Vick and Media Hysteria

The national media has certainly made a circus out of the latest events surrounding Michael Vick. However, I recently found an article that questions why this circus exists in the first place. Colin Benjamin of the Black Star News wrote an article published on August 28, 2007 entitled “Vick and Media Hysteria.” The Black Star News is a recognized New York investigative newspaper whose main audience is African Americans. However, this editorial also appeared online and was one of the results in a Google news search pertaining to Michael Vick. In the article, Benjamin detaches himself from the media circus and asks the reader, those people who have some knowledge of the Vick legal situation, two questions: “How can this nation preach “family values” while remaining quiet about the carnage in our streets? Is the message really that America cares more about dogs than people?”

As a reader I like the different devices that Benjamin uses throughout the article to effectively persuade those of us following the Vick story there are more important things in this world than the issues of a celebrity quarterback. To make his point, Benjamin uses the persuasive devices of critical thinking, logical examples, and emotional appeals to make us question why so much attention is being garnished on Michael Vick while other events deserve much more attention in the United States. Why does Vick deserve our attention?

Benjamin acknowledges what Vick had done was wrong. He also comments the actions of Michael Vick just highlight the all too common misdeeds of other celebrities. He writes that, “Indeed, Vick is a symbol of America’s selfish obsession with celebrity ‘success’ and excess that is defined by a lack of real civic responsibility, that’s devoted only to manufactured public relations.” This is a provocative statement that caused me to pause and think critically. Do all American celebrities exhibit such self-centered behavior? Surely, some celebrities are not like that. Take for example, Vick’s teammate Warrick Dunn and his foundation which supports the "Homes for the Holidays” program. Since 1997, "Homes for the Holidays" has assisted 69 single mothers and 181 children and dependents to achieve first-time homeownership.

Benjamin goes on to write: “For while Vick’s actions were idiotic, I must ask: why is it that this country can raise up its voice with vicious vitriol in this case but can’t seem to do so for things that threaten to destroy the nation?” Benjamin goes on to question why war protests against the Iraq war are not as fierce as the protests from animal rights protestors such as PETA and poses this question: “Isn’t the murder of a million Iraqis more inhumane than the killing of dogs?” I say “yes”. Benjamin also argues the outrage of dogfighting is hypocritical considering the millions of animals slaughtered by the food industry and arguing if Vick took up hunting instead of dog fighting, he would have never been in legal trouble. Then, Benjamin asks, “What kind of country is this?” As consumers of the news what should we as Americans do about the saturation of celebrity style over real world news substance?

While the actions of Michael Vick were wrong, Benjamin maintains there are much more pertinent issues the United States is facing:
- Two years after Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc on the city of New Orleans, murder rates there are climbing.
- Baltimore averages one murder a day, and in Newark, New Jersey the killings there were recently underscored by the execution of three college students.
- According to a John Hopkins-Lancet study Iraq deaths are now climbing close to one million.
These examples appealed to my emotions and made me question why we as a nation care about Michael Vick when more important matters are happening in our country, let alone in the world.

There is no doubt Michael Vick of the Atlanta Falcons is in a world of trouble. What he did was wrong, and he should have to face the consequences of his actions. However, as Benjamin points out, America should be focusing on other more important issues instead of the legal problems of a self-centered celebrity. Through his article Benjamin persuades us to stop and think. Is it Michael Vick or why is it so much attention is focused on Vick’s woes that more important issues have become muted? Do we as a nation need to look inward and ask ourselves this question: What kind of country is this?