A student movement aimed at getting Michael Vick’s jersey back on display at his high school in Virginia was denied earlier this week. According to the Virginia Pilot, the reason for denying the motion is safety. “Administrators felt that displaying the jersey again could result in vandalism or theft. They also saw it as a distraction for students during the last stretch of classes before the end of the school year,” the paper says.
I can understand the desire to keep things safe and vandalism-free, but would putting Vick’s jersey back on display really create such a disturbance? I’d put it back up and take my chances that the students can behave themselves accordingly.
Michael Vick has already gone to prison and served what I felt was an extremely harsh sentence. Over the summer there were shots fired at his birthday party and then Vick’s name was used to promote a 4th of July party. It was wrong of Vick to be involved in the party scene rather than protect his safety and reputation, but it’s pretty clear he has stayed clean since then.
Vick had an MVP-like season for the Eagles, has participated in charity events and spoken out against cruelty to animals, and he’s tried to become a role model for young children. He has recognized he was wrong for his actions both on and off the field and apologized. He’s used his life story to try and warn youngsters what to avoid and to make it clear what he did was wrong. Vick seems to have turned his life around and dedicated himself towards living a better life and using his popularity towards that end.
Unless he’s a total fraud who has me suckered, I believe in the new person Mike Vick seems to be. Putting his jersey back on display at Warwick High School would not send a message that dogfighting is supported, but rather that they support redemption and second chances. Michael Vick is a different person and I’m buying into the new message he’s imparting. Maybe I’ll be proven to be an idiot for believing in him, but I’ll take my chances by supporting him, and I’d take the chance of putting his jersey back up. It’s time.
