Arthur Bremer soon will be released from a prison in Maryland.  He served 35 years for shooting George Wallace in an assassination attempt in 1972, when Wallace was campaigning for president.  Wallace survived the attack, but was left paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of his life.  He died in 1998.

George Wallace was an unabashed racist and segregationist during much of his career as governor of Alabama, but I understand that toward the end of his life he underwent something of a transformation in that regard.  When Bremer shot Wallace in 1972, there probably were more than a few people who had at least vague thoughts that justice somehow was served.   Bremer’s sentence was to spend 53 years in prison.  According to news reports, he earned good behavior credits, reducing his time behind bars.

Football star Michael Vick is facing big-time trouble for his role in the dog fighting scandal.  His co-defendants all have “’fessed up,” and made plea bargains, leaving Vick apparently with no choice other than to admit his own involvement, although it seems he is saying he didn’t do everything he is accused of doing.

An online article I read yesterday called for Vick to serve his sentence, and then be allowed “a second chance,” including being permitted to continue his career in the National Football League.  The responses to the article were overwhelmingly negative.  People indicated, vehemently in most cases, that Vick should be banned forever from the NFL, that he blew his chance, and they don’t want their kids finding a role model in someone like him, so on and so forth.  Many made suggestions that Vick should be treated like the dogs that were abused, or locked in a pen with angry dogs, etc.

Has Arthur Bremer paid his debt?  When Michael Vick gets out of prison, will his case be closed?  Should they be restored to society?

I found it interesting to read this in the article about Bremer:  “Wallace’s son, George Wallace, Jr., said, ‘I’ve forgiven Arthur Bremer and my family has, so I think God’s law has been adhered to, and we’re comfortable with that.’”