by Vonda J. Sines

Created on: December 13, 2007

Let me state at the outset that I am not a Michael Vick fan, either when he's on or off the playing field.

However, I am firmly in favor of celebrities receiving no lesser or stiffer penalties than those doled out to average U.S. citizens. While in the last year we have seen seemingly preferential treatment of convicted entertainers in the way of abbreviated sentences, we have also witnessed celebrities being held up as examples and receiving more stringent penalties solely due to their notoriety. Both are wrong.

I have been actively involved in animal rescue my entire life. After many years adopting disabled dogs, I recently took in three feral kittens. I also currently volunteer as a horse rescue worker. I fully realize what Michael Vick did in terms of his conviction-and lied about-was reprehensible. He fully deserved to be punished for the conviction. I personally would never like to lay eyes on the man. However, while I might have sent him to the slammer for a longer period of time, I believe that his sentencing was within normal parameters for the offense.

In order to prevent celebrities from receiving preferential treatment or from being exploited solely due to their fame, we should fully support treating them the same way an average citizen would be treated. And we can take comfort in the fact that he apparently did NOT get away with criminal behavior.

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