I am going to just concede defeat here, and try very hard to walk away from this debate. I can see I am not getting anywhere, and I cant really see why it is I thought I should try.
You are all RIGHT, ok? Basing the decision on the rights of the majority versus the rights of the minority-
ALL dogs should have to be physically restrained at all times. My gentle giant SHOULD have to be fenced. Absolutely. That day may come. But fortunately I think, it isnt here yet, and until it is, I will choose to exercise my rights in this area and assume the risk that that entails.
As far as that goes...weighing the needs of the majority, and considering the severity of the risk entailed....
any breed known to have a significant tendency towards aggressive behavior should be destroyed and said breeds should be all but eliminated. Even Tim. It ISN'T fair to risk the life of one child for that of a million dogs, is it? I love dogs to death, but I would have to say, no, not really.
BUT....
Where else might this path take us?......
Smoking is a burden on the healthcare system that we support. It is damaging to the air that all humans must breathe. There really is no positive side to it. So, cigarettes should be outlawed completely, even in ones own home, because, after all...strangers like mail men, meter readers, etc will stop by, and their rights are being violated by smoking.... and then these "smokers' often have children, and we have to think of them...and do we really want to put them all in foster homes? Nope, better take away the cancer sticks.
Hmmmm...Obesity, teen pregnancy and homosexuality also create a huge burden on the aforementioned health care system....so something should be done about those people. What to do, what to do......
Well, force gastric bypass on the obese...if that doesn't work, perhaps some sort of physical barrier could be installed...a shock collar perhaps...?
Teen pregnancy...at puberty, how about we implant birth control? It IS reversible after all.
As for those that already are pregnant...well, evidence shows they are likely to get pregnant again, so forced sterilization might be something to consider...
Homosexuals...ooo...any ideas?
Prisoners....they are really expensive to rehabilitate and care for, and the reform rate is pretty low....who really values criminals? Well, other than their families that is....But the majority should not have to assume risk because of the minority...so, electric chair for everybody!
What about petty crime? We all know it usually escalates into something much more serious, so why wait for the inevitable? Might as well save some time, money and heartache and zap them too.
of course now....most crimes are committed by minority males...education programs are a possibility...oh wait, we have tried those, pretty limited success...how about electronic ankle monitors from the age of ten? They aren't painful, or really even restrictive, it just seems like a good idea to keep track of "those kinds of people" you know....
Pretty appalling ideas aren't they? And before you all get mad, I am not by any means comparing having to confine my dog to forced sterilization, or any of the other ludicrous thoughts I expressed. But there are those who would, and have. Nazi Germany ring a bell? It's a slippery slope once you start taking away rights that we have enjoyed for many, many years. A Utopian society where nobody elses rights ever had any effect on the rights of others would be ideal, sure. But mankind is not capable of creating Utopia. It has been tried. I would mention the ONE who WOULD be able to justly do so, but no one seems to want to give his thoughts on anything much credence it would seem, and that too, explains alot about the world we live in.
And so now we have gone from loose dogs and dead chickens, passed through bible-land and arrived at an enormous ethical debate with NO solution that will please everybody.
This country was founded by those who were tired of being told how to live, and who wished to be free to choose the way they lived and worshipped without fear of punishment. If everyone would just do their BEST to be considerate of others and THEIR personal rights, there would be no need for restrictive laws that would affect those it shouldn't. But that isn't something anyone here can promise, or obtain for others, is it?
I wish only to remind people of the dangers that can appear from seemingly nowhere once you start telling people the right way for THEM to live....
I know I have done a good job of protecting others from my dog, and I can sleep at night. At the end of the day...that is all any of us really want, isn't it?
