White Woman With A Pit Bull

White Woman With A Pitbull - Politics, Race & Dogs

Last fall, I interviewed candidates running for City Council in Aurora, Colorado concerning the brand new breed ban there which was enacted on the heels of the Denver breed ban. I had asked each candidate for their their views on the Aurora ban, whether they supported it or not, and why, for the benefit of my readers here at DogPolitics.com

By the way - Aurora didn't just ban pitbull breeds - it threw in quite a few others - just for good measure.

Those conversations with the Aurora candidates, would prompt My Dog Votesto conduct the country's first politicial survey of dog owners, with questions covering a host of issues, including breed bans, and whether or not dog owners would become single-issue voters over the question of breed bans. But more about that later.

The conversations with the Aurora candidates also prompted other questions - questions about politics, race, class. Questions that need answers.

Playing The Breed Card

I had spoken with Bob Fitzgerald, attorney, incumbent, and sponsor of the breed ban ordinance. I asked Bob what the motivating factors were for the ordinance - were the loose dogs posing a hazard? A pitbull "incident"?

Bob told me that they - the Aurora City Council - had watched the legal battle in Denver culminate in the reinstatement of the breed ban - and then took action. "We don't want "those people" here", he said, inferring the Aurora ban would prevent fleeing Denver residents (with pitbulls) from moving into Aurora.

"We don't want "those people" here"? I was incredulous at the time - still am - and those words have stuck with me ever since. I had heard those words before - but usually in association with race or ethnicity. And I have heard those words repeatedly from other local elected officials concerning pitbull owners.

We Don't Want "Those People" Here



What is clear is that the Aurora breed ban ordinance was - and is - a deliberate and strategic plan on the part of the Aurora City Council to pass legislation to keep a certain group of people out of Aurora - and move the ones that were already there - out.

Bob did not say he wanted to keep the dogs out, but "those people". Well just who are "those people", Bob???


The Undesirables

Just what people did Bob mean by "those people"? As a pitbull owner, I had to ask myself, just what made pitbull owners so undesirable? Did Aurora want pitbull owners to not just move to the back of the bus - but off the bus entirely?

Did the City of Aurora think that pitbull owners were of a lower socio-economic class? Did they think pitbull owners had less education or made less money, than their non-pitbull owning counterparts? Are pitbull owners any less likely to contribute to the economy or the tax base, or perhaps even become a drain on the tax base?

Did the City of Aurora think that pitbull owners were more likely than say, pug owners, to commit crimes? If pitbull owners moved from Denver to Aurora, would they be more likely to bring drugs or engage in other crimes than people who owned German Shepherds, or Rottweilers or Collies?

Or was race a factor - a hidden factor? Did Aurora wanted to keep out pitbull dog owners coming from Denver - the ones I read about in the newspaper - the ones with Hispanic last names? From poor neighborhoods? But what about Whites? Weren't there Whites with pitbulls, too? Maybe the Whites who own pitbulls are - you know -more of the "White Trash" variety as compared to Whites who owned other breeds?

Why I Love The U.S. Census! Compare And Contrast

Did race, class or politics have any bearing on the Aurora breed ban? To answer these questions, we need to have data. And the primo source for that data, boys and girls - is the U.S. Census. In fact - no politician and no marketer - would leave home witout it.

Population, Race, and Income

POPULATION In Aurora, as of the censusGR2 of 2000, there are 276,393 people, 105,625 households, and 68,867 families residing in the city.

By contrast - almost twice as many people live in Denver. As of the censusGR2 of 2005, there are an estimated 560,400 people, 239,235 households, and 119,378 families residing in the city.

RACE The racial makeup of the Aurora is 68.86% White, 13.42% African American, 0.81% Native American, 4.37% Asian, 0.18% Pacific Islander, 8.14% from other races, and 4.23% from two or more races. 19.81% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

By contrast, the racial makeup of Denver is only 51.9% White, and 31.68% of the population is Hispanic or Latino of any race - a much larger population than in Aurora. Denver is 11.1% Black or African American, about 2.2% Native American, 2.81% Asian American, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 15.59% from other races, and 3.75% from two or more races.

 

continued...

INCOME The median income for a household in the Aurora is $46,507, and the median income for a family is $52,551. Males have a median income of $35,963 versus $30,080 for females. The per capita income for the city is $21,095.
By contrast, the median income for a household in Denver is $39,500, and the median income for a family is $48,195. Males have a median income of $34,232 versus $30,768 for females. The per capita income for the city is $24,101.

Also - greater percentage of Denver residents live at or below the poverty line.



Voter Turnout

Aurora seemed to have a pretty low voter turnout for the November 2005 City Council race - with somewhere between 33 - 37% of voter turnout. But compare that with a dismal 11.58% voter turnout last May in the Denver Municipal Elections.

I wondered - did the Aurora City Council perceive there may be a backlash by Aurora voters - voters who were more politically active than those in Denver - against Aurora city government if they failed to "do something" about the potential influx of pitbull owners from Denver?







Redlining Aurora - Whiter, Richer, More Powerful

Redlining - that's the illegal practice whereby banks, lenders or real estate agents deliberately practice economic discrimination against an undesirable group of people - usually minorities - in a specific geographical region. One could literally draw a "redline" on the map to outline the area they want to keep undesirables out .

Aurora is clearly redlining their fair city against a group of undesirables - pitbull owners. One question I might ask is whether or not Aurora breed ban is predicated in part, consciously or unconsciously, on an element of race?

The Department of Justice takes a dim view of redlining. Traditional victims of illegal redlining have been Blacks, Latinos, Jews.... not to mention a whole slew of other racial or ethnic groups.

Certainly I am not the first - nor the last - to raise the question whether or not that race may be a factor in the enactment of breed bans. In the Denver area - this has been observed, noted and questioned by award-winning journalist, Bill Johnson, of the Rocky Mountain News.

What The Data Means

The U.S. Census data says that Aurora is Whiter, Wealthier & Wields More Power. Would that then mean that there was a greater chance, statistically speaking, that dog owners - pitbull owners - moving out of Denver might be:

• Poor
• Hispanic or Latino
• Less educated?
• Less politically powerful

And did Aurora think that the influx of such a population would have a negative effect of the racial and economic makeup of the city? I'm wondering..............

Questions For Inquiring Minds

Pitbull owners are highly undesirable in the view of the Aurora City Council . That fact has led me to ponder the following questions:

1. Did the City Of Aurora conspire to enact a breed ban based partly or solely upon a racial, ethnic or social stereotype of pitbull owners?
2. Did the City Of Aurora conspire to keep out Latinas or Hispanics or other people of color out who may possibly own pitbull type dogs to maintain the white majority of their population?
3. Even if Whites were included in the pitbull owning population segments migrating out of Denver due to the ban, were those Whites not as desirable as other Whites simply because they owned pitbulls?
4. Does redlining Aurora amount to institutional racism?
5. Does the Aurora breed ban constitute a civil rights issue?
6. Would the Colorado Cmmission on Civil Rightsbe interested?
7. If so, would looking at the racial, criminal and economic data provide further support to that idea?
8. If the Aurora breed ban amounts to redlining, would an investigation by the Department Of Justice be in order?

Hmmmmmmmmmm - inquiring minds want to know.

Funny - You Don't Look Like You're A Hispanic, Jew, Black, Gay, Criminal, Pitbull Owner



As mentioned in the top of the post, such questions prompted My Dog Votes to conduct the very first political survey of dog owners, the results of which will soon be release.

Over 1000 dog owners nationwide participated in the survey. The results contain a few surprises - especially for any town council, like Aurora's, or others that may be considering breed bans.

Breaking Breed and Racial Stereotypes

If Auroa, and Parker and Longmont think the steroetypical pitbull owner is a gang banging, crack smoking gun-toting thug, think again. If Aurora and Parker, Lone Tree and Longmont think the stereotypical pitbull owner is a beer-swilling, trailer-living, food stamp sucking piece of White Trash, think again.

And if any town council thinks that responsible and knowledgeable dog owners of any breed favors breed bans as a means to ensure the pubic health and safety, think again.

Maybe Parker and Longmont and Lone Tree - and other Colorado towns should consider their voting and economic base before making decisions on breed bans. And maybe Aurora wouldn't have enacted a breed ban if they thought that pitbull owners were :

Women,
Age 35-54
White
Affluent
Registered voters
Owned breeds other that pitbulls
Opposed breed bans
Single issue voters on anti-dog legislation
Would cross party lines to vote anti-dog legislators from office Are breed bans inherently discriminatory? Is there a racial bias? Is there a bias against the poor, regardless of race? Questions like these need answers.

I wonder - would those towns be so quick to jump on the breed ban bandwagon if they thought they were alienating people like me - a white woman with a pitbull?

By the way, My Dog Votes - and is a single-issue voter who would cross party lines in a heartbeat in a local election or state election. And if she lived in Auroa, Longmont, Lone Tree or Parker - she would make sure to vote those breed ban proponents out of office.

 

Nice but that lady really needs to check her spelling. She asked some very interesting questions. I liked her statement Funny - You Don't Look Like You're A Hispanic, Jew, Black, Gay, Criminal, Pitbull Owner

 

now thats a great article. poses some very good questions and IMO the stereotypical owner is what many people picture when they think of pitbulls and the folks who are affected by it.

 

It is the media who has planted the notion in everyone's head that the only people who own pitbulls are low income drug dealing minorities who fight their dogs.

And it makes me crazy. Last week I pointed that out to the General Manager and Sales Manager of one of the major affiliate TV networks in CT because they commented on my Pit Bull sweatshirt.

The reality is that the majority of pitbull owners are responsible people, and those that end up as headlines are the exception, not the rule.

Then Oprah came on with a woman who had a Rottie for a service dog and I dragged them in to watch it. You bet that I made it a point to make a sarcastic comment that it was a biting, viscious, child mauling, guard dog that should be banned who saved that woman's life by dialing 911.

Today, I got a call from a reporter. She said the GM of the station told her to call me because she was doing a story on a town considering a ban on pit bulls & other breeds. (You bet I did the happy dance after that call!)

 

Way to go Hoyden, we know you will do good in the article. Please post it if you can when its printed?

 

Not sure when it's going to air.

The reporter is doing some research on it, so I sent her links on ACTUAL dog bite statistics and research, to ATTS (American Temperment Test Society) results, factual information about the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Stafforshire Terrier and Staffordshire Terrier as well as to sites with info on dog sports like weight pulling, agility, flyball that Pit Bulls participate in.

I also invited her to come meet my dogs and my friends pitbulls with camera man in tow and go shopping with me and Birdie (my pit bull service dog).

And my favorite piece of information: Network Rankers/Ratings for the News with Pit Bull/ Dog bite stories aired noted as well as major headlines. If you look at the News ratings when Pit Bull/dog bite stories are on the news and compare it to other news stories, you start to see a trend.

Bad dog stories, especially bad Pit Bull stories draw in more viewers, which increases the network share and the rankers. I also noted in there when stories were run about dog bites/attacks and showed a picture of a pitbull in the News teasers, but the story was actually about another breed of dog.

The Media only cares about Ratings. Increased ratings points means they can charge more for commercial spots, which increases their revenues.

The media has effectively Character Assasinated the Pit Bull with biased reporting and the majority Americans still think that the News is factual un-biased reporting, so they believe it.

 

Hoyden -- Please let me know when it is going to air, and on what channel. I want to set the DVR!

 

Excellent, Hoyden! Let me know when it's on!

 

I'd like to know when it airs as well.

 

I don't know if you'll get local affiliate TV in Japan, but if they do a video & stream it, maybe I can link it here.

 

I really like what you said here. Where I live, the media points out that Hispanics & Blacks, are the drug dealing owners of these breed. So, what you hear is planted in peoples brains. But, they never talk about us whites, who love & own them too.

 

im glad I moved from Aurora before the BSL. Very good research. This was very thought provoking. Like I said before, they don't just want to run pit bulls out of the state, they want their owners gone as well..........maybe they should have done a bit more research.........That guy has a goofy ass smile by the way. He needs to brush his teeth too.

 

Great article. Like missybee16 said, In my area also the Media wants the public to think all PitBull owners are Drug Dealing Low Lifes that keep them to attack Law Enforcement Personnel and protect thier Illegal activities.

 

1. there were some very inellegent points made on this thread.some of wich i agree with and others i dont.

2. i am a 27 yr old African American male.

3. i am educated,employed,and a productive member of society.

4. i own APBT's and have for years.

5. as much as is in me i try to be peacable toward All MEN, regardless of race,age,creed,religion,sexuall pref...............


when i first began reading up on this great breed yes i was surrounded by misinformed and misguided peers. but as i did read my books i learned alot about the breed and the people who were my predicessors. these were opinionated people of all backrounds and mindsets.most of the books i read had pictures of dogmen and women frrom times past. these dogmen were the pioneers and forrunners of the fraternity. they fought,bred,and preserved the game dogs i fell in love with as a lad.THESE MEN DID THINGS THAT TODAY ARE ILLEGAL. MOST OF THESE PIONEERS IF NOT ALL THAT WERE DIPICTED WERE OLDER WHITE MEN.TODAY IT IS A CRIME UNDER LAW TO DO MANY THINGS WITH THIS BREED.(GAME TEST ECT.) AND A CRIME IS A CRIME A CRIMINAL COMMITS CRIMES. SO DONT BE THE POT CALLING THE KETTLE BLACK.UNDESIRABLES COULD MEAN CRMINALS IN GENERAL NOT BLACK,HISPANIC DRUG DEALERS OR DRUGGIES AS READ IN ONE GAZZETTE.I DONT SELL OR USE DRUGS AND I AM BLACK. IN MOST CASES I WOULD LET SOMETHINGS FLY BECAUSE THEY DONT APPLY BUT I WILL COMMENT ON THE STEROTYPICALL COMMENTS MADE BY MANY PEOPLE ABOUT WHO IS GIVING THE BREED A BAD NAME.PEOPLE MAKE DISCRET RACIST REMARKS CONCERNING THIER OPINION OF WHO IS RUINING THE BREED BASED ON SOME REVEALED OR KNOWN TRUTHS BEING EXAGERAED. YES THERE ARE BLACK DRUG DEALING DOG BREEDING DOG PEDDLING PEOPLE WHO GIVE OUR BREED A BAD NAME TODAY NEVERTHELESS WHITES ARE NOT THE ONLY ONES WHO LOVE THE BREED. NOW THE PERSON WHO POSTED THIS STATEMENT MAY NOT HAVE MENT ANY THING BUT THE QUOTE COULD ADD FUEL TO MINDSETS OF OLD THAT WE DONT WANT EXPRESSED ON THIS BOARD.YOU HAVE YOUR UNDESIRABLES IN EVERY ETHINIC GROUP. THERE IS A HITLER,BUNDY,DOMER,SON OF SAM...... IN EVERY ETHINIC GROUP SO LETS NOT POINT THE FINGER OR YOU WILL HAVE THREE POINTING AT YOURSELF.THERE ARE ALL MANNER OF PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THESE DOGS. AND YES WE DO WANT TO CLOSE THE CIRCLE IN ONE RESPECT TO RAISE THE STANDARDS LETS BEWARE OF BEING TOO SELF RIGHTEUOS. RESPECT GOD RESPECT YOURSELF , RESPECT OTHERS ,AND RESPECT OUR BREED.

GOD BLESS

 

I was refering to, where I live. Don't take out of context what I post. That's unfair to what I am saying here. I live in the "GHETTO", and have no complaints. Only, that we are all in this together, and our dogs need our support.