MICHAEL VICK

Let's put this "innocent until proven guilty" nonsense to rest right here at the beginning. When you kill someone you are a killer. If you do so in violation of the law; if it is not in self defense, for instance, you are a murderer. A person who kills a girlfriend because she merely wants out of the relationship is a murderer as soon as his victim's heart stops beating .. you don't have to wait for a jury to come in with a verdict.

So, where does this "innocent until proven guilty" stuff come in? The presumption of innocence is, in my view, a limitation that is primarily place on government. Generally speaking, only government can use force - deadly force - to deprive you of your property, your liberty or your life. If the government is going to do so as punishment for the commission of a crime, then the government must afford you your constitutional rights and prove your guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. It is the government, then, that must consider you to be innocent until otherwise proven. After the act, the rapist is only innocent in the eyes of government. The victim views him quite differently.

O.J. Simpson is a murderer. There is not one rational-thinking American familiar with knowledge of the facts of his case who honestly believes otherwise. A renegade jury failed to convict him however, so the government cannot punish him for his butchery. If O.J. objects to my characterization of him as a murderer he has civil remedies he can pursue. I, however, am powerless to punish him for the slaughter of his wife and Ron Goldman.

Now .. back to Vick. Personally, I have no doubt that he knew of and was a willing and eager participant in this blood "sport" of dog fighting. I'm an animal lover. I particularly love dogs. I would have no problem whatsoever seeing him serve some time in jail for his crime. I believe that people can be judged by how they treat animals. If what they allege about Michael Vick is true then he is completely lacking any sense of morality and human decency. Jail might be too good for him. Better to baste him in steak sauce and throw him into a cage full of the very dogs he so loved to brutalize.

What should the Falcons do with Vick? Totally their choice. They have a contract with this thug that would allow them to fire him on the spot. I'm not Arthur Blank and I have no idea what it would feel like to invest tens of millions of dollars in someone only to have them turn out to be such a miserable person and a complete embarrassment to the entire organization off-field. How do you explain to Vick's teammates that their season is about to be negatively affected because of these indictments? What do you say when they cry "He hasn't been convicted yet!" Perhaps if Blank and the Falcons had not invested so much time, effort and money into protecting Michael Vick from his own persona over the years things might not have come to this. But Vick was a jock .. a hero .. a prized gladiator. He generated massive amounts of revenue, not only for the team, but for the league ... and was thus entitled to treatment that would insulate him from his own repugnant actions.

If someone in a position of authority had smacked him down a few years ago, the team might not be going through this today.

Sent in by Mark Tucker

As I said, the Falcons can do with Vick as they please. If he's convicted of a felony we should expect the NFL to follow the rules they've set and send him packing. We'll see. But I, as a fan, have my own choices to make, and my choice will be to have absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the Falcons as long as this thug is wearing their uniform. As long as Michael Vick is part of the organization, the organization, for me, ceases to exist. My wife is from Jacksonville, so I'm now officially a Jaguars fan.

Now ... let's address the race angle. I've been reading some of the blogs out there, and I did have a chance to listen to some sports talk radio over the weekend. What I've read and heard is entirely predictable. Everyone is out to get Michael Vick because he's black. The whole investigation is racially based.

This isn't about race. It's about culture. Black urban culture, to be more precise. The Humane Society of the United States estimates that organized dogfighting has increased by well over 300% since 1992. In many cases the dogfighting takes place in conjunction with drug dealing. The director of the Capital Area Humane Society in Ohio told the Cincinnati Inquirer ""Dogfighting is a family event, often held in a large warehouse. Children watch and there can be concession stands at one end, gambling somewhere else, and over in this corner they'll be selling cocaine and crack."

I'm sure it will come as no surprise to you that dogfighting has been glorified in rap music. DMX and Snoop Dog have promoted the practice in their "music" videos.

Eileen Lou-Harrist wrote "In recent years, pit bull terriers have become a macho accessory in urban culture, where kids are attracted to the animals' reputation as inherently mean dogs. Add the hard-edged glamour of the dogfight-the gambling, drugs and weapons; the illegality; the 'fight 'til you die' credo-and dogfighting flourishes in places where cultivating a tough reputation is often paramount to survival." Now is Lou-Harrist describing any sort of a racial characteristic with those words? Hardly. She's describing a culture; urban street culture. Gangsta culture. So for all of you out there who will try to make this whole Michael Vick affair into a racial issue, put a sock in it. We're talking culture here, not race; a violent, immoral and cruel culture that promotes violence and disrespect for common decency and the law; a culture now vividly represented by Michael Vick.

I'm told that if you visit animal rescue shelters in many urban areas you'll find that over 60% of the dogs there are pit bulls or some variation. Slam a few of these people in jail for some extended sentences and let's see how quickly that changes.

NOW ... ABOUT THAT ROLEX WATCH

Alan Judd of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution wrote a great article detailing the privileged live of Michael Vick. In that article Judd relates the story of a Rolex watch pilfered by one of Vick's "crew" at the Atlanta airport. I don't want to re-tell the entire Rolex watch episode here so click here to read the story for yourself. Reader's Digest version, one of Vick's hangers-on stole a watch during the security screening process at Hartsfield. The story says the Rolex belonged to a security screener. It was later recovered and returned, along with a bit of cash.

That's not the way I heard it.

I've been aware of the Rolex episode for some time now, but had been asked not to say anything. I've received permission from my airport source to go ahead and relate the story,

If you've read Judd's version, there are a few corrections and additions. First, the Rolex swiped from the x-ray conveyor belt did not belong to a screener. I heard that it belonged to an Atlanta businessman. Why, after all, would a screener (a) have a Rolex in the first place; and (b) take it off to send it through the x-ray machine?

At any rate, the businessman raised holy hell as soon as his Rolex turned up missing. Finally Atlanta police decided to look at the video. The video clearly showed a member of Vick's posse picking up the watch and putting it in his pocket. A call was made to the airlines serving Hartsfield to see where Vick and his gang were heading. When Vick and his entourage arrived at their destination the cops were waiting for them when they deplaned. A police officer told Vick what had happened. Vick turned to his "crew" and asked who had the Rolex. One of his friends pulled it out of his pocket and handed it over to Vick who gave it to the police. Oddly, the police then returned the Rolex to Vick on a promise that he would hand it over to Falcon's officials who would then return it to the rightful owner.

Judd's story says that the person who took the Rolex did so because he thought it was Vick's. Yeah ... right. That being the case, why didn't he hand it to Vick as soon as they were through security? "Hey, Michael! Here's your watch! See how I'm looking out for you bro?"

UH OH ... LOOKS LIKE I GOT SOME BEARDS ALL TANGLED

What a marvelous week. No email. No cell phones. Just relaxing. But ... when I got back home Saturday evening and looked at the show email it was clear that some Muslim turbans were really in a knot over a phone call I had on this show sometime last year. [Listen here]

We won't go into the phone call here. Look ... I'm still trying to get back into work mode. I'll make it easy for you. Here's a link to the article which appeared on the website for the repugnant Council on American-Islamic relations (CAIR).

Evidently this CAIR bit was picked up by many other websites and blogs around the world. When I logged on to the show email on Saturday evening there were several hundred emails, some from as far away as Germany and Indonesia, giving me some attaboys for what I said during that particular phone conversation. There were also a few emails suggesting that I might want to hire some extra security because I have committed the grievous error of saying (gasp!) some rather negative things about the wonderful, serene, peaceful religion of Islam and its adherents.

Do I have a response for Cair? Why .. you betcha! Let's try this one. I'll pay attention to CAIR's complaints about what I said on the air when CAIR issues a strong and unequivocal denunciation of Osama bin Laden's command that good, devout Muslims kill Americans whenever they can wherever in the world these Americans might be found.

Oh ... and thanks to CAIR for all the wonderful publicity they've provided for me and the show. Allah knows how many more listeners are tuning in today because of their great PR efforts.

CENSURING BUSH

Wisconsin's liberal Democratic Senator Russ Feingold says he wants Congress to censure President Bush for mismanaging the war in Iraq and for his "assault" against the Constitution. Feingold seems to have forgotten that the approval rating for congress is lower than that for the president. When Feingold suggests that congress censure itself we might have something to talk about here.

Feingold said that Bush made misleading public statements on the war and went into Iraq without adequate military preparation. You know what? There has never been a war that this country entered with adequate military preparation. Feingold would have to censure FDR if this was the test. There was no way in hell the U.S. was prepared for war in 1941. The Japanese brought the war to us, and we responded. The Islamic fascists have now brought us war once again, and once again we must respond.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has his own point of view. Reid says "He's the worst president we ever had. I don't think we need a censure resolution in the Senate to prove that." Typical Democrat rhetoric.

On Sunday, Senate Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called the resolutions a stunt. He says that the real problem is that Democrats haven't passed any real legislation and haven't done anything to make the country better.

"CAIRING" FOR MUSLIM FACTORY WORKERS

Back to CAIR again!

Muslim workers and their "advocates" (the Council on American-Islamic Relations) say that supervisors at a Swift & Co. meatpacking plant have fired or harassed Somali Muslim employees for praying at sunset.

Swift & Co. says that only three Somali Muslims have been fired, and those have been people that walk off the job without permission.

Unscheduled breaks can force unplanned shutdowns of lines. Clearly, if you are an employer you can not allow religion to be an excuse for shutting down an entire production line.

Jama Mohamed, a Somali Muslim worker at the plant says, "I would never forgive myself and God would not forgive me if I do not pray on time because I want to earn some money." Wow. Not that sure sounds like the kind of God I want to worship. What about you?

Don't worry. The Council on American-Islamic Relations has drafted a complaint to be filed with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

CAIR also suggested that Somalis who work evenings should be able to leave in smaller shifts to avoid disrupting lines. The plant rejected the suggested letting Somali workers work earlier shifts that wouldn't interfere with the sunset prayers.

Here's an idea. Don't hire Muslims. Problem solved. There's no religious discrimination here. Religious discrimination occurs when you apply a different set of work rules to one specific religion. If the same work rules apply to all .. no discrimination. You aren't refusing to hire them because they're Muslims. You're refusing to hire them because they refuse to perform the work assigned to them.

RIDING THE 'HATE WAVE'

The Vice President of La Raza, the nation's largest Hispanic advocacy group, says it has to fight "a wave of hate" that came from talk radio's efforts to kill the Senate's amnesty bill.

Cecilia Munoz, the National Council of La Raza's senior vice president, says, "That had an extraordinary impact in the Senate, and as a nation, I don't think we should be comfortable with the fact that the United States Senate responded to what was largely a wave of hate."

She also says that talk radio's campaign that influenced the US Congress to kill the amnesty bill was not about the actual policies. No. Talk radio did not want to debate the issue. Instead it was about talk radio's "discomfort with Latinos."

The fight seemed to be about race and national identity and not about immigration, according to La Raza. Well .. they're partially right. It wasn't about immigration." It was about illegal immigration.

Most of the talk show hosts I listened to presented pretty much the same agenda. First, secure the borders. Then figure out what to do with the illegals that were here. Sure, we had callers suggesting that we pack 'em all in busses and send them back ... but the hosts I listened to were much more reasoned in their response. Secure the borders. Follow the laws you already passed 21 years ago ... then we'll talk.

This is what Cecilia Munoz calls "hate."

We'll give her this: She's learned her lesson from the left all too well. When someone says something that you simply don't have the intellectual capacity to deal with in honest and open dialogue, just call it "hate" and wash your hands of it.

REDNECK SCRAP BOOK

Rednecks like to have a nice shelter for enjoying warm summer days and nights just like anyone else. More in the Redneck Scrap Book.

READING ASSIGNMENTS

The Washington Times wrote an excellent thank you note to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has recently been a conservative superhero in Congress.

Democrats (shockingly) blocked the "John Doe" legislation, which protects citizens from legal action if they report suspicious activity to police. We ask people to report activity we think might be terrorist related --- then we refuse to protect them when they do. What does this tell you about Democrats?

Fred Thompson's presidential campaign is organizing a "quiet" fundraiser at the end of July. FairTax, Fred. FairTax.

Mitt Romney compares Hillary's economic policy to Karl Marx and says it would be helpful for someone who is leading this country to understand basic economics. Yeah .. when pigs fly.

The U.S. says that it wouldn't rule out using force in Pakistan to stifle al Qaeda's ability to use the country as a hideout. 'Bout time.

Hostages ... in Iran? Gee ... where have we heard that before? Leave it to Mark Steyn to update us.

Democrats are being really "compromising" when it comes to Iraq. Harry Reid says he is willing to work with any Republicans willing to vote for a mandatory troop withdrawal. Now that's how to compromise!

Turkey called for re-elections over whether women should be allowed to wear head scarves in official settings and state institutions after the ruling party nominated a Prime Minister who's wife wears an Islamic-style head scarf. The population voted ... she can stay.

Do you think you should have to show a proper form of identification to vote? Why don't you see what your Senators think ...

Here's a great way to spend tax payer money. Give $100 debit cards to anyone who turns in a hand gun to the police. This clever scheme, in Chicago, is called "Don't kill a Dream, Save a Life." Simply put, it's horseshit. (Can't say that on the radio though.)

A female president ... on "24?"

A Chihuahua saves a 1-year-old from a snake by jumping in the way and taking the bites! Michael Vick wants to feed the pup to one of his pit bulls.

The final "Harry Potter" book breaks record book sales: 8.3 million copies in the first 24 hours.

"Why right-wing radio works." From a columnist hidden somewhere in the Colorado mountains. Sucks to be him, right?

Instead of listening to the pundits and politicians, how about reading what someone actually serving in Iraq has to say?

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