This is Gypsy, a victim of dog-fighting. Of course, as has been widely reported, Michael Vick did far worse than this to his dogs. It's no surprise, then, that newspapers, talk shows, and the blogosphere are ablaze with discussions about President Obama's call to Philadelphia Eagles owner, Jeffrey Lurie, in which he praised the NFL franchise owner for hiring Vick. In an interview with Sports Illustrated's Peter King, Lurie made it clear that Obama was actually "passionate" about his praise, lamenting that, "So many people who serve time never get a fair second chance."

Praise for the enrichment and glorification of a convicted felon who pleaded guilty on all counts (but only after being caught lying about the extent of his involvement) in one of the most horrific known cases of animal cruelty in modern-day America would be distressing from anyone -- from our supreme leader and the figurehead of our national conscience, it is nothing short of deeply disturbing.

With a mere 23 months in jail and a ludicrous $5,000 fine imposed on him, a millionaire, Vick already enjoyed a disgracefully light punishment for his extensive roster of heinous crimes carried out over an extended period of time against scores of dogs held helplessly captive in his brutal dog-fighting operation. The only remotely conscionable argument that anyone with even a rudimentary sense of justice could make in claiming that Vick deserves a second chance would be in the form of supporting his release from jail exclusively to spend his life working quietly for an animal welfare group, dedicating himself to the rescue of dogs from the kind of physical and emotional torture that he inflicted on his own dogs. Most certainly not a life of fame, glory, and wealth in the extreme.

If our President thinks that a savagely brutal felon convicted in the murder and torture of scores of dogs deserves a second chance at a life of wealth and glory, many who look to him for guidance will, as well. Note the following comment posted on a Newser.com  story about the President's praise of Lurie's decision. "LetsBeReal -- Dogs are not people they are animals. Go Eagles, beat the Vikings!!! E-A-G-L-E-S!!!!!!" This mindset simply does not bode well for other animals in peril.

Please join me in demanding that the President retract and apologize for his ill-considered praise of Lurie's decision to return Michael Vick to his privileged life, while in the process influencing untold numbers of people to believe that his unfathomable cruelty is not deserving of any serious consequence.