VICK'S FIX

I have no opinion on Michael Vick's personal guilt or innocence in his indictment on dog-fighting charges. But hopefully the high-profile nature of this case will shine a light on a cultural pathology that too few people recognize as a widespread problem on this continent. "The indictment states participants and their dogs came to Virginia from other states, established a purse for the winning side and took side bets. It says the fight would last until the death or surrender of a dog and that the losing dog was sometimes killed by drowning, hanging, gunshot, electrocution or other method."

Vick may not have been home when the drowning, hanging, gunshot, electrocution or other method - not to mention the fighting - was going on. But it seems unlikely that he was completely unaware of it. Could be he was like most Americans, with a vague awareness of it and a simple lack of caring enough to find out more or do anything about it.

UPDATE 7/20: I've said it before and it looks like I'll be saying it for some time to come: Can we please, please retire the hackneyed headline "Animal Wrongs"?