Ban stupid people (and reporters) - not dogs! Crimes & Incidents, posted by Samantha, a resident of the Palo Alto Hills neighborhood, on Sep 11, 2007 at 4:42 pm
Diana Diamond is the worst kind of reporter: the kind who will obscure the facts in a story if she feels it'll make her a better story.
The Fremont "pit bull" is an American Bulldog, just like the Iowa attack at the Labor Day parade (also reported as a pit bull the first day) is an American Bulldog.
Troubled dogs come in all shapes, sizes and breeds - and all of them were showing warning signs before an attack. The dog in Fremont had a history of issues and is the exact same kind of dog in all dog attacks - a poorly managed and owned dog with a crappy temperament.
If Diana Diamond and others are truly concerned about protecting the citizens of Palo Alto, the solutions are really simple:
1) Enforce the leash law
2) Enforce non-breed-specific Dangerous Dog legislation
3) Proactive spay/neuter programs, especially in low-income areas
Then again, the Diana Diamonds of the world aren't interested in real solutions, because solutions aren't newsworthy.
Posted by Hmm, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Sep 11, 2007 at 5:28 pm
Yes and when the dogs are banned, the parents can worry about the homeless, the paedophiles, the drug dealers, the gang members, the bad drivers, and so on and so forth.
There is no way that all the bad can be kept away from our lives. Instead, we should teach our kids to recognise good from bad, how to deal with bad, and when in doubt, be suspicious of all dogs, strangers, cars, and the like.
Posted by hmm hmm, a resident of the University South neighborhood, on Sep 11, 2007 at 9:21 pm
how do you teach a two-year-old not to slap a pit bull - especially if the kid has never seen one. Ever watch kids around dogs? You have to be kidding!
Posted by TakingItToTheNextLevel, a resident of the Palo Alto Hills neighborhood, on Sep 11, 2007 at 10:55 pm
I got it - let's all live in our own little gated one-McMansion house community with private guards and a shark-infested moat in front. That'll do the trick!
Posted by AreYouKiddingMe?!!, a resident of another community, on Sep 12, 2007 at 2:19 am
"how do you teach a two-year-old not to slap a pit bull - especially if the kid has never seen one. Ever watch kids around dogs? You have to be kidding!"
Actually I watch my kids around my dogs all the time. That's why I am able to intervene if the dogs show any sign that they don't like what the kids are doing. Not that I have ever had to, they love the kids and have a very high tolerance for rough play. And yes, my dogs are pit bulls.
How do you teach a two year old to cross the street safely? How do you teach a two year old to stay away from a hot stove? You don't! You watch your freaking kids! This goes for ANY breed of dog, yorkies have killed children too. Whatever happened to people taking responsibility? Guess that's unamerican, let's blame the dog. After all, the media says they are vicious so it must be true! Those people are never wrong, and they would never stoop to printing exagerrated sensational headlines with distorted "facts" just to sell their papers. Give me (and my dogs) a break.
Posted by Amah, a resident of the Crescent Park neighborhood, on Sep 12, 2007 at 10:08 am
I couldn't agree with you more... This reporter seems to make speculations as FACTS. Its people like her than make people that RESPONSIBLY own their dogs of all breeds dangerous. Because look at all the people that jumped on the bandwagon to ban the breed when they don't know all of the facts?
PEOPLE-BREATHE!! Its fear that makes you ignorant!!! There is no such thing as bad dogs- its bad owners- IF you don't raise a dog properly you get a aggressive bad dog- Just like if you don't raise your child to have manners- you have a rude child that becomes a nuisance to the world.
Do you know what breed of dog is most likely to bite? Its a LABRADOR RETRIEVER!! Do your research- talk to breeders, talk to people that responsibly own American Bulldogs, Pit bulls, and mixes... You are making people afraid because of ignorance.
I am pretty sure the little nipper dogs- that are cherished beloved lapdogs, have biting issues- just ask any mail carrier...
I am amazed at how a reporter can lead the pack to ignorance... when she doesn't even report the dog breed correctly.
Posted by Amy, a resident of the South of Midtown neighborhood, on Sep 12, 2007 at 12:55 pm
Do you know why Ms. Diamond's name is at the top of her pieces? It's called a by-line for a reason. She expresses her opinions, and has every right to do so. Now, you have every right not to agree, but you do not have the right to say that someone elses opinion is "wrong". Opinion is opinion, not right or wrong.
Posted by Andrew - Native of Palo Alto, a resident of the Duveneck/St. Francis neighborhood, on Sep 12, 2007 at 1:46 pm
You're right Amy, Ms. Diamond has every right to express her opinion, but she DOES NOT have the right to report on stories with fabricated and inaccurate facts which only lead to more hysteria and bigotry. She is just making matters worse.
Posted by News Junkie who Reads voraciously, a resident of the South of Midtown neighborhood, on Sep 12, 2007 at 5:03 pm
Actually, she does have the "right". It is called "free speech", and is used in the fuzzy and distorted way to "report news" all the time..just pick up any SF Chron, NY Times, SJ Merc..need I go on?
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