As a fan of justice, however, I couldn't be happier with the Eagles' decision. More important than money, the Eagles gave Michael Vick something that is increasingly rare in our society: a second chance.
In April 2007, Michael Vick went from national celebrity to international pariah when he was hit with felony charges related to his role in an interstate dogfighting ring. Two years and 18 months in prison later, Vick was back in the league but no longer in the driver's seat of his career.
Many of the same people who cheered his every move now looked upon him with contempt and scorn. The majority of NFL teams refused to even schedule a meeting with him. Countless fans swore to cancel their season tickets if he ended up wearing their home team's uniform.
Like literally millions of Americans, he was an ex-con facing an unforgiving world and an uncertain job market.
For most people who leave American prisons after a felony conviction, the world is even colder than the NFL was for Vick. In addition to public scrutiny, ex-convicts are also the victims of systemic barriers. The task of finding employment in this shaky economy is made infinitely more difficult for former convicts because of the pesky and often unnecessary "Have you ever been convicted of a felony?" question that sits on most job applications. Such a question makes it nearly impossible for a person's slate to be wiped clean after leaving a correctional facility.
In addition to employment, former felons are also systematically denied access to public housing, education loans and, in many states, the right to vote. These conditions, which scholar Michelle Alexander refers to as "The New Jim Crow," reduce former felons to permanent second-class citizens.
So much for paying your debt to society.
