Petitorial 

Most of us have some recollection from our school days of mythology. We remember learning about Egyptian and Greek and Roman and Norse mythology. The stories may be dim in our memories after all, it was a long time ago and the stories were not real anyway. Or perhaps our cultural or religious upbringing instilled myths that are more than faint memories and that we can relate quite well. At any rate, we know that myths are myths precisely because we have no way of sorting out fact from fiction, even though they may have had their origin in true events long since forgotten.

The Merriam Websters Encyclopedia of Literature describe myths as extraordinary events set in a time altogether different from historical time, often at the beginning of creation or at an early stage of prehistory. Thinking of mythology in this way, as a collection of fairy tales from a long time ago when Man was less enlightened, can blind us to the fact that mythology is alive and well in this so-called information age.

Irresponsible politicians and press have in recent years created a mythological creature as fictitious as any medieval dragon. A monster with an inherent chemical imbalance in the brain that can explode in a frenzied attack at any time without warning or provocation. A monster that bites with over 2,000 lbs. per square inch and whose jaws lock onto its victim and cannot be removed by ordinary means. A beast that cannot be easily stopped from attacking because it feels no pain. A predator that inflicts injuries similar to those from a shark attack.

The pit bull. The dog from Hell. The land shark. Cujo.

Every one of these statements is completely and demonstrably false. Yet they have been used with great fanfare by politicians, in sensationalized media reports, and have been entered into court records as so-called evidence. Apart from the fact that these untruths malign so many wonderful, friendly dogs, such characterizations end up having the opposite effect to that intended. They create a mythological animal that appeals to the very people who are looking for a weapon, not a pet.

Thus, the people who rail against the pit bull and demand something drastic be done to protect the public are inadvertently contributing to whatever problem they say exists. Just as the snake oil salesman claims all manner of supernatural healing power for his worthless concoctions, so too do these people create mystical traits that are desirable only to those looking for a furry gun. In effect, they are advertising to and creating a demand among the lowest strata of society. One doesn't have to be a logician to realize that no sane person would want to bring a beast such as this into his family as a pet. No, the only ones who would desire this kind of mythological creature would be those with less-than-honorable intentions.

One of the unfortunate results is that a great many of these dogs are then viciously and maliciously treated by those with a criminal bent in the attempt to turn them into the terrible beasts they are supposed to be.

The question that should be asked is, If pit bulls are so naturally evil, why do criminals have to beat them, fill them with steroids and drugs, keep them chained and unsocialized, and brutally treat them in the attempt to make them vicious? It stands to reason that these cruel measures would not be needed if the dogs lived up to the propaganda disseminated about them.

The plain truth is that dogs of all breeds have been living in harmony with Man for thousands of years. Dogs are naturally social animals that fit very easily into our human packs. They readily adapt to living in our homes, and we in turn accept them as members of the family. In fact, surveys consistently show that most pet owners value their pets almost in the same way as they cherish their children.

Yes, even pit bulls.

Many of our myths have a certain charm and cultural relevance. But when they are created in today's world out of fear or ignorance or maliciousness, when they can be demonstrated to be falsehoods, when they negatively impact on the lives of so many, we need to dispel them by exposing them to the light of truth.