When I see dog fighting in the alleys of my home town, I think about more than just the dogs — I think about the families destroyed by the system that lets them live in absolute poverty because it is easier to get a government check — and do whatever black market task it takes to add a few more bucks to the till.

Not so, since some laws were unjust. I used to believe this, because I believed in what I called “the rule of law,” meaning we should enforce the laws we have even where they are flawed and instead be constantly adjusting the laws.

Now I realize that legislative law is not law at all. It calls good things evil and evil things good. Laws that are voted on are not worth enforcing. The only law that should be enforced is the universal prohibition against infringing the rights to life, liberty, and property of others, and that law never changes. According to the Bible in Romans 13, anyone who does no wrong to a neighbor has fulfilled the law, and therefore such a person should not be punished, even if others want to use the government as a bludgeon to change his behavior, using the legislature to call his harmless acts “evil.”

I was struck from a jury pool on Monday because of my religious convictions. I was literally trembling with fear as I contemplated all the possibilities for me to sin against a neighbor, the accused, a man I had never met who had never done any wrong to me. I wasn’t sure I could ever judge or find anyone guilty, but I realized concretely some basic situations when I knew I could not: I could not find a man guilty to be punished unless he’d committed a real crime, harming a real victim by infringing his right to life, liberty, and/or property. I couldn’t find a man guilty if his guilt wasn’t certain, and not just by some vague “that’s good enough” state standard, because I’ll give an account to God, not the state, for my actions. And I couldn’t find a man guilty if I knew he’d receive a punishment that did not fit his crime.

The state attorneys realized it was less likely that I would cooperate with them than that any of the other jurors would, and after questioning me privately, they sent me home.

No more, no less than any other citizen.

I definitely agree with that, on the surface, but if some citizens are being punished unjustly, the solution is not to punish other citizens for the same offense, but to stop punishing anyone unjustly. If it’s a choice between keeping a bad (sinful) law and unevenly enforcing it, so that some people go free and others or punished, versus punishing everyone for violating the unjust law, I would prefer to let at least some people go unpunished.

Also, let’s clear up a mistake in your original post. The only problem with your statement that Vick “defrauded no one, and violated no contracts or agreements with anyone” is that is completely incorrect. He defrauded everyone. He defrauded his employer, his union, his teammates, his coaches, the National Football League, and the fans of the NFL, whom, last I checked, are the ones ultimately responsible for his success when he initially flat out denied any involvement whatsoever and continued to do so until the federal government handed down their indictment. He mentioned this lying in his apology. Also, you may want to check yourself on the bit about contracts. The Atlanta Falcons are seeking a refund from Vick of much of the value of his contract. What’s more, is that they are likely to get it because he almost certainly violated a stipulation in his $130 million dollar contract about conduct detrimental to the team.

Finally, I wouldn’t go blaming the Federal Government too much on this one. Even should he not spend one night in prison, he will still be out of work, out of money, and without too many doors open to him when he completes his certainly pending suspension by the NFL. You mentioned it first, he is an entertainer. Entertainers are only as successful as their image and with his actions, which are by his own admission are immature, he may have irreparably damaged his. Even given his right to his livelihood, his livelihood depends on the public’s perception of him. I have more of a right to play in the NFL, because at least I never violated league policy while a player.

So, Adam, your new “friend” Mike? Yeah, he’s a dirtbag.

Thanks for your reply — and you’re right, I was wrong to make the assumption that ALL of Hampton Roads is a ghetto. The part I saw, in East End, was definitely a ghetto, one far worse than any I’ve visited in Chicago, LA or Miami. When I travel the country, I always visit the “best” and “worst” areas, and I was shocked at what I saw in Virginia. It reminded me of the worst parts of DC, but in an area very close to amazingly fruitful and sustaining areas. It is obvious from looking at the State spending in Virginia why these folks can’t build up past the poverty level they’re at.

Again, I do apologize for lumping all of Hampton Roads into the same pool, and I will adjust my article accordingly in the next day or two.

I can even appreciate your comments and stance on federal law. However if laws were broken (against dog-fighting, against gambling, against cruelty to animals, whatever), then Mr. Vick, and anyone who worked with him, should be punished accordingly. No more, no less than any other citizen.

I do take exception with your comment: “Hampton Roads is a pure ghetto with subsidized housing, a lack of public protection by the police, and could be one of the worst places in the country to try to raise a family.”

Perhaps certain sections of HR could be considered as such, the same as any other metropolitan area in the U.S. However, we have found that HR for the most part is made up of intelligent, hard-working people who are proud of where they live. We have a strong military presence here, and one of the most culturally diverse areas that I have ever had the pleasure to visit or live. We have so many cultural and arts events here…and many free and open to the public… that it forces us to decide among them. I have met many outstanding constituents of the African-American portion of our community, too, recently enjoying a wonderful evening at the Attucks Theatre in Norfolk and the 2007 Mid. Atlantic Black Film Festival.

Don’t give Mr. Vick credit because you think, and I quote: “he succeeded in exiting an area where infinite welfare is the most common life of the typical resident”. That is simply not true and an affront to the people (including me) who live here.

Thanks for the post and your viewpoint.