D-Wayne got Carriedaway once again

This is not an argument over whether society should or will forgive Michael Vick for his heinous treatment of animals. I'm as much a dog lover as anyone, but I also believe people deserve a second chance. So far, I have not found fault with the way Vick has handled his.

I also find it somewhat duplicitous that there's a significant segment of the population that will continue to castigate Vick while not saying anything about Ray Lewis, directly involved in the stabbing death of another human being. I also wonder why these same animal lovers are not out there doing what they can to ban bullfighting, a "sport" in which the bull has less chance of winning than the Washington Generals.

So this is not about whether Michael Vick deserved to receive the keys to our fair city. I imagine this ceremonial presentation has been bestowed on far more dubious characters. Has anyone ever seen and examined the list of all the members of this particular key club? Besides, I don't think they keys unlock a single thing.

No, my problem was with the way Vick received the keys. They should come from the City and not one rogue city council member (in this case D-Wayne Carriedaway), taking the law into his own hands.

According to Rudolph Bush, who should know about things like this because he does a superb job covering City Hall for the Dallas Morning News, here are the criteria for presenting said keys to individuals:

• Gold Keys to the City must be presented by:
- The Mayor of Dallas
- An elected official designated by the Mayor
- A Protocol Officer designated by the Mayor

• Crystal Keys may only be presented by the MAYOR or an elected official designated by the Mayor.

• Keys to the City may not be presented to officials abroad; they must be presented within Dallas/Collin/Denton/Tarrant counties.

• Person(s) receiving the key must:
- Be an elected official in their country, state, city or province
- Typically hold the title of Minister or above.
- MUST be international

Vick clearly does not qualify. D-Wayne could have just as easily come up with a proclamation from the office of the Mayor Pro Tem, (and, of course, D-Wayne occupies said office) that says something to the effect that the Mayor Pro Tem respects what Michael Vick has done for children and wants to recognize those efforts with the proclamation from his office. Of course, some misguided fools will still have a problem with Vick because they still hold a grudge against him (more because of his race than his actions) and would criticize D-Wayne for presenting the proclamation. But that's what fools do.

But D-Wayne's actions are an illustration of a far more serious problem. The man thinks his position allows him to do just about anything he damn well pleases, from calling the personal number of the Chief of Police to complain about a fictitious Archie and whomever to going off on his own with presentations like the one he made to Vick. Someone on the City Council needs to step up now and begin actions to strip D-Wayne of his mayor pro tem status. And if Ron Natinsky wants to prove he has the meddle to be elected mayor, he needs to be the person to step to the fore and lead this charge.

There's an excellent chance Da Mayor might resign before his term his up to begin his campaign for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate. If that happens, the mayor pro tem steps up. D-Wayne's actions prove conclusively he should not be the one in charge, even if it's for just a couple of days.