High and mighty NFL  commissioner Roger Goodell said Michael Vick must demonstrate ''genuine  remorse'' before he might be considered for reinstatement after serving his time  on those dogfighting charges. And that's fine.

The bigger issue is whether the rest of us can muster anything close to  ''genuine forgiveness'' -- or at least begrudgingly admit that the man has paid  his debt and deserves a clean slate and a fair chance to resume his life and  livelihood.

He does.

Vick, the defrocked Atlanta Falcons quarterback, is near the last days of  serving a 23-month sentence in federal prison in Leavenworth, Kan. He is to be  released to home confinement on May 20 and will be a free man come July, though  with three years of supervised probation following.

He has not been pampered or gotten off easy, and that's not to mention the  ruination of his name and finances.

Did he bring it all on himself? Of course he did.

This isn't in any way to say he is the victim here.

Vick engaged in organized cruelty in bankrolling a major dogfighting  operation that included the killing of animals, not only in battle but as  punishment. It was heinous. He deserved punishment for that, got what he  deserved, and did his time.

Now it's time to move on, and to not allow the zealots over at PETA to  continue to set the agenda in what seems a concerted effort to unfairly ruin him  beyond his time served. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals might be  insane, by the way. Recently they suggested that the music group Pet Shop Boys  change its name to Rescue Shelter Boys. Seriously.

PETA leads the protest league in sanctimony and publicity chasing, turning  off more people than they persuade, so let them paint their signs and sing their  chants for the TV cameras the day Vick is released from prison.

This is about second chances, though. About the idea of a man not still being  charged after he has paid his debt. You can hate what Vick did and still believe  it ought not turn into a life or career sentence for him.

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/columnists/greg_cote/story/1041997.html

I happen to agree with this article.  He committed a heinous act.  But he served his time.  He's a human being and NONE of us are perfect.