Breed Specific Legislation: Punish the Deed, Not the Breed Persuasive Essay by Kimberly
Breed Specific Legislation: Punish the Deed, Not the Breed
An argument that there is discrimination against pit bulls and pit bull-type dogs by the media and society.
# 154068
| 1,638 words
| 28 sources
| 2014
| 
Published
on Nov 08, 2014
in
English
(Persuasive Writing)
, Sociology
(Media and Society)
, Sociology
(General)
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Description:
Throughout the world, pit bulls are singled-out, more so than any other breed, and characterized to be distinctly dangerous. Breed-specific legislation is defined as any law, ordinance or policy which pertains to a specific dog breed or breeds. Commonly referred to as BSL, such legislation can range in severity from restrictions and conditions on ownership to outright bans on the possession of the breed (Weiss). Founded upon misinformation and slanted portrayal of certain dog breeds, the intent of breed-specific laws is to reduce dog bites and dog attacks, when in reality, such legislation rarely achieves this goal. In practice, these laws have been proven ineffective. BSL is not the solution to irresponsible ownership of naturally docile dogs. In order to address the underlying problem of unfit owners, laws that are breed-specific must be changed so that negligent owners are held accountable.
From the Paper:
"Throughout the world, pit bulls are singled-out more so than any other breed and characterized to be distinctly dangerous. Breed-specific legislation is defined as any law, ordinance or policy which pertains to a specific dog breed or breeds. Commonly referred to as BSL, such legislation can range in severity from restrictions and conditions on ownership to outright bans on the possession of the breed (Weiss). Founded upon misinformation and slanted portrayal of certain dog breeds, the intent of breed-specific laws is to reduce dog bites and dog attacks, when in reality, such legislation rarely achieves this goal (Thomas). In practice, these laws have been proven ineffective. BSL is not the solution to irresponsible ownership of naturally docile dogs. In order to address the underlying problem of unfit owners, laws that are breed-specific must be changed so that negligent owners are held accountable."It has not always been a commonly held belief that pit bulls are a particularly vicious type of dog. It was not until the 1970s and 1980s, when the pit bull began to come into the public's notice in a negative light. A resurgence of illegal dogfighting cases led to elevated media coverage. "Instead of instilling sympathy for the poor dogs involved and targeting the people behind the blood sport, media coverage actually helped instill fear of the pit breeds as a whole" (Smith). Decades later this fear still exists in society. The following quote, from William Shakespeare's The Tempest, parallels the misguided perception of pit bulls. "A devil, a born devil, on whose nature, nurture can never stick;..." This school of thought insists that environmental factors ultimately have no bearing on the nature of a pit bull, fostering the false belief that a pit bull is inherently dangerous.
"The average person's knowledge of pit bulls is mostly made up of misconceptions. The name "pit bull" is a generalized term, often in reference to what is technically classified as the American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT) or the American Staffordshire Terrier. It is in dispute that these breeds are one and the same, only recognized differently by the United Kennel Club (UKC) and the American Kennel Club (AKC). It has been found that many people cannot successfully distinguish between an APBT and similar-looking dogs such as the Argentinean Mastiff, PresaCananrio, Boxer, and Bull Terrier."
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APA Format
Breed Specific Legislation: Punish the Deed, Not the Breed (2014, November 08)
Retrieved June 10, 2023, from https://www.academon.com/persuasive-essay/breed-specific-legislation-punish-the-deed-not-the-breed-154068/
MLA Format
"Breed Specific Legislation: Punish the Deed, Not the Breed" 08 November 2014.
Web. 10 June. 2023. <https://www.academon.com/persuasive-essay/breed-specific-legislation-punish-the-deed-not-the-breed-154068/>