One major issue that keeps coming up throughout North America is the stereotype of Pit Bulls. People have a blind hate on for these four legged companions.
"Pit bull" is not an official breed, it's a mix. (I will refer to it from know on as a "breed.") What any ban of this breed is, is a ban of a body type. Cropped tails and ears. Muscular bodies. Broad chests, heads, and eyes.
Usually how they decide if a dog falls into the category of a "Pit Bull," is they have someone look at it, and if it falls into a percentage of what the "assumed breed" looks like, "Oh shit! It's an EVIL DOG!" Then you can lose your dog, pay a fine, and... did I mention you could lose your dog?
Banning a dog because of an appearance is racism. Yes they aren't human, but they are alive. It would be like banning a specific nationality or religion. Not only that, but doing it for a small a grouping's actions.
NOTE: The whole current Islam issue.
There's only an issue of we make it one; all Islamic people are not terrorists. If they were, they world would be in trouble. Not to single you out, but there are a LOT more of you than there is any other race and religion.
So are we going to ban and put down all those who are, or identify as those of The Nation of Islam? No.
So why do Pit Bulls get the short end of the stick?
Pit Bulls - contrary to popular belief - were not bred for fighting. The body type came through breeding and they were dubbed, "The Nanny Dog." Not because they care for you after they rip you to shreds, or because they eat you and chase you and make you scream for your nanny. But because you were great with children.
Then people noticed the strength the breed had, and built a more dominant dog. A dog that waned to be top of the pack.
You want a dog bred for fighting specifically? Look at German Shepherds as well as Bulldogs!
German military bred, created, and used The Shepherd for war. Why do they stand so long? Because they used to have their hind legs broken as puppies to have them heal that way, so they could be more silent in their approach.
And Bulldogs; why do you think they're named that. They were bred for bull fighting. You know where they poss off the bull, and have the swords and the matador. That's what Bulldogs were bred for.
Dogs also are a victim of their surroundings, breed aside.
If you raise any animal in a place where it's beaten and battered. Made to fight, and win to be fed small scraps... what do you think that dog will want to do. Fight. Because fight mean chance for food, and winning means they get food.
Looking at racial stereotypes - please forgive my bluntness - if you had a black child and a white child. Stereotypically, the black child would be trouble, and the white kid would be good.
But given the chance at the same life; a loving family, food on the table, stable school and neighbourhood. And then, getting your ass beat by a drunken parent, no food unless you steal it, a school and neighbourhood where you're unsafe.
It doesn't matter what colour the kid's skin is. One environment will get you a good kid who has the ability to make something is his (or her) life, and the other will build a scrappy fighter, who'll do what they need to to survive.
In closing... do not single groups out for radical's behaviour. A small percentage of acts does not damn an entire group.
Let's fight together to make people more informed, and stop the ignorant bans against this poor type of dog. They cannot speak for themselves, but when one acts out because of his or her surroundings, it makes the news. Meanwhile all the loving caring gentle pit bulls don't make the news after just loving their family and being treated correctly.
Really... it's a pity we still see racism in the 21st century.
