It appears that this Thursday, in his first pre-season game, Michael Vick will be returned to the ranks of those who play professional football for the NFL. As virtually every sports enthusiast and animal loving humane society supporter knows, Michael Vick was the highly salaried and visible member of the Atlanta Falcons football franchise who was deeply involved in the use of dogs for fighting. He has completed 18 months of incarceration for his actions and has recently signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in a two year contract to complete his return to the NFL.

My own son, who has Guinea Pigs and is awaiting his first dog but who also loves sports was taken aback when the news broke about Michael Vick just over two years ago. As a regular patron of “the Animal Planet” TV program and avid reader of “Sports Illustrated” he has seen and/or read most of the coverage as it has unfolded. Mr. Vick’s travails have led to numerous conversations concerning the “rights” of both animals who are mistreated and humans who are accused of crimes (both against animals and against other humans).

As an adolescent, my son is always interested in the images of “strength”, responsibilities of adulthood, the limits of authority, places of sanctuary in time of danger, severity of penalties for mistakes of violation of law and means by which the perpetrator of a crime can satisfy dues owed and be returned as a whole person to society. We have followed Mr. Vick’s progress with great interest and were very pleased that he was given a chance to play again. We are hoping that his new commitment to assisting the efforts for the proper treatment of animals will be aided by his return to football and look forward to seeing his talents devoted to winning efforts for both his new team and his commitment for the humane treatment of all animals.

I salute Michael Vick for recognizing and trying to correct the poor record he had established among those who love animals. I salute Tony Dungy as an excellent mentor for Mr. Vicks rehabilitation efforts. I salute the Philadelphia Eagles for giving Michael Vick an opportunity to return to the profession that, it appears, he is best suited for. And, for those who plan to protest and continue to castigate Michael Vick, I would urge a little bit of Philadelphia’s historic commitment to “tolerance”. There could be much good gained by animal rights groups through Mr. Vick’s return to the NFL. What better platform to establish the needed peace between Mr. Vick and animal rights activists than as a member of the team that resides in the city of “brotherly love”.

Today is a sad day for Massachusetts and a sad day for America. Edward M. Kennedy is dead. He was part of a fabled family, suffered the loss of one brother to war and two to political assassination, experienced the humiliation of the Chappiquiddick affair, rebounded to champion the cause of access to heath care as an American right and was visibly supportive in the campaign of the man who would become the first African-American President in U.S. history. He was many things, but most of all, Ted was the best of the many Senators produced by the great state of Massachusetts. Just stop and think for a moment of the known Senators from that state: John Quincy Adams, Daniel Webster, Charles Sumner, Henry Cabot Lodge, John F. Kennedy and Edward M. Kennedy.