Sunday, April 14, 2019
By BOB JACKSON
YOUNGSTOWN
Organizers of the 10th annual Men’s Rally In the Valley say God wants controversial former NFL quarterback Michael Vick to be on the stage as a speaker at this year’s event.
Local animal-rights activists, though, clearly do not want Vick to be anywhere near the city, and they plan to stage a protest before and during his appearance.
The rally will be April 27 at the Covelli Centre downtown. It is a free event.
Mayor Jamael Tito Brown will deliver the opening remarks and prayer at 8:45 a.m., with Vick, a former quarterback with the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles, slated to speak at 9:30 a.m.
Vick’s appearance is controversial because of his 2007 conviction for operating and participating in a dog-fighting venture. He pleaded guilty and served 23 months in a federal prison.
Jason Cooke, an animal-rights activist from Brookfield, said he was shocked when he heard in March that Vick was among the rally speakers. He and others approached rally organizers and asked them to change their minds about Vick, but were turned down.
Bing Newton of Leetonia, a founding member of the rally committee, said he was contacted by a friend who’d heard Vick speak at a similar rally last year, and suggested to Newton that the rally organizers seek out Vick to speak this year.
“I must have been naive because I never thought about” the backlash that could come from having Vick speak, Newton said.
“When we get a person’s name as a prospective speaker, we begin to pray,” Newton said. “We ask God, ‘Is this the person you want?’ He said the committee agreed that having Vick on the stage with the other speakers was the right thing to do.
“When a person accepts Christ [as savior], my part is just to accept and forgive them,” Newton said. “It’s been 12 years since he made a mistake. I’m really excited that he’s coming to our Valley to allow us to be different. We need to really love on this guy.”
Cooke, though, doesn’t see things the same way. While he has nothing against the event itself, he’s outraged that Vick is being brought to town to speak about facing and overcoming adversity.
“I’m all about forgiveness for people who make mistakes or use poor judgment, but neither of those is applicable to what Michael Vick did,” he said. “He made a conscious choice to engage in those activities for entertainment. Someone who could do such horrible things to an innocent animal doesn’t change.”
Cooke said he expects more than 100 protesters to gather outside the arena before the rally. About 9 a.m., they’ll put down their signs, go inside the arena and stand in the back.
“When Michael Vick stands up to speak, we’re all going to turn our backs to him,” Cooke said, noting the protest will be peaceful and quiet. Their point is to provide a voice for the 49 dogs that were saved from Vick’s dogfighting ring.
“This community is flush with dog lovers and rescue organizations,” Cooke said. “Michael Vick’s appearance here is an insult to all in the Valley who work so hard to find homes for dogs.”
Newton said he understands how the protesters feel.
“At one time, I could probably have been a part of that. I could hate with the best of them,” he said. “But who does that hurt? It only hurts me. So we can’t focus on the protesters. We’re here to focus on God.”
Vick did not respond to an interview request extended through his Facebook account.
Newton said the theme of this year’s rally is “An Anchor In the Storm,” and its aim is to challenge men to come closer to God.
“Our hope is that what they see and hear will make a difference in their lives and make them better husbands, better fathers, better leaders in their community,” he said.