AR-News: (MA - US) Globe Columnist calls obviously hates pit bull dogs

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Muzzling the misfits



By Brian McGrory, Globe Columnist  |  June 25, 2004

You've got to love all these misguided pit bull protectionists, including the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, citing the same tired line that the witless gun lobby has used all these years: It's not the dog, but the owner.

No, it's the dog, thank you. It's the pit bull who clamps his steel-trap jaw down on the throat of a neighbor's hound. It's the pit bull who tears into a toddler's leg, or into a passerby's arm.

Afterward, inevitably and invariably, it's the pit bull's owner who acquires a look of shock to accompany the excuse, "The dog was always so gentle." Exactly, until the moment he or she wasn't, and then there's blood on the street and sirens in the air.

I raise this point not as a diatribe against a breed of dog that the world would be much better without, but to illustrate a decidedly different point, a more benevolent one.

On one remarkable day in the middle of June, two legislative bodies known for neither their collective intellect nor inherent usefulness passed separate measures that will go a long way toward protecting their constituents. In short, Wednesday was a triumphant day for common sense, a rare occasion when our political leaders ought to be commended.

Within hours of each other, the Massachusetts Legislature voted to continue a prohibition on the sale of military-style semiautomatic assault weapons, while about half a mile away, the Boston City Council passed some of the toughest restrictions on pit bull ownership in the state.

Now close readers of this space might note that I've spent occasional time and ink pointing out the unfailing buffoonery of both of those particular bodies, better known for self-service than public service. Well, sure, because it's true.

And that's what makes Wednesday's events so extraordinary. There was no hedging, no hawing, no hemming.

The City Council plodded through the absurdist animal rights clutter and voted on the side of innocent dogs and people, just as the Legislature cut through the testosterone-laden gun-rights lobby in pursuit of the common good.

Pit bulls are the Uzis and AK-47s of the canine world, entirely pointless as pets, bred for their aggression, prized by many owners for their intimidation. There is not a reason in the world to have one, other than to harm or scare, which explains why they're the animal of choice among punks who need guns and snarling dogs to fulfill themselves.

Please spare me the inevitable argument about how pit bulls, trained right, are smart, loyal, loving family members. Why any normal person would take a completely unnecessary risk with children, neighbors, other animals, and themselves is one of the great mysteries of the dog-loving world. Unless, of course, the owner isn't normal at all, which would explain it.

Now, thanks to the City Council, pit bulls must be muzzled in public. They will have to be neutered or spayed. Warning signs will be mandatory outside their homes. The statistics support the action: There were 144 reported pit bull bites of humans in 2001, compared to 56 by German shepherds, the second highest by breed.

Understand, I love dogs, which is why I'm not willing to put mine or anyone else's in jeopardy for the perversion of some moronic owner who thinks his pit bull exists outside the mold.

On guns, we need to make assault rifles available to the public at large like we need more attack dogs romping through city parks. That our legislators had the courage to step ahead of federal law and continue a ban on the sale of such weapons is a tribute to their foresight. Who knew?

Usually we criticize our political leaders, often for good reason. But on one otherwise ordinary early summer's day, the city councilors of Boston and the legislators of Massachusetts covered themselves in accomplishment. It's a job well done on a day well spent, one which calls for collective thanks.

Brian McGrory is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at mcgrory at globe.com.