Profile of a Pit Bull -- Without Lipstick
by David Sassoon - Sep 8th, 2008
The British are well-known for an abundance of love for animals, bordering on the eccentric -- or perhaps crossing the border. So you have to wonder about one of God's little creatures that the British have banned from their homeland: the pit bull. The snapshot here of this pit bull after an encounter with a porcupine perhaps provides a clue as to why.
To protect themselves from the menace, the Brits enacted a national law -- The Dangerous Dogs Act -- which makes it very hard to own a pit bull.
Under the 1991 Act (and as amended in 1997) it is illegal to own any Specially Controlled Dogs (pit bulls are first on the list) without specific exemption from a court. The dogs have to be muzzled and kept on a leash in public, they must be registered and insured, neutered, tattooed and receive microchip implants. The Act also bans the breeding, sale and exchange of these dogs. (Wikipedia)
The UK is not alone.
Denmark and Serbia have also banned the dog, and other nations, such as Italy and Australia, place tough restrictions on ownership. In New Zealand, pit bulls cannot be publicly advertised for sale. Some counties and cities in the US have placed restrictions on pit bull ownership -- they are associated with illegal dog fighting and drug dealing -- and the ferocious dogs account for 1/3 of US dog-bite fatalities. And of course there is Michael Vick, whose story ABC news decided to update on Friday. Wonder why.
In his acceptance speech at the Republican Convention, John McCain said he couldn't wait to introduce surprise running mate Sarah Palin to Washington. He got a roar of approval for his pit bull with lipstick.
If a neighbor with a pit bull moved in down the hall, down the block or down the road, would you be alarmed? So what's the great attraction of having a pit bull one heartbeat from the presidency? What an unfortunate analogy the Republicans have chosen to energize their Christian base. You'd think they would have been talking about lambs and doves, and okay, maybe serpents.
What is of grave concern is the role she -- a self-professed climate skeptic -- could play in stopping the progress of climate action. She would cast the tie-breaking vote in the Senate. Like the sitting vice president, she's a pal of the oil industry and in favor of drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. And how would she do dealing with prickly opposition? Washington, you know, is full of porcupines.
Say "pit bull political leaders" and what American comes to mind? Odds are good that Dick Cheney would score pretty high.
So is Dick Cheney with lipstick.....Sarah Palin?
Related Story
On Pitbulls and Lipstick (Booman Tribune)
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