In Malcolm Gladwell’s article, “Troublemakers: What pit bulls can teach us about profiling,” published in the February 6, 2006 issue of The New Yorker, he emphasizes that profiling only takes into account generalizations – not specifics – when it comes to who or what should be deemed dangerous. In this case, the ban of pit bulls in New York City (and other parts of the world) was based on the assumption that pit bulls, in general, are dangerous after many dog-related injuries have pit bulls as the perpetrators. Gladwell, however, argues that various factors could have caused pit bulls, and any type of dogs for that matter, to be a danger to the public. These factors range from what type of dog owners prefer during a certain time period to how these dogs are treated and nurtured. He explains that a combination of these factors could spark a dog’s violent tendencies.
Gladwell opens up his article about an incident that occurred to a family during one ordinary afternoon as a father heads home after picking up his son. While walking, a pit bull comes and attacks the young boy, a site horrifying to see from a parent or any person for that matter. Jayden, almost three years old, encountered this exact life-threatening situation. As he was viciously claimed by the pit bull’s mouth, his mother and father immediately went out to help their son. After seeing the commotion, neighbors came out to help but the dogs were too much for them to handle. It took reinforcement to calm the situation which ended with the hospitalization of the family and a neighbor. Gladwell continues on to mention that pit bulls are described as dogs with a lot of aggression and that, in comparison to most dogs, they are easily agitated and can fight until past exhaustion. According to epidemiological studies, many dog bites are given by pit bulls, which are found to be increasingly growing by them than other types of dogs. As a result, pit bulls have been banned in several parts of the world, claiming that they are indeed dangerous to mankind.
Although many reports insist pit bulls are dangerous, Gladwell argues that that is not the case for all, but is a generalization of what people see and hear about. He argues that like stereotyping, pit bulls are put in a general category that dogs with pit bull-like appearances are put against. However, other breeds such as the Dobermans, German shepherds, and Rottweilers are also biters, yet they are not as highly scrutinized as pit bulls. People do not see that these breeds can also have violent tendencies, attack at any given moment, and be considered a danger to the community. So why are pit bulls being particularly targeted? Gladwell explains that the high popularity in owning pit bulls thus result in the high number of pit bulls involved in attacks. Since dog owners want to own a specific breed of dogs at a particular period of time, those breeds become more numerous and are more likely to have high numbers in attacks. Basically, owners’ preferences for dogs, or aggressive dogs, change over time.
The ban of pit bulls is not an appropriate way to handle the violence of dog attacks. By putting a ban, people are overlooking the fact that pit bulls have more than one breed of their kind. They are categorizing what is sought after as unsafe according to the dogs’ outer appearances. Individuals believe that the same appearances of dogs ultimately give them the same type of personality and temperament. In this case, all dogs considered to be pit bulls are believed to have the same dangerous qualities within them. Using a single generalization thus does not get to the root of the problem. In reality, various factors define a dog as dangerous.
In profiling, authorities search for suspicious activities by picking out those individuals who are most likely to be doing them. However, they come up with generalizations and wrongfully categorize traits and behaviors in people and animals. Raymond Kelley, the police commissioner of New York City, finds category profiling as a problem and downright ineffective. Just like people, dogs are adapted to the environment they are placed in. They are taught a certain way to live and follow certain rules they are given. Referring back to the story of Jayden, the pit bulls that attacked him were owned by a man who had several run-ins with the law concerning the dogs. His three pit bulls were nurtured in a way where their actions reflect the owner’s irresponsibility – an owner who avoided disciplining them. His lack of care to teach them how to behave resulted in the pit bulls’ unruly behavior.
Dogs become violent due to many circumstances such as not having the opportunity to be exposed to society. The lack of socializing with children and small human beings also lead dogs to see them as prey. In other cases, violent dogs are seeking medical attention, are hungry, unneutered, ill-trained, and have a history of aggressive behavior. However, authorities have found that violent dog traits are attributes to the kind of owners they have, as seen by the dogs that attacked little Jayden. With such attacks, it is not due to the dogs themselves, but the people they are surrounded by and the environments they are placed in that make dogs a danger.
Gladwell suggests pit bull bans are unfitting for the matter at hand. Instead of just generalizing outer traits, people must look beyond and find the main source to the problem. The source is typically discovered within the whereabouts of the dog, the owner’s own personal life and the ability to discipline their dog. By stereotyping, judgments are not only wrongfully assumed, but the mistaken elimination of people and animals are only based on how they look like. Needless to say that one’s view is incorrect, but one must look at the background of the person or thing before making a generalized conclusion. His perspective is not only insightful, but imprints a solid point conveying pit bull bans are not only unnecessary but not the best way to handle these types of dangerous situations.
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