The Michael Vick Apologist Society
Was just watching ESPN's "First And 10" -- yeah, it's slow on a Friday in July -- and Skip Bayless and his debating opponent were discussing the latest federal raid on Michael Vick's house-dogfighting arena. The other guy, whose name I didn't catch, claimed the story was being overblown, and he implored the authorities to back off. "Can't they spend their time and resources fighting more important issues like crystal meth?" he asked.
This is a cop-out, and it uttered every day by people who have the following in common: They were doing something illegal; they got caught; and they their only defense is rhetorical social outrage.
The argument assumes -- or tries to assume -- that law enforcement is incapable of multi-tasking. It assumes that federal authorities, like cops on Law & Order, can only combat one thing at a time. Unfortunately for the apologists, the agency apparently conducting today's search and seizure is the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The USDA couldn't spend its time or money fighting drugs if it felt like it; those matters fall under the aegis of Justice, the DEA and the ATF. So backing off Vick won't facilitate another drug bust.
How inconvenient.