Michael Vick, Black Men and Prison

Dr. Boyce Watkins - YourBlackWorld.com

We shot this episode of Boiling Hot with Boyce Watkins in the middle of the Michael Vick saga. I think that there is good reason to keep this issue in the front of our minds, even if it is not in the media.

Michael Vick was an absolute knucklehead and I make no excuses for his behavior. However, I think that some people underestimate the fact that we put our American liberties in jeopardy when we condone a mob mentality toward someone who has committed a crime. The notion that any crime justfies any punishment is wrong, but that is exactly what happens in our prison system.

We believe that these men should not be allowed to vote for the rest of their lives. We allow them to rape one another and pass horrible diseases. Many people are against the idea of even allowing them to get an education or come back to the communities that need them. We don't allow them to get jobs when they are released and we even allow slavery to occur. All of these atrocities, as fascist as they seem, are justified on the basis that anyone who makes a criminal mistake deserves few rights as an American....ever.

I compared Vick's case to a modern day lynching because when black men were lynched, it was not just because they were black. It was, in many cases, in response to the accusation of criminal activity. Most of us would argue that even in cases where the accusations were truthful, lynching was not the appropriate punishment.

In Vick's case, America felt that because he had done something wrong, he deserved to lose everything: past, present and future. He would be burdened with an endless and unpayable debt to society, never allowed to earn a living as an athlete in the NFL and lose all the years of hard work and asset accumulation he has earned throughout the years.

The Michael Vick situation was similar to a lynching for a couple of reasons: First, Vick's greatest crime was angering white America. Many African-Americans (not all) seemed to feel that while Vick's actions were reprehensible, he deserved the chance to rebuild his young life. During the BET Awards, a Michael Vick jersey was held up and cheered by the fans in the audience. None of this was shown on CNN or other networks. Second, there was a sentiment that seemed to imply that because he was a criminal, he therefore deserved any punishment laid upon him. This throws out the fact that the punishment must fit the crime.

So, the ultimate question is not whether Michael Vick did something wrong. He clearly did. The important question pertains to finding the proper punishment. If a man were to stab his daughter for not doing her homework, most of us would not agree with the punishment, no matter how committed we are to education. The same principle applies in the Michael Vick case.

Michael Vick's situaton gave us a window into the prison system and it's relationship with black men. This national epidemic is one of our great disgraces as a country and one of the destructive legacies of the Reagan Era. Eventually chickens come home to roost, and while you don't think this affects you or your family, you might want to think again.