Racism is NOT equivalent to being anti-pit bull
Stop using the term ‘racist’ when you don’t know what it means
Racism: A belief that race is a fundamental determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race. This is what Merriam Webster defines as “racism.” Somehow no matter how many times history continues to prove what is racism and what is not, there’s a segment of the population — 99.9% of which are people who have never experienced racism but believe Blue Lives Matter only when it’s not a Capitol Riot, or participate in Black Lives Matter rallies solely because it’s a trendy hashtag— who continuously use the term “racism” incorrectly.
One of the most ridiculous examples I’ve heard this week was from a woman who was signing up for an online dating site and declared the site “a trash fire of racism and bsl” because pit bulls were not listed as a pet breed option. Never mind that it could have been an oversight. She went straight to “trash fire of racism and bsl.” As soon as I saw the message, the first thing I did was look up the person who typed it. I already knew what she looked like, but I wanted to be surprised. I was not.
Pit bull owners, stop saying people are “racist” for not being fans of your dogs. While dogs can develop aggressive tendencies toward human beings, they are also trained by human beings. Puppies (nor children) are born ready to hate someone based on skin color, economics, culture, etc. That is a learned trait from adult human beings.
ADVERTISEMENT ~ Amazon
As an Amazon affiliate, I earn a percentage from purchases with my referral links. I know some consumers are choosing to boycott Amazon for its DEI removal. However, after thinking about this thoroughly, I choose to continue promoting intriguing products from small businesses, women-owned businesses and (specifically) Black-owned businesses who still feature their items on Amazon. All five of my Substack publications now include a MINIMUM of one product sold by a Black-owned business. (I have visited the seller’s official site, not just the Amazon Black-owned logo, to verify this.) If you still choose to boycott, I 100% respect that decision.
Not all pit bulls are mean …
I understand the frustration with a pit bull’s reputation. I wrote about former dog fighters of pit bulls who became pit bull trainers. One of the friendliest dogs I’ve ever walked was a pit bull who leaped out of her crate into the air and licked me right on the mouth. (I wanted to yell out “dog germs” like Lucy Van Pelt, but this dog seemed pretty smitten with me. It was hard not to smile.) On my way back from the walk, I met the owner, a gray-haired senior white lady who cooed at this pit bull like it was a fluffy bunny.
Recommended Read: “Is your dog racist, or is it really you? ~ What should a dog owner do when a dog expresses a racial preference?”