Whoopi Supports vick

[spadanko]

Just 15 minutes into the show she brought up Vick's conviction on dogfighting charges.

"You know from his background this is not an unusual thing for where he comes from," said Goldberg.

"There are certain things that are indicative to certain parts of our country."

Co-host Joy Behar seemed shocked at Goldberg's statements.

"How about dog torture and dog murdering," Behar asked.

"Unfortunately it's part of the thing," Goldberg replied.

"You're a dog lover. For a lot of people dogs are sport," she added.

Behar continued to shake her head in disgust.

Goldberg said it seemed to her that it took a while for Vick to realize that the charges against him were serious.

"It seemed like a light went off in his head when he realized that this was something the entire country really didn't appreciated, didn't like," Goldberg said, referring to Vick's guilty plea.

She said if the case had involved somebody from New York City her feelings would have been different.

Goldberg pointed out that Vick was raised in the South.

"This is part of his cultural upbringing," said Goldberg.

Co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck said she was encouraged by the NFL suspending Vick indefinitely.

But Goldberg continued to defend Vick saying "This is a kid who comes from a culture when this is not questioned."

It was Goldberg's first day moderating the talk show. She took over from Rosie O'Donnell who quit the show earlier this year after feuds with Donald Trump and Hasselbeck.

Last month Vick entered a guilty plea in federal court in Richmond, Virginia

In his written plea, Vick admitted helping kill six to eight pit bulls and supplying money for gambling on the fights.

Vick will be sentenced on the dogfighting charges in December. The federal sentencing guideline projects a year to 18 months, but the judge can impose up to the five-year maximum.

Vick and three co-defendants, Purnell Peace of Virginia Beach, Quanis Phillips of Atlanta and Tony Taylor of Hampton all pleaded guilty to interstate dogfighting conspiracy charges.

The details outlined in the indictment and other court papers fueled a public backlash against Vick and cost him several lucrative endorsement deals, even before he agreed to plead guilty.

The case began in late April when authorities conducting a drug investigation of Vick's cousin raided the former Virginia Tech star's rural Surry County property and seized dozens of dogs, some injured, and equipment commonly used in dogfighting.

[drusilla]

well she's off to a good start

[AJDELAWARE]

I bet we will see a chain reaction of this kind of thought coming from it now.

[Furtherman]

Like it or not, she's right.

[DarkHippie]

In southern culture they also lynch black people and set crosses on fire. that doesnt make it right

[SinA]

Like it or not, she's right.

furtherman defends whoopi link (http://www.ronfez.net/forums/showthread.php?p=1447391#post1447391)

[Furtherman]

In southern culture they also lynch black people and set crosses on fire. that doesnt make it right

Well if this was 1920, then I'd agree but you cannot compare killing humans to dogs.

[EliSnow]

Well if this was 1920, then I'd agree but you cannot compare killing humans to dogs.

You're right about that, but the fact is that she's trying to justify his illegal actions based on how he was raised. Regardless of whether culturally, dog fighting was okay with him, he had to know it was illegal to do it, and to kill the dogs. And he should have known that he would get into a lot of shit PR wise, etc. if the facts came to light.

That's why I don't get this defense.

[SinA]

Well if this was 1920, then I'd agree but you cannot compare killing humans to dogs.

sure, i can compare them. killing people is a lot worse but raising, training, and forcing dogs to fight to the death is still very, very bad.

i give killings dogs a 75

i give killing a person a 97

(1= good, 100= as bad as it gets. scale rises exponentially, like the richter scale. margin of error +/- 3)

[buzzard]

wake up with Whoopi indeed,she'll say anything to perpetuate her own personna,boost The View's ratings.

[JPMNICK]

isn't whoopie the same person who said Imus was disgusting and should lose his job for making a joke? and she said it was so hurtful. But killing and torturing dogs is OK because it is part of his culture.

[Furtherman]

Well if this was 1920, then I'd agree but you cannot compare killing humans to dogs.

You're right about that, but the fact is that she's trying to justify his illegal actions based on how he was raised. Regardless of whether culturally, dog fighting was okay with him, he had to know it was illegal to do it, and to kill the dogs. And he should have known that he would get into a lot of shit PR wise, etc. if the facts came to light.

That's why I don't get this defense.

I agree with her statement of "This is a kid who comes from a culture where this is not questioned."

Now, if this kid had any common sense he would never have been a part of it once the fame and money came around. But what if he didn't play football? He didn't go to college? He'd just be another guy participating in this savage act because it was around him growing up. I'm sure many of the uneducated participants don't feel there is anything wrong at all.

There are dog fights and rooster fights in NYC all the time. Where is the huge outrage to have them stopped? There will never be. Vick was made an example. He deserved what he got. But this shit will continue and people won't care until it happens in their backyard.

[EliSnow]

There are dog fights and rooster fights in NYC all the time. Where is the huge outrage to have them stopped? There will never be. Vick was made an example. He deserved what he got. But this shit will continue and people won't care until it happens in their backyard.

I've read stories about cock fights getting broken up in NYC. Not in awhile, but it is happening.

I'm sure that this type of prosecution is happening more than you know, but we only hear about this instance because a famous football player was involved.

[TheMojoPin]

"It's Whoopi...plus one!"

If anyone belongs in Yerdaddy's "one hit wonder" thread, it's her.

[MadMatt]

isn't whoopie the same person who said Imus was disgusting and should lose his job for making a joke? and she said it was so hurtful. But killing and torturing dogs is OK because it is part of his culture.

Yep - she condemns Imus for saying something marginally bad yet defends Vick for treating dogs inhumanely and killing them.

I have lost a TON of respect for this lady. As a comedian and broadcaster she should have supported Imus; even if she didn't agree with what he said it was a First Amendment issue that she should support de facto. Now she is making excuses for Vick because dog fighting is part of southern black culture; to hell with the fact that it is illegal and immoral.

WTF is wrong with her? Is she just doing this stuff to be "cutting edge?"

[Furtherman]

I'm sure there are rings being busted, especially after this high profile case, but it won't make it disappear for good.

"There are certain things that are indicative to certain parts of our country."

And there she has a point too.

Look, it's sad, and there are still people who handle snakes, dress up their pre-teen daughters to arrange marriages, practice polygamy, and countless other traditions and practices that seems strange and bizarre to us, but acceptable to them.

I feel that only education that help curb these practices, but it is also an unfortunate truth that education isn't high on many priorities list.

[JPMNICK]

Yep - she condemns Imus for saying something marginally bad yet defends Vick for treating dogs inhumanely and killing them.

I have lost a TON of respect for this lady. As a comedian and broadcaster she should have supported Imus; even if she didn't agree with what he said it was a First Amendment issue that she should support de facto. Now she is making excuses for Vick because dog fighting is part of southern black culture; to hell with the fact that it is illegal and immoral.

WTF is wrong with her? Is she just doing this stuff to be "cutting edge?"

Maybe she wanted to make a splash on her 1st day, and grab some headlines. She needs to make sure the ratings stay up i guess.

[Midkiff]

Apparently for all black celebrities, black v. white comes before right v. wrong.

[dragon]

I listened to whoopie do a tap dance then hang up on a live phone call from O&A in regards to her bashing Imus. O&A tried to question her on being a hypocrite since she defended her then lover, Ted Danson, when he showed up wearing blackface. Now would she advocate dog fighting, torture and killings if it was a white person doing it?? I think not.:furious:

[MadMatt]

I'm sure there are rings being busted, especially after this high profile case, but it won't make it disappear for good.

"There are certain things that are indicative to certain parts of our country."

And there she has a point too.

Look, it's sad, and there are still people who handle snakes, dress up their pre-teen daughters to arrange marriages, practice polygamy, and countless other traditions and practices that seems strange and bizarre to us, but acceptable to them.

I feel that only education that help curb these practices, but it is also an unfortunate truth that education isn't high on many priorities list.

Regardless of cultural issues, fighting and killing dogs is illegal. Whoopi is supporting Vick only because he is black, pure and simple.

Vick has admitted to being wrong and performing illegal activities. Trying to find an explanation is one thing, but supporting someone's illegal activities and essentially using "you don't understand because you aren't black" as your reasoning is ridiculous and deplorable.

[Furtherman]

I didn't see the show, but of the statements in the article, not once did she defend Vick because he was black. In fact, I think many of you are jumping to that conclusion because she is black. And that is ridiculous and deplorable.

[Death Metal Moe]

Who really cares what Whoopie thinks?

[JPMNICK]

Who really cares what Whoopie thinks?

6 million housewives who will bore their husbands at dinner tonight with their fake opinions that they learn from daytime TV

[MadMatt]

I didn't see the show, but of the statements in the article, not once did she defend Vick because he was black. In fact, I think many of you are jumping to that conclusion because she is black. And that is ridiculous and deplorable.

She is saying that dogfighting is part of the culture, meaning southern black culture. She is using the "you aren't black so you really don't understand" mindset as a defense. That is where I am getting the idea that Whoopio is defending Vick because he is black.

If I am wrong I will take it back, but everything Whoopi has said points that direction.

Michael Vick is wrong because he broke the law. Aside from any moral or cultural thoughts, those are the nuts and bolts of the case. He has also admitted his guilt, meaning the issue should be "dead" except for sentencing.

I also don't think it should impact his NFL career, but I am not the one making that decision - That is entirely up to the NFL leadership. If Whooopi were to stick up for Vick regarding the loss of his livelihood, I am all for it.

[Furtherman]

She is saying that dogfighting is part of the culture, meaning southern black culture.

You are making the assumption that her saying "culture" means "black culture", when in fact she has already said :"You know from his background this is not an unusual thing for where he comes from."

That's the south. Plenty of white people. And sure enough, there are white people who participate in dog fighting as well. She's not pointing it out as a black thing, she's pointing it out as a southern thing. No where does she use race as an excuse.

[SinA]

You are making the assumption that her saying "culture" means "black culture", when in fact she has already said :"You know from his background this is not an unusual thing for where he comes from."

That's the south. Plenty of white people. And sure enough, there are white people who participate in dog fighting as well. She's not pointing it out as a black thing, she's pointing it out as a southern thing. No where does she use race as an excuse.

it's pretty much just a black thing, even here in the south

[TooLowBrow]

i hope that whoopie is in a ferris wheel accident, due to which her foot falls off. or that she barnstorms the o and a show again

[torker]

JV: What?
Elvis: C'mon!

[Bulldogcakes]

I'm sure there are rings being busted, especially after this high profile case, but it won't make it disappear for good.

So what? Since when does a law have to eliminate an activity to be warranted or justified? People still sell drugs, people still commit fraud, people still speed and drive drunk. Thats WHY the laws are necessary in the first place, because people are doing these things.

"There are certain things that are indicative to certain parts of our country."

And there she has a point too.

Look, it's sad, and there are still people who handle snakes, dress up their pre-teen daughters to arrange marriages, practice polygamy, and countless other traditions and practices that seems strange and bizarre to us, but acceptable to them.

I feel that only education that help curb these practices, but it is also an unfortunate truth that education isn't high on many priorities list.

You're attempt at chalking this up to multi-culturalism is pretty weak. There are cultural traditions that practice animal sacrifice, pot smoking, polygamy etc. And thats still no excuse for breaking the law. When in Rome, you do as the Romans do. Or you go to jail.

And we all learned in 3rd grade that ignorance of the law is no excuse, but even the claim "he didn't know how serious it was" doesn't wash because if you read the SI article (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/football/nfl/05/29/vick0604/index.html), this entire dog fighting operation was completely underground and hidden. Fights are arranged at the last minute, done in secret locations and you had to know someone to get in. Its basically like buying drugs, everybody involved knew what was going on was illegal.

If you don't want to read the whole SI article (its 7 pages and the details are pretty gruesome) here's an NPR interview with the author (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12060584) (about 20 minutes)

[The Silencer]

:smoke:

[JPMNICK]

:smoke:

insightful

[PapaBear]

Like it or not, she's right.
I know that there is a world of difference between the part of VA that he's from, and the part where I'm from, but I don't think it's nearly as much of a "part of the culture" as some people say. Even if it's more prevalent than some people realise, it's still a SUB CULTURE and not part of the regular culture. Her argument is total bullshit.

[Snacks]

it's pretty much just a black thing, even here in the south

Funny you say that. I just watched a documentary about dog fighting and real sports on hbo. Both showed videos of dog fights, both showed instructional videos of how to build fighting rings, treadmills for dogs and how to train the dogs. They both interviewed many people that are part of the sport and showed arrests of people involved and guess what they ALL had in common? They were all white. Black has nothing to do with this. IMO I think its more of a culture thing, but a southern culture. Even the documentary said its much bigger in the south but does have a place in major cities like Detroit.

[ChrisTheCop]

Let me pose this question.

If the ball player in question was white... would Whoopie Goldberg be defending him or condemning him?

[PapaBear]

IMO I think its more of a culture thing, but a southern culture.
Again... It's NOT a cultural thing. I've lived in other parts of the South, as well as where I live now. I have NEVER seen a dog fight or known people who were involved them. It may be more prevalent in the south, but it's still not part of "Southern Culture".

[ChrisTheCop]

Again... It's NOT a cultural thing. I've lived in other parts of the South, as well as where I live now. I have NEVER seen a dog fight or known people who were involved them. It may be more prevalent in the south, but it's still not part of "Southern Culture".

..so youre saying it IS a culture thing and EVERYONE does it.

I see.....

[PapaBear]

..so youre saying it IS a culture thing and EVERYONE does it.

I see.....
Go eat another doughnut.:devil2:

[ChrisTheCop]

...happy labor day, youre fired? :bye:

[Cleophus James]

http://www.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/371858/2/istockphoto_371858_drill_bit.jpg

[MadMatt]

Furtherman: I don't buy your arguments, but I will admit to making a pretty big assumption re: culture=black culture.

I have assumed that is what she meant, and although the overall tone of her argument seems to back that up, the words she said do not denote race. That was completely an assumption on my part. I apologize.

[AJDELAWARE]

I'm sure that this type of prosecution is happening more than you know, but we only hear about this instance because a famous football player was involved.

They are definitely making an example out of him though. There was an article in the delaware news a while ago saying that in the state of delaware (apparently we have a pretty widespread dogfighting problem) - the average jail time for a person convicted is 0. Most first time offenders are given probation and not allowed to own a dog for a period of time.

[AJDELAWARE]

Also - I wouldn't be surprised if we see a jump in the amount of people participating in dog fighting due to the amount of air time this case has occupied. People are stupid, dont think that they will see Vick being punished as a deterrant.

[BoondockSaint]

Who gives a shit what Whoopi Goldberg thinks?

[AJDELAWARE]

Who gives a shit what Whoopi Goldberg thinks?
The people who watch her show, listen to her radio show, etc.

You underestimate the power of the media on the masses. Well no, you dont, I mean shit we are all posting on a message board shrine to 2 radio hosts. Oprah has a legion of fans that would overthrow the government if she demanded it. The View has die hard fans and they will agree with those catty broads.

[Furtherman]

Funny you say that. I just watched a documentary about dog fighting and real sports on hbo. Both showed videos of dog fights, both showed instructional videos of how to build fighting rings, treadmills for dogs and how to train the dogs. They both interviewed many people that are part of the sport and showed arrests of people involved and guess what they ALL had in common? They were all white. Black has nothing to do with this. IMO I think its more of a culture thing, but a southern culture. Even the documentary said its much bigger in the south but does have a place in major cities like Detroit.

Exactly. White, black... they're all apart of it. Look, I've never seen people do meth or buy children in sex slave rings... but it happens, all over the place. You could live in the South your whole life and never see a dog fight, but that doesn't mean they're happening. You have to fall in with those kind of people. You have to be raised in it or brought into it. The love some of you have for animals clouds that fact but you have to remember: WE are animals as well, and humans can be trained real easy, just like a dog. So when Whoopi said that there are places where these things go unanswered, she was right. Yes, it's against the law and yes, it's revolting. But I see people's overall disgust in the matter a bit too much, too late. You want to focus this new found anger on Vick? So be it.

But will people march on down to their city halls and demand their local leaders stike out to eliminate these fights? Will people ask the candidates what they plan to do about fighting in their upcoming elections?

Will the neighbor, who knows there is a dog fight in his neighbor's basement, just how there has always been every second Tuesday of the month, pick up the phone and call the police?

No. So drop the outrage. It'll disappear with the next breaking story of a girl snatched from her backyard.

And to top it all off, Whoopi got the attention she was looking for. Put that in your bowl and eat it, little doggies.