Whoopi, what are you thinking!?!?!?
First off, let me say that I think the world of Whoopi Goldberg. I admire her for her career and what she has accomplished in her life. I hoped that she would take the empty chair on the View. I loved her short-lived talk show (and I don’t generally like talk shows). Of all the people in the world I would love to interview, Whoopi has to be in top twenty. Have I impressed on you how highly I consider Ms. Goldberg?
Good, because now I’m going to get very harsh.
What the heck do you mean defending Vick by saying this is part of Southern culture?!?!? It is NOT part of Southern culture like bagels are part of NY culture or the beach is part of Southern CA culture. Dogfighting and cockfighting are done in the South by ignorant, racist trash (both white and black). I know because unlike you, Whoopi, I AM Southern. I was born in Alabama and spent most of my youth in Tennessee. I’ve seen much more of Georgia than the Atlanta airport.
I have traveled over vast areas of the South and in every Southern state. I have been at backwoods horse auctions and campgrounds you can only find with a guide. I love fried chicken, grits and fried okra. I’ve had close friends who were car racers, bull riders and hunters. If its in the South I’ve probably seen it, read it, eaten it or watched it. I am Southern for more generations than I can count. And I am deeply offended that anyone, much less a woman I consider a personal hero such as Whoopi Goldberg, would make a patently stupid and offensive comment that dogfighting is just part of the culture.
Is a Kitty Genovese-like murder (the young woman who was murdered in an alley and NO ONE responded or even called the police) part of NY culture? Are terrorist attacks on large buildings part of NY culture? Are Son of Sam like serial murders part of NY culture? Are Zodiac killers part of San Francisco culture? How about attacks on innocent individuals by mentally ill homeless people (an incident I personally witnessed) part of the Northern California culture? Of course not! But yet you in your ignorance want to say dogfighting (which is every bit as horrible as the events I mentioned) is part of Southern culture.
No, dogfighting belongs to useless, cruel people across the US and Canada. Southerners don’t own stupidity or evil behavior. Sure, there are many of these pieces of poop masquerading as humans in the South but I would bet you, Whoopi, that you have some of them living near you too. They are just as much your neighbors as they have been mine.
So, Whoopi, all that said, I’m going to ask you again — what were you thinking? Did you, like some of my African-American friends, think that animal protectors like me are only interested in bringing African-American offenders to justice? If so, think again. Protectors, like many Dogsters, have sought and gotten justice against people of all races. Did you think we were just picking on poor Michael? Nope, wrong again. I’d never even heard of him until the dogfighting charge broke. I would have been perfectly happy to go the rest of my life with never knowing his name.
Do you think dogfighting and similar cruel “entertainments” are of little concern to people trying to overcome racism, poor education and few good-paying jobs. Once again, think again. There are clear correlations between dogfighting and spousal abuse. Would you like to argue that we shouldn’t care about the roots of and the promulgation of violence against women and children? I’d like to hear you try but I suspect you’re too smart to take that side. Do you want to defend people of any color whose actions support violence? Then continue to defend Vick.
Vick is not an innocent victim. Vick is not a representative of Southern culture. Vick is a selfish, cruel man who thinks his pleasure is more important than the suffering of innocents, incuding dogs. He may or may not have “found Jesus.” That’s not my call to make. But I sure can tell you what the officials found on his property — lots and lots of tortured, dead dogs. Those are the irrefutable facts.
So Whoopi, please reconsider your support of this heartless murderer. Your support says one of two things about you; either you are hopelessly naive if you think he’s a victim or you are so amazingly prejudiced against Southerners and their culture that you would think this is acceptable. I think you’re not the former but I hope you’re not the latter.
If you want to speak to Dogsters and Catsters of all nationalities and races, drop me a line and we can talk. If you really want to defend Vick, you can start with us. We’re the ones who clean up after all the Vicks of this world. And we don’t look at race. A dog who has been tortured and murdered by a Caucasian suffers just as much as one who has been tortured by a Hispanic or African-American.
In the meantime, Whoopi, think again before you defend a man who is the opposite of everything your life has been and represented. You have always spoken for those who could not defend themselves against the cruel and remorseless. You have always stood for the empowerment of women and the protection of children. You have always been a shining light of hope and positive actions in a world where these things are all too rare. Michael Vick is none of these things. And in defending him, you tarnish your light and life.
Thanks to Yahoo TV for this article.
Goldberg defends Vick in `View’ debut
So much for the sedate alternative to Rosie O’Donnell on “The View.”
Whoopi Goldberg used her first day on the daytime chat show Tuesday to defend football star Michael Vick in his dogfighting case.
Goldberg said that “from where he comes from” in the South, dogfighting isn’t that unusual.
“It’s like cockfighting in Puerto Rico,” she said. “There are certain things that are indicative to certain parts of the country.”
The Atlanta Falcons quarterback pleaded guilty to federal dogfighting charges last week, admitting that he provided money for a dogfighting ring that operated on his Virginia property and helped kill six or eight pit bulls. Vick grew up in Newport News, Va.
Goldberg was selected by series creator Barbara Walters to replace O’Donnell, whose stormy tenure on the ABC program lasted less than a year.
In the Vick discussion, Goldberg served notice that she won’t shy away from controversy.
Co-host Joy Behar looked horrified at Goldberg.
“How about dog torture and dog murdering?” Behar asked.
For many people, dogs are sport, Goldberg replied, and it appeared it took awhile for Vick to realize that he was up against serious charges.
“I just thought it was interesting, because it seemed like a light went off in his head when he realized this was something that the entire country didn’t appreciate,” she said.
