IT'S NO DIFFERENT - BOYCOTT NFL!

Over the last couple of hours I have been bombarded in emails and messages on sites such a Twitter and Facebook with comments regarding my last post, NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD BOYCOTT THE NFL. Many people shared my understanding and disgust, but some others don't understand "what the big deal is all about". So I had to take some time to come up with a general, deatailed conclussion...and I hope this helps...

First of all you need to ask yourself if you believe, support and promote the protection of Animals. This doesn't mean you have to identify as some radical, PETA supporting activist. But ask yourself the following questions:

1) Do I own an animal as a pet?

2) Do I believe they are dependent on humans?

3) Is there life less important than other lives dependant on people, i.e. children, senior citizens, minorities?

4) How serious is animal abuse and killing animals to me?

Now let me compare this controversial situation to something that may better help your relate to what's going on.

• I'm a proud, loving parent of children. An NFL player takes my child(ren) and abuses them by means of beating, kicking, drowning, electricution, starvation, cutting, stabbing, choking, strangling, then joins others in wagering money and valuables on the chanches of their survival. This NFL player is caught, lies over and over to his commisioner, authorities and court. Is sentenced lightly to 23 months in prison, gets out and is quickly reinstated by the NFL later to be signed by a team as quarterback. How does this make me feel? Am I outraged? Should he be privelaged to play professionally in a way that so many people look up to him?
• I'm an African American. An NFL player takes a fellow African American and abuses them by means of beating, kicking, drowning, electricution, starvation, cutting, stabbing, choking, strangling, then joins others in wagering money and valuables on the chanches of their survival. This NFL player is caught, lies over and over to his commisioner, authorities and court. Is sentenced lightly to 23 months in prison, gets out and is quickly reinstated by the NFL later to be signed by a team as quarterback. How does this make me feel? Am I outraged? Should he be privelaged to play professionally in a way that so many people look up to him?
• I'm a Gay or Lesbian person. An NFL player takes a fellow Gay or Lesbian person from my community and abuses them by means of beating, kicking, drowning, electricution, starvation, cutting, stabbing, choking, strangling, then joins others in wagering money and valuables on the chanches of their survival. This NFL player is caught, lies over and over to his commisioner, authorities and court. Is sentenced lightly to 23 months in prison, gets out and is quickly reinstated by the NFL later to be signed by a team as quarterback. How does this make me feel? Am I outraged? Should he be privelaged to play professionally in a way that so many people look up to him?
• I'm a friend or family member of somebody with a disability. An NFL player takes my diabled friend or family member and abuses them by means of beating, kicking, drowning, electricution, starvation, cutting, stabbing, choking, strangling, then joins others in wagering money and valuables on the chanches of their survival. This NFL player is caught, lies over and over to his commisioner, authorities and court. Is sentenced lightly to 23 months in prison, gets out and is quickly reinstated by the NFL later to be signed by a team as quarterback. How does this make me feel? Am I outraged? Should he be privelaged to play professionally in a way that so many people look up to him?
• I'm a lover of animals and own one or several. I believe in protecting them since they are dependent on me. I believe they are living, breathing creatures that feel love, fear, pain and stress. An NFL player takes one of my animals and abuses them by means of beating, kicking, drowning, electricution, starvation, cutting, stabbing, choking, strangling, then joins others in wagering money and valuables on the chanches of their survival. This NFL player is caught, lies over and over to his commisioner, authorities and court. Is sentenced lightly to 23 months in prison, gets out and is quickly reinstated by the NFL later to be signed by a team as quarterback. How does this make me feel? Am I outraged? Should he be privelaged to play professionally in a way that so many people look up to him?

This is how me an MANY OTHER PEOPLE feel. We understand he "did his time", whether that was enought time for such a horrific act, that's not the point. What is the point is that this violent, lying human being is being privelaged to play in a sport where so many people look up to the players as role models, mentors and leaders. The world sees it as, "they were only dogs". There is no way in hell the NFL would reinstate a player in one of the above mentioned scenarios.

Think about this! Discuss this! Discern it! Pray about it! THIS IS JUST PLAIN WRONG!

NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD BOYCOTT THE NFL

I don't even know where to begin with this nightmare of publicity, greed and hypocrisy regarding Michael Vick. I was utterly disgusted to learn about Vick's reinstatement last month by NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell. I'm even more disgusted to learn that the NFC East, Philadelphia Eagles has signed Michael Vick.

I'm a longtime fan of football at large, especially the NFL. I was no different than other young football loving boys who though at one time, "maybe I have what it takes". You grow up to learn that those who play professionally have more than a love for the sport, they have a gift and are given the privilege of playing on an NFL team. I can't even begin to tell you how many NFL players helped shape my childhood...without ever coming into contact with me. I looked up to these "stranger" as role models and in a sense, a mentor. Unfortunately as I got older, the NFL started to look less grand and encouraging as it did to me as a child. All of a sudden there are scandals, cheating, criminal activity, etc. For the most part, these problems work themselves out over time. You might not agree with the length of time it takes or what fans have to do to get the attention on the matter...but eventually good overtakes the bad...and you accept that as satisfactory.

But now we face an issue totally different, very, very disturbing. We face the violent criminal activity, evasion of truth, and manipulations of ex Atlanta Falcons quarterback, Michael Vick. After much lies and deceit, Michael Vick finally plead guilty to multiple accounts of animal abuse and neglect related to his dog fighting underground. One might not understand how he, or anyone takes a dog and turns them violent. The answer is constant barbaric physical and mental abuse...punching, hitting, electric shocking, cutting, drowning, kicking, starving of dogs...bringing them to a violent point of surviving. One might also not understand that the underground of dog fighting is not wagering on something like a boxing match where there's a possible knockout or judging of performance...no, a dog fight is a fight to kill. Two (and sometimes more) very violent, very abused, very neglected, very violent dogs are presented to each other where they fight until death. In many cases both die, as the "winner" dies later for severe loss of blood, infection, torn muscles and or ligaments, broken bones, eternal bleeding, shock, and so on. Michael Vick wasn't just a participant in this activity, he was a long time coordinator and master mind.

In 2007 he was arrested. While free on bail he tested positive to narcotics in a drug test. Vick repeatedly lied about any participation in his activities to the NFL Commissioner...later he finally plead guilty in court. He was given a light prison sentence of 2 years which he served. After being released from prison, talk immediately started to buzz on Vick's return to the NFL. Now, months later he is reinstated, signed as quarterback and waiting for his light terms to end so he can play. This has caused outrage. The African American community immediately came to Vick's aid...almost deeming that it would be racist to not reinstate Vick. Other supporters of the dog-murderer quote deceased, crime affiliated rap artists such as Tupac Shakur, saying "Only God Can Judge Me". On the other side of the fence there are rational people such as myself who see a VIOLENT, LYING, MANIPULATING, CARELESS, ASSHOLE being privileged to regain play and status in the NFL. What people fail to understand is this is not a second chance....Vick received his second chance when he was released from prison. End of story. There should be no talk of second chance in the NFL...he blew that when he did what he did. I compare it to a violent felon who is released from prison and wants to join the military, police department, fire department, etc. Those are civic duties of privilege and responsibility, and though the NFL is much different than civic occupation, it too is a position of privilege and responsibility. It should never have allowance or tolerance for violent offenders such as rapists, murders, pedophiles, dog killers.

What turns this even more into a tail spin is when two years ago, Philadelphia Eagles owner, Jeffrey Lurie stated:

"We're very disciplined in what we stand for...a few years ago we had a couple players who were, to put this nicely, not very respectful of their dogs. Well, we don't respect that. We don't do that. And they were gone from the team almost immediately if not immediately. That sets a tone, that these kinds of attitudes are unacceptable."

But now, Michael Vick is signed on a quarter back of Mr. Lurie's team, with the possibility of making $1.6 million in his first season.

I have no doubt that his has nothing to do with publicity, it has to do with money...greedy desperation to hire some good playing low-life to possibly bring your team to a win. People are primarily upset with the Eagle's where I'm even more upset with the NFL for allowing this man to play for ANY TEAM. And in that realization, for the first time in my life...I will FULLY boycott the NFL...including my beloved Greenbay Packers. I will not watch a game, I will not attend a game, I will not buy merchandise and I will loudly and publicly voice my strong and unfailing opposition the NFL until Michael Vick is removed. This hurts, this hurts bad but I have to stand up to this, EVERYONE MUST STAND UP TO THIS! If the man failed to pay parking tickets, got drunk at a party and ran down the street naked, or something non violently offensive...I wouldn't be as opposed. But this is an abusive, convicted dog destroyer. Not someone who neglects a dog by not giving fresh water, cleaning up after them, or taking them to the vet when they need medical attention....THIS IS A MAN WHO FOR A VERY LONG TIME, TORTURED AND MUTILATED NUMEROUS DOGS ALL IN THE NAME OF MONEY.

Stand up for society, stand up for good justice, stand up for the protection of animals and STAND UP FOR THE SAKE OF COMMON SENSE....BOYCOTT THE NFL TODAY!

THE BEGINNING OF A LIFETIME

....Continued from the July 21 post, "ONE RINGY DINGY...TWO RINGY DINGY"

This time last year we have literally spent every night talking to each other on the phone. Every time I would talk to Paul I found myself even more captivated by his interests, beliefs, passion, creativity and most especially his humor. It's no joke that early off I had developed a "crush" but now, mysteriously, I've been developing other feelings. "Why do I feel this way, how do I make it stop" are all questions I continuously asked myself.

I've always has three cardinal rules. These are rules that not only I followed, but rules I felt the need to point out to friends and/or family should they break them.

1) No long distance dating/relationships.

2) No relationships for at least 18 months after coming out of a long term relationship.

3) No falling for someone of the Internet.

Of course, I never thought these rules were unreasonable. In fact I never saw them as "rules" as much as I saw them as instincts. But night after night, I really found myself starting to fall for this Paul. The more I tried to fight it, the deeper my feelings got. I remember lying in my bed, during the middle of the night (I imagine he was doing the same thing) telling each other how awesome it would be to just cuddle up and talk face to face, unfortunately 3,000 miles separated us. This time last year his apartment's air conditioning unit was on the fritz, he was miserable because of the heat and would always tell me that I wouldn't want to be there for that. "Nonsense" I'd reply, "I'd sweat my ass of like a pig if it meant I could just see you, touch you...kiss you".

In so many ways Paul seemed like a fantasy, a very beautiful, magical and unfair fantasy. Of course I talked about him to all of my friends. Many of them thought I was nuts for even pursuing such a thing, while many others encouraged me to believe in the unbelievable, to gain drive from my feeling, to tell him how I feel! "TELL HIM HOW I FEEL?" Well that just sounded like the most asinine advice ever. Tell this amazing, charming, beautiful, interesting stud muffin how I fell when he probably doesn't even remotely feel that way about me....or does he? I thought about it for a few days.

The evening of August 4, 2008 Paul and I started out one of our fabulous all night conversations...which carried over into the VERY EARLY morning of August 5, 2009. All of a sudden in the middle in something we will just say, "doesn't matter", Paul told me how he would give anything just to kiss me right now. WHOA IS ME! Really? I had to tell him. I had to tell him that as insane as it sounds, I'm falling in love with him. That he has ignited my heart and soul like I never knew possible, that every thought is him, that I smile and sometimes cry just thinking about him, that he brings out creativity and sound in my guitar music, that I get the chills all over my body when I take a deep breath in and think of him...I had to tell all of this to this marvelous stranger. But if course it's not that easy. I don't have the balls to just come out and say "I LOVE YOU" in this most perfect moment on the telephone. So instead I resorted to my middle school experiences of hinting about it, telling him I have something to tell him but I'm scared too. Whoa is me, he caught my bluff and told me the same thing..."I have something to tell you but I'm scared, I can't say it". This is where the rest of the conversation became a haze. But somewhere in that magical moment 1 year ago today, we told each other "I LOVE YOU".

One year ago today, I broke my cardinal rules which were rules "society" actually says one should live by. One year ago I went out on a limb and listened to my heart...and nothing else. One year ago today, my dream came true. That trust in love has led to the proof that Paul and I share a deep, mind-blowing love that knows no limits, no boundaries, no conditions. It wasn't easy making this work. Remember, we we're 3,000 miles away...but we didn't let that stop us. Those we're 3,000 miles in a country we both live in. We have telephones, Internet, cards to mail, letters to right....then airplanes to fly on. And we used everyone of those resources. I finally got out to Paul in October....which I will write about more in October. I can't spill all story in one blog, I've got to keep you coming back for more so you can see what happened, how we're now living together, with no mileage separation ever again.

Paul, thank you for the most amazing year in this boy's 30 years of life. Everyday you still find those ways to take my breath away and leave me in awe. You have become the most important person and center of my life. I can't imagine a day without you beside me. You strengthen my Faith, Hope and Love in God who can only create such beauty, this love we share. One year down....with a lifetime to go! I love you Baby, from the bottom of my heart!