Character is painfully honest, as I was reminded this week when reading the “apology” of Michael Vick, suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback who plead guilty to a federal dog-fighting conspiracy charge.
Do I mean Vick was painfully honest? Not at all. Let’s look at the facts.
As do most celebrities charged with crime, Vick produced an “apology” that might seem real. It might seem real if one did not listen to it carefully. He apologized broadly for “all the things I’ve done and allowed to happen”, which seems to cover everything. He said he would “not point the finger” at others. He also said that he had made “mistakes” and was “immature”.
Character is painfully honest, and the above sweeping statements avoided authentic honesty. Apologizing for “everything” evaded the need to state his guilt clearly. It evaded the need to apologize for each specific, particular crime he committed. It allowed Vick to deceive while seeming to “come clean”. He could circumvent the details of his real involvement while seeming to feel authentic sorrow and grief over what he did. He could, in fact, avoid apologizing for the actual crimes committed. Michael Vick’s “everything” was still an effort to deceive. It was not authentic honesty, but deception.
Vick said he would “not point the finger” at others. He drew others into the picture when he was purportedly apologizing for his own crimes. He indicated, by saying he would “not point the finger”, that he could if he wanted to do so. He had already pointed the finger by apologizing for all the things he had “allowed to happen.” Honesty has no need to refer to others in its apology. To do so lessens one’s own true sense and appearance of guilt. Honesty owns every iota of the guilt clearly and completely.
Further, Michael Vick called his crimes “mistakes” rather than clearly label them as crimes. It’s easier, of course, to rename crime. It seems less dreadful if crime is labeled a mistake. As one person involved in the news conference stated, “Everyone makes mistakes.” It is true that everyone makes mistakes, but not everyone commits crimes. Crimes are much more than mistakes, and calling them that, or hinting that they might be that, was an avoidance of honesty. Michael Vick was charged with crimes. Apologizing for mistakes when he was charged with crimes was deceitful. It was dishonest.
Were Vick to read the how-to book on Character, he would understand that. Honesty demands that Mr. Vick apologize clearly, and in detail to his commission of actual, specific crimes.
Finally, the “football hero” stated, “I apologize to the young kids for my immature acts. What I did was immature and I need to grow up.” Again, he lied about the seriousness of his crimes. He blamed them on “immaturity” and a need to grow up. This, too, was deceitful. He knew that he was committing crime. His football contract listed rejection of illegal gambling among other terms to which he agreed. His father said he warned him, years ago, to give up dog-fighting, making it clear that it was illegal. These acts were not immaturity. They were criminal. To blame them on immaturity gave young people an excuse for any and all of their own crimes. Even children who have read Jeremy Rabbit’s Honesty Pie know that honesty demands more. Vick was dishonest in this.
Character is painfully honest, and Michael Vick refused to bear that pain. Some have stated that he is a “gifted” athlete, and he may be such – but he is not a man of character. He may not be afraid of the pain of football, but he is afraid of the pain of honesty. Character is painfully honest.
That’s the view from my chair. What’s your view?
I agree wholeheartedly. It is a shame to hear sports broadcasters praising Vick for not hiding behind lawyers and being so honest in his apology. I heard what you did - a man carefully placing blame everywhere else.