Oppenhagen Column: What's going on in the news

It’s August, which means not much is going on in the news. We won’t really see coverage of the political races until after Labor Day, when school starts. The state has just issued its school report cards;
more on that next week. Politics, education, what else could there be — ah, sports.

Preseason football has started. Will the Redskins win this season? That remains to be seen. I have to admit that I am more a follower of personalities rather than a team person, although the ‘Skins are
starting to grow on me, after 20-plus years in the area. I like Chris Cooley (especially after he visited Gar-Field HS last year), dislike Terrell Owens (although he was a good fit for my equally disliked
Dallas Cowboys), like Brett Favre (but glad he’s staying retired), and will always have Walter Peyton in my heart as my favorite football player of all time. I will also have another player on a list, the least
favorite football player of all time list: Michael Vick (who is getting the break of a life time with the Philadelphia Eagles).

I personally think Michael Vick got off way too easy for his crimes against canines. What I think should have happened to him is not printable in a family newspaper. So no, I don’t think Vick should get to
play in the NFL. And there are lots of football fans and dog lovers who feel the same way I do. On the other hand, there are those who, legally correct, say that he paid the price the courts demanded of
him and he should be allowed to pursue whatever living he wants. In terms of justice, Vick was found guilty, went to jail, served his sentence and should now have all the rights he had before.

I have a friend who thinks that Vick should be permitted to play in the NFL again, but not for the Washington Redskins. At the surface, this is a way of “having your cake and eating it, too.” This friend
gets to be on both sides — yes, he should play but no, not for my team. If you debate him, however, you learn the real reason behind his views. Let me say that this friend is a dog lover and dog owner.
But he looks at controversy dispassionately. He agrees with the idea that Vick has served his time and should be allowed to do what he wants within the law. His reason for not wanting Vick to play for
the Redskins is that, in his opinion, Vick just isn’t a good player and would not serve the Redskins well.

It’s an interesting point to make and one that might serve to teach Vick, and others like him, a lesson. Vick does not strike me as being a humble enough person to admit that he isn’t cut out for the
NFL. He was a star in college, after all. He would probably attribute being out of shape, etc., to being in jail. That’s OK by me. He can blame his prison sentence for his difficulty in getting an NFL job. He
can say that people aren’t giving him a chance, that he served his time. As long as he, and any fans he might still have, believe that, a lesson will have been learned — private behavior does impact your
public persona. As the saying goes, the measure of a man is what he does when no one is looking.

Michael Vick is at one end of the ethical spectrum. Our nation, and the world, lost Eunice Shriver this week, a person solidly at the other end. Eunice Shriver, one of “The Kennedy’s,” spent her life
dedicated to the organization she founded, Special Olympics. Born into a wealthy family, the sister of famous brothers, Shriver could have lived comfortably without a cause. But inspired by her sister
Rosemary, Shriver founded the Special Olympics, a program that enables people with disabilities to engage in athletic competition that showcase the best in people.

When I first moved to the Washington area, I worked for Special Olympics International. Mrs. Shriver was not a hands-off founder — she was in the office a lot, hands on with the day-to-day operations of
the organization. She inspired millions of people whom she never met.

Not all of us will inspire millions of people. But that’s not the measure of who we are. We should aspire to change our little part of the world for the better; to make a difference in the lives of others,
however small we might think that difference is. That’s why I am inspired by Evan DeGraff. For those who missed it, in conjunction with his birthday, Evan serenaded customers at the Cheeseburger in
Paradise. And instead of presents, he asked for donations to INOVA Children’s Hospital. I haven’t heard whether he met his goal of $15,000, but for a child who is not even a teenager yet to give up
birthday presents is remarkable.

Way to go, Evan. A belated happy birthday and here’s to many, many more.

Denise Oppenhagen is a longtime resident of Prince William County and can be reached at DenOp1@comcast.net.