I agree with the sentiment, if not the way it was released into the world:
RICHMOND, Va. —FOX- [1]The Michael Vick dogfighting case made its way to the floor of the U.S. Senate Thursday when its most senior member publicly declared his outrage, saying he’s witnessed one execution but wouldn’t mind seeing another “if it involves this cruel, sadistic, cannibalistic business of training innocent, vulnerable creatures to kill.”
…
“Barbaric!,” he yelled. “Let that word resounding from hill to hill, and from mountain to mountain, and valley to valley across the broad land. Barbaric! Barbaric! May God help those poor souls who’d be so cruel. Barbaric! Hear me! Barbaric!”
Coming, as they do from the lips of a (Former?) member of the KKK, I must say, that I find these words a little.. well… awkward.
The general rule is that when somebody like that, says something that you are inclined to agree with, it should be enough to make you reassess your position. So I find my thought, here.
Out of the average old man, or one of any age, for that matter, one without a governmental position of power, I could understand and accept such comments, even if I didn’t fully endorse them. Admittedly, there’s an emotional part of me which agrees with the sentiments expressed.
However, when, as in this case, the comments come from a sitting senator, one with a past rather checkered with his own barbarisms, not as regards dogs, but as regards human beings, the comments take on an entirely new and distasteful dimension, as well as a few legal ones.
I suppose it will be argued, that human beings change, and that we should take the senators comments in light of that change. That argument will most often be floated by Democrats, no doubt. I have entertained such arguments before, and ultimately dismissed them, within these pages. Let’s just say I have my doubts that he has fully rejected the values of the Klan.
However, even absent Byrd’s baggage laden history the comments are very problematic. Perhaps it is in his advanced years, that he’s forgetting himself, and his station. One wonders what legal ramifications will occur because of comments of Senator Byrd. I think I can fairly well guarantee you that Vick will not face anything additional because of them. Which, logically speaking, only leaves the good senator as a target.
Since, in all candor, at age 92, the senator is not likely to be around to see those legal ramifications develop any teeth, it falls to the remainder of us, we the taxpayers, to bear the burden for those comments, if Vick’s lawyers decide to level a lawsuit on this.
Addendum: (David L)
Given Byrd’s vote to kill the John Doe provision, he seems to care more about dogs than he does American citizens.