used against African Americans during the Civil Rights movement– have to do with Vick. Carried to its logical conclusion, Harris-Perry could perhaps be suggesting that a reason Vick behaved as he did against dogs was because, as an African-American, he was participating in a long-standing feud with canine-kind. His crime, she may be arguing, was a subconscious expression of racial anxiety, and must be understood as such before condemning Vick the way someone who has not experienced racial strife (ahem, Tucker Carlson) could not understand...
As the comments are so detached from the subject matter, it’s basically a Rorschach test of political ideology. Liberals will embrace the historical context. Those on the right will cry “race card.” Hopefully Harris-Perry will elaborate further in the future, as, if there was a highly sophisticated historical point directly related to Vick’s dog abuses in her commentary, something was lost in translation.
Vic was not just involved in dog fighting, he personally tortured and killed defenseless dogs. This makes him inhuman.
It does seem that some posters on FR feel somehow threatened if someone indicates sympathy for a mistreated animal.
I would like to ask Ms. Harris-Perry why it’s so prevalent among upper class black women to use hyphenated surnames. Do they think it sounds classy. Is it a feminist thing. Or is it a way to dispel the “stereotype” of the unmarried African American woman. I’m curious.
Damn. You nailed it.
Yeah, American slavery explains bull fighting in Spain too. *eyes rolling*
Yep! She is “got a master’s degree in it” stupid.
She has a Masters Degree in finding racism where it does not exist.
Well, the host asked her to explain, from a historical perspective, why people are still so mad at Vick. Ms. H-P said white people historically treated blacks like animals and even called them apes. Then she went on to say people (presumably whites) love animals- but only certain ones. They don’t care about chickens or pigs, but they really like dogs. Hence, the reason white people are so mad at Vick is because he’s an animal whites don’t like (an ape) who was really mean to an animal whites do like- dogs. At least, I think that’s what she meant.
Articles that explain how modern liberals suffer from a mental disorder.
“’Tis better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt.” (Attributed to the Destroyer of the Republic A. Lincoln)
I think the “curse” is in full effect.
Consider. In his last 2 games, against The NYG and the Vikes, he played a total of 120 minutes and except for the miracle against the NYG which saw the eagles score 4 times in 7 minutes and about 40 seconds he has been totally dominated for the other 117 minutes.
I'm white. I love dogs. I also love chickens and pigs.
...Right next to the rice and gravy, fried okra, and cornbread.
I don’t think Vick should be excused.
I do think he should be in the NFL now.
I think he could have a dog maybe one day...let his supervised release officer determine.
I think he’s done enough “time”.
and count me with those who doesn’t think animal life is worth the ...what is the best way to put it?....well...I just don’t have the exaltation for animals some here do.
there is a lot of room between Mike Vick and Sungirl....I’m in there somewhere
oh...and for Yankees who as usual think they know it all here....dogt fighting is very unpopular amongst white southerners....in fact it’s scorned like incest
and they are precious few rednecks anymore..now white trash is just wiggahs..we have reached racial parity
PS...I love cock fighting...could care less
and count me with those who doesn’t think animal life is worth the ...what is the best way to put it?....well...I just don’t have the exaltation for animals some here do.
Yet another "animal life isn't worth as much as human life" post. I'll write this in your style so that you may understand.
It's not about the "sanctity" of animal life over human life.
You can post that kind of crap all day.
It is still not what anyone here is saying (except you Vick defenders).
What made the story so horrific is that Vick and his homies tortured the animals (outside of fighting them) and took a sadistic delight in their suffering.
Sadism is the derivation of pleasure as a result of inflicting pain or watching pain inflicted on others.
He probably had a raging erection while he tortured the dogs.
Vick is a disgusting piece of trash. No fan should ever have to cheer for such a POS on their football tram.
“football TEAM”.
Based on the intellectual standards set by this ignorant, hyphenated racist, I’ve just awarded each of the speckled Koi out in my fish pond, a full-tenured professorship.
Hence your always warm posting style eh dear.
He probably had a raging erection while he tortured the dogs.
do you always associate anger with the penis cupcake?
You just sorta gave yourself away
I wonder if the Hayden part of her handle comes from old Tom Hayden, the pizza-faced commie who was married to Hanoi Jane.
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