Shared Outrage, Rushed Judgment

Greg Biffle: “I just wish they'd put him [Michael Vick] in jail and be done with it. Just put him in prison and tell the general public, just give them all the details of what they do with those dogs. How they steal people's dogs out of their front yards and use them for bait dogs and let other dogs kill them. There's all the horrifying stories. You look at all the pictures on the Internet of the dogs, just maimed, mangled. It's horrible. It goes on everywhere. He's not the only guy. It goes on in this state too. Maybe they'll use him as an example and maybe get some other people to think about whether they want to be in federal prison with him or not.”

Biffle’s excoriation is refreshing. Despite indefensible actions, Vick has received support. Unfortunately, Biffle’s condemnation is premature. Courts probe and punish. Vick deserves due process. I applaud Biffle’s sentiment. However, Biffle is neither judge nor jury.