3.2. Why Did We Do This Research
Many people who saw Baby said she was a “Pit Bull”, and that bothered me because she was very well mannered and non-aggressive. So, I started researching on the Internet to find out something about the breed. In the beginning, it was for personal knowledge, but as I learned more about so-called “Pit Bulls” and their reputation, I got angry.
I am considered Mexican-American even though two of my grandparents were from Mexico, one was from Spain and one was from Ireland. I am a “mutt” and don’t have a problem with that. You can call me Tex-Mex, Mexican, Spanish or Irish, but don’t call me “cholo” (a derogatory term for Mexican-Americans), Cuban, Colombian, Honduran, etc. because I do not correctly fit any of those labels. However, I prefer not to be labeled but to be regarded as an individual with my strong and weak points.
Dogs are no different. They are of certain breeds or mutts and should be labeled correctly, if they are going to be labeled at all. They are individuals with their own personalities and strong and weak points, and they should be treated accordingly, just like humans.
As a Mexican-American born and raised in Texas, I have first-hand experience with stereotypes, and the stigmas, discrimination and vilification attached to those stereotypes. To say that if some members of a breed or mutts are aggressive because some have been used for dogfighting, then all members of that breed or mutts are going to be aggressive is ignorant and ridiculous. This is tantamount to saying that:
1. all African-Americans are heavyweight boxers, criminals, welfare cheats, love watermelon and fried chicken, have smaller brains, are better athletes, etc.;
2. all Mexican-Americans are illegal, lawn maintenance workers, illiterate, criminals, lazy, dirty, drunks, gang members, greasers, etc.;
3. all Italians are members of the Mafia or organized crime, wops, Italian men are “mamas boys”, live with their parents until there are 40, etc.;
4. all Irish are drunks, fight, have red hair, Catholics, etc.;
5. all Asians can’t drive, don’t know how to speak English, are nerds, hard workers, etc.; and
6. all whites are “red-necks”, “crackers”, white supremacist, member of the Ku Klux Klan, don’t have rhythm, etc.
This is not only ignorant but stupid. If one doesn’t know better, then maybe the best thing one could do is keep their opinions to themselves, listen and learn.
At http://www.thefreedictionary.com/ignorant, the Free Dictionary defines ignorant as
“1. Lacking education or knowledge;
2. Showing or arising from a lack of education or knowledge; and
3. Unaware or uninformed.”
At http://www.thefreedictionary.com/stupid, the Free Dictionary defines stupid as
“1. Slow to learn or understand;
2. Tending to make poor decisions or careless mistakes; and
3. Marked by a lack of intelligence or care.”
Fortunately, I am a human who is educated and was very successful in his career having retired as an executive of a publicly traded corporation. Consequently, I can defend myself: however, dogs, including dogs called “Pit Bulls”, cannot.
One of the things I learned as I got older is that life is too short to put up with a lot of bull and/or try to be tactful, and thereby create a situation that may lead to misunderstandings. Consequently, any reader of this document is welcomed to take issue with my bluntness, but I offer no apologies because I am only interested in presenting and having people understand the facts, and I am not interested in winning any awards for “political correctness”.
I have read a lot of bad press and seen countless television accounts about so-called “Pit Bulls”, and about the “breed”, but I seriously doubt that many people talking about “breeds” know the meaning of the word or the “breed” of the actual dogs they are calling “Pit Bulls”. This document seeks to shed some factual light on both subjects.
The Internet and all media abounds with the regurgitation of the same stories about the breed of dogs called “Pit Bulls”, but they are, for the most part, short on facts but long on hysteria, conjecture, exaggeration, embellishment, emotions, rumors, myths, opinions, etc.
Tom Waits, an American singer-songwriter, composer and actor said,
“The folks who know the truth aren’t talking…. The ones who don’t have a clue, you can’t shut them up!”
This seems to sum up most of the “news” regarding “Pit Bulls” from the various media, law enforcement, animal control, television judges, lawyers, individuals, etc. However, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, frequently and incorrectly called a “Pit Bull”, that we rescued in late 2014 was properly identified by Sugar Land, Texas Animal Control. They are the only agency and/or professionals that I have had contact with that knew what a “Pit Bull” is or is not, and got it right.
This document will provide the meaning of the word and how to determine the “breed”. It will explain why there is no such “breed” as a “Pit Bull”, and a “breed” of dogs called “Pit Bulls” has never existed.
It will also explain why there are so many dogs called “Pit Bulls”, why they get blamed for everything, why, in my opinion, the so-called breed of dogs called “Pit Bulls” is a scam, who are the perpetrators of this scam and why they are doing it
On the May 3, 2015 week-end news, I learned that San Antonio, Texas was the first city to require micro-chips on all dogs within the City. I think this is a great idea, and one of the things I suggest in my possible solution to the so-called “Pit Bull” problem, i.e., identify the owners of the animals involved in any unsatisfactory behavior, hold them more accountable than the animal because they are suppose to be the more responsible of the two creatures, and they are suppose to be smarter.
This document has been written to attempt to shed some light on the subject of so-called “Pit Bulls” by detailing the results of the personal, objective research I have done over more than seven years. Hopefully, there will be a few individuals who will read this and/or other fact based documents and acquire a little knowledge and learn why I say there never was nor does there now exist a “Pit Bull” breed of dogs.
