No Dog in That Fight...

I often hear people complain of the recent success of Michael Vick, former Atlanta Falcons quarterback, current Philadelphia Eagles quarterback, former 'dogman', former inmate and current front runner for MVP of the National Football League. Michael Vick was busted for running a dogfighting syndicate out of his Georgia estate a few years back and was sentenced to do some prison time. Although he was squirrely and dishonest at first about the activities, once all the proof was there, he hung his head and did his time. Since, he has been released, picked up by another football franchise, and has risen quickly to the top of a league that, let's face it, decidedly lacked superstars this year. Granted, I live in Atlanta, so most of the people here dealt up close and personal with the details of his grisly side project, so it doesn't surprise me that his sudden redemption is largely overlooked down here. It's not like he is taking our team to the playoffs. For myself, I looked at the process as a chance to learn something about a topic I knew almost nothing of: dogfighting.
Much has been written about dogfighting, largely in condemnation of it, but you can't deny how deep the cultural roots go. I won't bore us with an historical treatise, but there are a few notes I found interesting. First off, I have never in general considered myself an animal rights activist. I am not a vegetarian. I do not like to see a species hunted to extinction, but I am not likely to do much to prevent it either. I don't think that all dogs go to Heaven, or that animals have souls to speak of. However, I would never intentionally treat an animal badly or endanger it (directly; again, I wouldn't take a bullet for a buffalo), and I certainly would not cheer ringside as two dogs tore each other to unrecognizable bits. There are reasons why that is 17 levels of sick, and not just because 'animals are people, too'.
I read the defense position that the dog fighters commonly use, as was stated in an academic paper on the subject available online through a simple search. One thought is that dogfighting is a cultural fixture, not something you can simply do away with by litigation or increased awareness. This is true. I'm sure they fought dogs in the Coliseum. Mankind has always had a bizarre yet creative bloodlust. Just like the 'if you can think of it, there is porn of it' adage, if it can be used as a weapon, it has been. I used to work with a Southern gentleman who would often use the phrase 'I don't have a dog in that fight'. I never gave much thought to the derivation of the quip, but I am certain it isn't just an accidental metaphor. Dogfighting is like college football and Krispy Kreme down here.
One defense that was quoted really stood out to me. The [dog fighter, presumably] had indicated that the dogs love to fight, and are evenly matched, and therefore dogfighting is no more or less inhumane than boxing. I like that point because I have always been disgusted by boxing as well. Standing around the watching two people beat each other senseless always seemed like such a base, brutal interest. So what if it's an animal that couldn't choose another life for itself. Do you think half the boxers out there really had a lot of other options? Have you seen Mike Tyson fight? Is it so different than watching a highly trained animal at the top of it's craft?
People love violence. We go to war to settle conflict. The conflict is often war already. I would wager some of the most disgusting violence ever to happen in war is happening when there is no actual battle being fought. Train soldiers to kill and then stick them somewhere isolated with nothing to do. Raise dogs to fight, then leave them unattended in the yard. Violence is accessible, granted, but it is learned. Perhaps the most relevant point I came across in the article I read was the effects upon children that the fighting had. In gang culture, children are brought in to see the dogs go at it. In rural areas, families surround the pits as an outing. This is where the 'cultural' aspect is preserved. Desensitize people at a young age and watch the practice unfold over the generations.
Over time, the greatest religious teachers have continuously advocated pacifism, non-violent protest, turning the other cheek. Meanwhile, those to whom they were preaching have continued gashing, stabbing, warring, killing and thirsting for new and exciting ways to bloodlet. Something about this whole situation concerns me deeply, and it isn't the welfare of the dogs. That, of course, is relevant, but there is a larger travesty materializing through this and countless other vile practices--the wreckage of the human soul.

Unfortunately, I am almost certain that animals were harmed somewhere during the writing of this blog.