Burress, Vick Punishments Are Not Related

Nancy Moore of Bluff City is upset and believes that Plaxico Burress’s punishment is harsh in comparison to Michael Vick’s conviction and prison sentence. What does one have to do with the other?  Vick’s crimes were horrific and he deserved his prison time and the forfeiture of his fortune. He is also “pending” reinstatement in the NFL, but he has served his time and he has a right, just like anyone else, to re-enter society and become a productive member of that society. If the Humane Society president can work with Vick, I figure I can give him a chance at redemption as well.
Plaxico Burress threw a loaded gun into a pair of sweat pants and headed out to the clubs. The gun was not registered in N.Y. state, but in Florida. That he and his posse decided they needed loaded weapons was an act of stupidity, but we don’t send people to jail for being stupid; we send them to jail when they break the law.  The gun laws in N.Y. state are some of the toughest in the country, and no matter where you are, you take a chance when you go from state to state and do not become knowledgeable about that states gun laws.  His crime, was not that he shot himself, it was that he was carrying a loaded firearm, not registered in that state, and that is a felony in N.Y. with a penalty of up to three plus years behind bars.  What Plaxico did was accept a plea deal presented to him through his attorneys to serve two years in prison. He obviously thinks this is the better way and has made that choice.
These crimes are separate issues in separate states with different laws. One might be morally more reprehensible, but both are crimes and the penalty for those crimes should be served, no matter what.

Carolyn Briscoe
Abingdon, Va.