What Do Michael Vick and Free Speech Have in Common?

I heard an interesting story on the radio as I was driving in to work on Wednesday morning. It involves a "tasteless" t-shirt, and a couple of college football teams.

Texas Tech is hosting Texas A&M in Lubbock this Saturday. If you've ever been to Texas, you realize how big football is. By itself, this is a good rivalry, but some of the locals in Lubbock, may have gone too far.

A t-shirt was produced by a business student at Texas Tech, Geoffrey Candia, who saw a potentially profitable endeavour . The shirt says "VICK'EM" on one side and then a likeness of number 7 (Michael Vick's number) hanging a dog that is wearing a doggie sweater with the word "AGGIES" on it. The university did not give permission for him to sell the shirt on campus, so it's being sold off campus.


Understandably, some are upset by this thinking that it's just in bad taste.

An article in the "Texas A&M Battalion" has many of the details and this is where the image of the t-shirt came from.


The article stated that Candia planned to sell the t-shirt through his fraternity and donate 50% of the proceeds to the Animal Defense League in Lubbock.

Candia was just trying to have fun. Did he go too far or is the PC police out of control? I have mixed feelings here.


I think what Michael Vick did to the dogs is despicable and indefensible and I am amazed by the public figures who have tried to make excuses for him. On the other hand, we supposedly have free speech in this country and I am bothered by attempts to shut voices down, just because we may be made uncomfortable by what someone says.


One other thing in the article in The Battalion, the Animal Defense League said that they would refuse any donations from Candia because "we're not taking dirty money". That one just doesn't make any sense to me. I don't see how this is "dirty money".


Will Texas A&M beat up on the Red Raiders on Saturday and bring a victory home? That would be the ultimate response.