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“Racism and the American Pit Bull” My Review of Pit Bull: The Battle over an American Icon

In the tautology established around pit bulls, all pit bulls are dangerous dogs and all dangerous dogs are pit bulls.

I published “Racism and the American Pit Bull,” a review of Bronwyn Dickey’s new bookPit Bull: The Battle over an American Icon.

Excerpt:

Importantly, there is no such thing as a pit bull “breed” to begin with. There are several different breeds of dogs that are broadly defined as such, including the English bulldog, a short-legged, slobbering animal that was once literally bred to fight and corral bulls but is now light years away from its long-legged, active ancestor. No one could possibly look at a contemporary bulldog and imagine it as a vicious hunter. (These days they give off more of an “asthmatic Winston Churchill” vibe.)

You can read the rest here. Contact me for a pdf if you can’t access it.