We're Picking On Mike Because He's Black

Yesterday, 29-August, the glorious Atlanta Urinal Constipation had an opinion piece titled "White culture's hypocrisy about Vick" written by Kathy Rudy. Ms. Rudy is an associate professor of women's studies at Duke University and a self proclaimed "ethicist". While drawing a parallel between dog fighting and rodeo Ms. Rudy said:

Vick treated his dogs very cruelly; there is no question about that. But I see one important difference between these more socially acceptable mistreatment and the anger focused on Vick: Vick is black, and most of the folks in charge of the other activities are white.

Oh, so the cruelty of rodeo is comparable to dog fighting? This an example of bullshit, using false equivalence to bash the desired target. Furthermore, Rudy describing the history of dog and cock fighting:

In the last 50 years, however, they have become the domain mostly of blacks, Latinos and poor whites — and were ruled illegal. Now, while white middle and upper classes continue to watch horses run to the point of exhaustion and risk breaking their legs, they regard dogfighting as something that only low-class "thugs and drug dealers" find entertaining. Indeed, a reading of many of the Vick news stories indicts him and his friends as much for being involved in hip-hop subculture as for fighting dogs....

I know white people who raise roosters for fighting, the purpose is a means to gambling. Gambling is prevalent in lower income groups, proof can be had in line at the beer store.

I am not saying dogfighting is acceptable, but rather that Vick should be publicly criticized for that activity, not his participation in hip-hop subculture. Whether or not dogs are fought more by minorities than white people is actually unknown, but the media representations of the last several weeks make it appear that black culture and dogfighting are inextricably intertwined. We need to find ways to condemn dogfighting without denigrating black culture with it.

A walk around Atlanta will easily yield a 4 to 1 ratio of black to white pit bull ownership. That in itself is not proof, all that I've come in contact with were tame.

If we want to build a better world for animals, the animal rights movement must examine its own racial politics and figure out ways to put minority concerns on its agenda.

The author of this crap inspired some research. Ms. Rudy has written three books, titled "Beyond Pro-Life and Pro-Choice", "Maternal Thinking: Toward a Politics of Peace", and "Sex and The Church: Gender, Homosexuality, and the Transformation of Christian Ethics". The author the recipient of the 1995-96 Trinity College Distinguished Teaching Award from Duke University Ms. Rudy is published on topics of queer theory, feminism, and ethics. The classes she is teaching this fall are Womenst 90.01, Gender and everyday life Synopsis and Womenst 163s.01, Interpreting bodies Synopsis. Ms. Rudy is a self avowed lesbian who was a member of the Group of 88, Duke professors who intensified persecution on the accused lacrosse players, with an advertisement labelled "What Does a Social Disaster Sound Like?" including the comment:

We go to class with racist classmates, we go to gym with people who are racists… It’s part of the experience.

• PhD Rudy is an activist for animal rights so her inclusion of horse racing and rodeo as cruelty to animals is consistent. When arrayed with the Duke incident it is evident that this author has an intensely negative view of interracial biases. If there had been some manner in which the lesbian context could have been applied, I am sure that strong tongue would have wagged.
  
• This woman, who in search of news upon which to apply her phobias, has managed to find the root of Vick's criticism to be racism. If racism was at fault why is Mike Vick going to jail? I would like to anoint Professor Rudy as the current holder of the Davis Cup, ass-hole of the week, or whatever you want to call her.