Most of us can forgive and forget; we just don’t want the other person to forget that we forgave.
Ivern Ball
While sitting and watching my son’s scrimmage today I couldn’t help but think about how proud I am of my son. OrealE? Yes “Oh Real-ly!” He is building his mind, body, and soul by participating in this team activity. He builds his mind by learning the playbook, listening to the coaches, and applying the rules of the game. He builds his body by physically conditioning himself to compete at his very best and protect himself from injury. He builds his soul by the spirit that the game instills in him through friendship, trust, faith, sportsmanship, and team spirit. I observe how deep my son’s love is for the game of football. It is a good thing.
My mind suddenly wonders off to a place that is unconscionable to a father. What if my son should fail in life? Does he deserve a second change? People day in and day out commit the most despicable acts and at times it is hard to imagine that a second chance is due. Michael Vick has been given that second chance. As an animal lover who owns both a dog and a cat it wouldn’t be hard for me to look at what he has done as a crime beyond second chances. My wife like myself looks at our pets like children and they are. They’re family. But if my son was in Michael Vick’s shoes I would most certainly demand a second chance for my son. I know how hard my son works to excel at what he does. But in being honest I must ask myself beyond being his father–Why? Why should my son or anyone else get a second chance at a privileged opportunity that he messed up? I couldn’t answer that. But from Michael Vick’s press conference I did learn a few things about how to obtain that second chance.
- Remorse
- Mentors
- Spiritual Adviser
- Support Network
- Pay your debt to society
- An opportunity
An emotional expression of regret after committing a shameful, hurtful, or violent act. That is what Ed Sayres, president of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals expects, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell expects, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie expects, that’s what his children expects, his wife expects, his family expects, this nation expects, and all animal lovers demand.
Are more experienced at dealing with life responsibly. He couldn’t have gotten a better group of mentors than Future Hall of Famer Tony Dungy, Eagles Head Coach Andy Reid, and Eagles Quarterback Donovan McNabb.
A person that provides spiritual counseling. This is Tony Dungy’s role. He has been working with Vick while he was incarcerated in Leavenworth, Kansas. Staying consistent in this area will be important.
A supportive group made up of friends and family that will listen and offer suggestions when life hurts. He will need his family, true friends, the Humane Society, and the Philadelphia Eagles to help him remain focused on his goals.
Community service, fines, or incarceration to provide some form of compensation to make the victim whole. But realistically the victim will never be whole due to the impact the crime has had. He served 18-months of a 23-month sentence in federal prison. He will continue to work with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
He is either a part of the solution or a part of the problem. His visibility will help bring attention to the cruelty of animals. Michael Vick is more valuable as an outspoken spokesperson for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Hope he takes full advantage of this second chance at least God forbid for my own son’s sake.
