Just under two years

Michael Vick has now been sentenced to 23 months in prison. I was honestly surprised at this. I really was. I am no Michael Vick apologist. Please understand that. I never liked him as a QB, and as a humanitarian he's probably not getting any votes for Person of the Year.

But I will say this: I think that his 23 months are certainly plenty for his crimes. As a person, I would have been happy with a year and half; as a Buc's fan I'm certainly fine with him being away from the NFL for longer. Perhaps if he were fighting dogs that I actually like, such as Labs, I might push for five years. But pit bulls don't exactly make my dog Top Ten list.

Again, I think dog fighting is unthinkably disgusting (whatever dogs are used-yes even little yippee dogs like Palmeraneans or Shitzu's-though that would be mildly entertaining if they didn't hurt each other), should be outlawed, and those involved should be severely punished.

But in our culture, animals can often be treated as though they are every bit as dignified as people. Whether we like it or not, mankind has a special place in creation; God has placed special honor upon him as His most highly regarded creation (Psalm 8). However as stewards of God's creation, we are to till the land, not kill the land (or its creatures). In fact there is even a command in Deuteronomy 22:6 which prohibits taking and eating the mother bird AND its young. So I think we are to act justly even with animals.

With all that said, since Vick is getting 23 months for dog fighting (and several charges related to it), we ought to see rapists or online predators get much more. Unfortunately that's not often the case, and I wonder if that is simply reflective of a culture that fails to see the dignity of God's highest creation.