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When Hate and Fear Triumph over Common Sense and Tolerance

A story in the Denver Post tells the tale of two cities in Colorado that have headed down different paths in their attempt to control dangerous dogs. "Elected officials in two south metro area cities met this week to decide on the fate of pit bulls in their cities, and when it was all over, the cities decided to go in different directions. In Parker, dozens of residents upset by a proposed pit bull ban persuaded their Town Council on Tuesday night to scrap those plans and instead put more muscle into the town's vicious-animal ordinance. At the same time, City Council members 7 miles away in Lone Tree unanimously approved a ban on new pit bulls" (and anything that looks like it could be a Pit Bull) and imposed tough requirements on the owners of pit bulls already in the city.

"Only a handful of people spoke against the ordinance," said Lone Tree spokeswoman Michelle Kivela. (http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_3415553)

Lone Tree officials decided to pass the ban as an "emergency ordinance," and it would go into effect immediately. Lone Tree spokeswoman Michelle Kivela stated that the council felt, "it being a safety issue, they should go ahead and pass it." Meanwhile, Parker opted to target dangerous dogs of all breeds, and take a zero tolerance approach.

What prompted Lone Tree officials to enact this "emergency ordinance" banning a certain group of dogs and putting nearly impossible restrictions on current owners who have lived their peacefully for years (including liability insurance, mandatory registration, and secure enclosures to restrain these Public Enemies)? Perhaps Lone Tree officials are dealing with a huge overpopulation of dangerous and vicious dogs that are mostly "Pit Bulls?"

Lone Tree has about three Pit Bulls.

That's right. Three.

So what could possibly motivate them into declaring such an "emergency?"

"We have several cities around us in the metro area that either have passed pit bull bans or were looking at it," Kivela said. "(Council members) didn't want to have an influx of pit bulls in our community."

Ms. Kivela summed up the council's rational in a simple, concise way. Lone Tree wants to prevent some people from moving into the city. That is akin, if to a lesser degree, of saying, "We have three black people in our city, and we don't want any more, so just in case a bunch decide to move in, we're passing this emergency ordinance, and there's no time to waste because they could move in any second!"

Aurora, Colorado officials, by the way, proferred similar rationale when it enacted its Pit Bull ban.

There's something wrong with most of Colorado. Maybe it's in the water, but instead of being a progressive, tolerant, rational place with public officials that look out for the rights of all people and support common sense legislation, most of Colorado is a place of bigotry, fear, and hatred, more aptly referred to as "Pleasantville," where public officials only want upper middle class Caucasians who own poodles and Chihuahuas named Tinkerbell.

In fact, if you want some good, solid numbers evidencing the Colorado mindset, check out "White Woman with a Pit Bull -- Politics, Race & Dogs" at http://www.dogpolitics.com.

Maybe, sometime in the future, students of history will look back on this Pit Bull holocaust and liken it to the way this nation treated Japanese Americans during a not-so distant World War. It seems, the United States hasn't progressed all that far toward tolerance.

I would like to know the answer to a few questions.

What the hell is happening in America? Who are these idiots that get to make laws keeping out a certain group of people, even when their nice little towns have had NO problems? Why are these lunatics getting elected, and why, for the love all that the word "America" encompasses, are they allowed to inflict their insanity upon innocent American citizens?

posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 9:22 AM by admin

# re: When Hate and Fear Triumph over Common Sense and Tolerance @ Saturday, January 21, 2006 9:47 PM

Good blog and I love the referal to "Pleasantville" by the way.

I am very disgusted as I used to love the Rocky Mountain state, was born at the USAFA, Colorado Springs.

My favorite child hood memories stem from Colorado,Colorado was a place I wanted to go back to some day... not anymore.

My husband back in the late 90s had a job offer to work Denver for the same company, he flew down there to see the work environment and pondered for a brief moment until some one in a nice and caring manner told him, " They hate pit bulls out here.." this person liked pit bulls by the way.

Suffice to say, no Denver for us and thank god, could only imagine what hell we would go through if we did not know about this and moved there.

Funny thing about Colorado, when I lived there as a child, they used to show the children short films about dogs, like how not to approach a stray dog, or how to introduce your self to a dog by making a fist, they used to show dog behavior tips, like eye contact, the tail between the legs, and so forth.

The kids I went to school with all knew about dogs, it was common knowledge to us. We barely heard of the dog attacks we do now, but we did hear about Dobermans and all of the myths behind them as well as German Sheppards. Of course no banning came into place, Colorado was a dog friendly state... what happened?

"where public officials only want upper middle class Caucasians who own poodles and Chihuahuas named Tinkerbell."

Seems so, and seems to me that these people forget to think that they are not the only people who live in this world. They want to colonize their way of living and when they say its about human life, they forget that its about ALL human life, to scrutinize people who have innocent dogs and are very good pet owners is not respecting human life.

Its judgemental..

"What the hell is happening in America? Who are these idiots that get to make laws keeping out a certain group of people, even when their nice little towns have had NO problems? Why are these lunatics getting elected, and why, for the love all that the word "America" encompasses, are they allowed to inflict their insanity upon innocent American citizens?"

I think one thing that is happening in America is that a lot of people are lazy now. Too busy with pop culture and creature comforts to take responsibiilty or much less think for that matter.

While ordering a meal, a pair of shoes, a car, or even a new body part ( not cutting down those who get plastic surgery just making a point) is made super easy, so it is to allow the government to come in and make decisions for American citizens.

So it is to take unfortunate incidents with a breed of dog and think ALL of that breed is evil, its easy to lump everything in one group.

Remeber how in high school it was easier to belive the old time rumour, " oh that girl is easy I heard that.." when that wasnt the case about the girl at all??

No one wants to "think" anymore, that is too much too ask. While some pit bulls attack SOME ( due to negligent or abusive pet owners) and while people like Kory Nelson uses the pit bull myth -all pit bulls snap-, no one wants to put on their thinking cap to go past the stereo type. No one wants to take the time to consider that not all owners of pit bulls are drug users or criminals, no one wants to see the horrible pictures of abused pit bulls by people who abuse them to make them mean. No one wants to acknowledge picures of good pit bulls with families with children who have never bit so much as a fly.

Everyone is taking the easy way out, "just ban the damn dogs, we will be safer we are being pro-active"

"Lone Tree has about three Pit Bulls.

That's right. Three. "

Is Lone Tree aware that it could have three possible pedophiles in its area? Three rapists in its area? Three serial murderers in its area? Three buglars in its area?

You mean to tell me that the only problem Lone Tree has is pit bulls? The three that have not attacked?

Pedophiles, buglars, rapists, and so forth dont have to own pit bulls either and come in all shapes, sizes, and colors.

"We have several cities around us in the metro area that either have passed pit bull bans or were looking at it," Kivela said. "(Council members) didn't want to have an influx of pit bulls in our community."

What about an influx of the above possible threes mentioned above? How do they avoid a crime offender moving into their area?

Every community has a crime offender, a crime happens everyday, no matter where one lives anymore, domestic violence is one of them. How do they know that they dont have some one right now who lives in their community and puts on the happy face and goes home and beats their spouse or children for that matter?

But hey once the pit bulls are gone we can all sleep better know, the world will be a safer place.

Lone Tree is an example (one of the examples from the Rocky Mountain State) of the decline of the American spirit. While one asks why are these laws getting passed and why these people are getting elected, one also has to ask what are the American people thinking?

BSL is an example of where this country is going and we need more American people to get more involved and turn off the TV, and get out there and fight so we dont have an "influx" of Lone Trees in this country.

Fudge0006