By way of introduction, I'd like to talk about the Ford Pinto - those who've been around the block may remember the Pinto, manufactured for a decade between 1971 and 1980. I confess to having a pinto back in the day, and I am none the worse off. But for a number of pinto drivers, a design flaw that, in the event of an accident, facilitated the explosion of the gas tank, proved fatal. It's estimated that 27 people were killed from pinto gas tank explosions. Ultimately Ford recalled the pinto, and the rest is history.
Imagine if you will, that after every fiery pinto crash, a rowdy mob of pinto fans attacked anyone who mentioned that it was a pinto, screaming "racist!". This mob would assert that "any car could have done the same thing", and they would post pictures of pintos filled with happy families, and helpfully reminding us that "all cars crash", "not all pintos are defective", and "it's the driver, not the pinto".
Now, let us further imagine that it was impossible to recall the pinto, due to a law that prevented singling out any specific type of car, because that would amount to "unfair discrimination".
The resulting nightmare scenario would result in additional unnecessary deaths, because it would be strictly verboten to speak clearly about the problem, and legally impossible to rectify it. Who would stand for such a state of affairs?
Welcome to the world of pit bull advocacy.
Here's the bottom line: Ford was forced to recall the Pinto because of 27 deaths over 10 years. However, there have been 185 people violently mauled to death by pit bulls over the past 10 years, with no action from lawmakers, only thinly veiled threats and raucous protests from the pit bull lobby any time there is a hint of relief for potential victims. If the pinto problem was so potentially deadly that it had to be addressed, isn't it high time to address the pit bull problem?
If this makes sense to you, then you'll have no problem understanding and appreciating the significance of the press release from the law offices of Kenneth M Phillips.
See the press release here: PressRelease-ItsTimeforthePitBullRecallToo.pdf
References -
http://www.fatalpitbullattacks.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Pinto
excellent. thanks for bringing Kenneth Phillips's press release to my attention.
ReplyDeleteJake, this is a stellar post. Succinct and very well written. This totally sums up the state of pit bull advocacy today in a way that really points out how insane it is that the nutters are calling all the shots. Love the press release too--I'm going to write to thank the law office.
ReplyDeleteJake, you forgot a few more things that the angry mob would claim:
ReplyDelete"Nobody can recognize a Pinto."
"A Pinto isn't a brand, it's a 'type' of passenger vehicle. We can't technically get more specific than that."
"Pintos never crash unless they're provoked. Some other car was obviously at fault in these fiery Pinto explosions."
Excellent points S.K.Y. - obviously, great minds think alike.
ReplyDeleteIts all how you drive them
ReplyDeleteyou know
ReplyDeleteGREAT PIT BULL EXPERT QUOTES IN HISTORY:
Dogs' breeding and training determine their aggressiveness, said Gail Golab, director of the American Veterinary Medical Association's animal welfare division. For example, Doberman pinschers were once "a big macho kind of dog" but have become more gentle and docile with breeding in recent years, she said. The same could be done with pit bulls, which include American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, Bull Terriers and mixes of those breeds
Testimony of Dr. Peter L. Borchelt, Denver v. Colorado, No. 04CV3756 (Denver Dist. Ct., April 7, 2005). Lockwood also notes, “Dog fighters and advocates of fighting breeds note that, historically, fighting animals that showed aggression to people were generally removed from the gene pool, either by being destroyed or being deemed unsuitable for breeding.... However, there is no indication that the same selective pressures are in operation since there is currently a market for even the most intractable animals in the guard dog trade.” Lockwood, supra note 17 at 133.
*Note...Not only is there now a Pit Bull Guard Dog trade but there is also an outlandish Proven Mauler Rescue Trade.
They have failed to regulate themselves.
"Obfuscation instead of Self-Regulation"
Don't drive Pinto in the rain. It might explode and kill your neighbors.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant, as always.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! :) It also counters a lot of arguments nutters make about "Cars crash, should we ban them, too?"
ReplyDeleteYes. If a certain type of car has a defect.