Sunday, November 30, 2008

Pitbull Profiling

When Is A Dog Not A Dog? When He's A Profiled Pitbull!


This is Angel. Yes, he's one mean pitbull - when being mean really counts. It seems that Angel was taking a lone stroll near a park, when he saw a woman and her small boy accosted by a man with a knife. Sensing danger, Angel rushed to the scene, putting himself between the family and the man and gave a ferocious snarl and stance. The man took off like a shot.

The woman called him her guardian angel, put him in the family car, and proceeded to ...and animal control center! She told the people at the center what had happened and that if "Angel" was not adopted within several days, she would come back and adopt him.

She never came back.


Angel was due to be destroyed when a rescue team in Minneapolis took him in, diagnosed him with heart worm (serious, but treatable) and is now actively promoting his adoption.


Why am I posting this story? Because a few very
good dogs get a bum rap for being a particular breed. Sound familiar? We profile human beings all the time. Sure, we talk of racial profiling by police, but hasn't even the popular Barack Obama been "profiled" using his heritage, associations, and even his middle name? I profile Christians many times, just as many Christians profile gay people. I profile Christians, but please believe me when I say that I KNOW there are really good Christians out there. They're called Progressive Christians, these days. But please remember that whenever I speak of Christofascists, I am NOT talking about Progressive Christians.

I have long considered myself to be a Christian because I try to follow Christ's Golden Rule. One does not have to believe that Christ was/is God in order to accept his metaphorical teachings. Christofascists don't believe in metaphors because to them they are obtuse. Religion must be definite...and literal. Scholarship is frowned upon unless it proves their own talking points. Intellectuals are distrusted because they pose questions.

So, yes, we all profile. We should try not to do it without thinking.

Huh, just a thought.