Let's Kill This Dog Because of What it Looks Like

Let's kill this dog because of what it looks like.

That's the position of Montana Democratic State Repesentative Robyn Driscoll, who has introduced a bill to eliminate all "pit bulls" from her state.

If her bill, H.B. 191, becomes law, folks in Montana with any pit bull-type dog (including all Staffordshire Bull Terriers and American Staffordshire Terriers), will have to surrender their dogs to the state, which will then euthanize them within 10 days.

How serious a problem are pit bull attacks in Montana?

The National Canine Research Council reports that over the course of 43 YEARS (1965-2008), there were just 3 fatalities in Montana from any and all dog bites. That's ALL dog bites, not just pit bulls.

Yet, in 2005 alone 251 people in Montana died from traffic accidents, and 1,400 people died from smoking. Far more people are killed in Montana every year by lightning strikes than by dog attacks (much less pit bull attacks). And don't even think about fatalities caused by falling off of horses, overturned tractors, and fatal levels of alcohol intoxication. Swimming pools have killed fare more people in Montana than pit bulls.

So why is Ms. Driscoll focused on pit bulls?

Simple: She's a biggot.

Like all biggots, she has demonized something based on sensational press reports and her own insular way of seeing the world.

Get the facts? Why? Get the data? Who needs that? Measure and assess relative risk? Where's the fun in that?

And so, you have politicians like Ms. Driscoll doing to pit bulls what others would just as quickly do to gays, blacks, Muslims, Jews, and Native Americans.

The good news here, is that you have a chance to generate a little heat so that politicians like Ms. Driscoll can see the light.

Here's what you can do: Call and email Ms. Driscoll and the Chair and Vice Chair of the Local Government Committee to which her ill-informed piece of legislation has been referred.

Be polite, but be firm. Let Ms. Driscoll and the Committee know what you think about ANY policy that would kill dogs -- or people -- based solely on what they look like. Ms. Robyn Driscoll's phone number is (406) 534-4874 and her email is >> rdriscoll@peoplepc.com

The Chair of the Local Government Committee to which the bill is being referred is Ms. Elsie Arntzen, and her email is >> emarntzen@excite.com.

The Vice Chair of the of the Local Government Committee is Ms. Betsy Hands, and she can be emailed at >> betsyhands@gmail.com

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