My Letter to Denver's Mayor

I wrote this yesterday- it's already sent so I can't change anything, but I wanted you guys to see it. Hope it makes an impression on him. Just thought I'd share.

Dear Mayor John W. Hickenlooper,

Greetings from Georgia. My name is Beth Yale, I am a voter, mother, horse trainer, rescue volunteer and Animal Outreach Task Force member in Valdosta, GA.

I am concerned for the welfare of Denver citizens and the integrity of your local government. I am afraid Denver is tampering with a delicate balance of locally imposed legislation and citizen compliance therein regarding Denver's Breed Ban. I intend not to beseech you with an emotionally driven plea for the Pit Bull, nor do I intend to numb your mind with statistical figures absolving Pit Bulls from their "crimes" in your city. While it is no secret I have owned and studied the breed for several years, I have no desire to add to your inbox collection of pleas, rants and research-filled jargon. The situation in Denver -and elsewhere imposing Breed-Specific Bans- has gone far beyond the need for such elementary forms of correspondence. The honeymoon is nearing its end, and the "quick fix" effect Denver has been enjoying from pit bull/pit hybrid attacks will demand in return a much larger price than you could have possibly anticipated when the bill was passed.
As I stated earlier, Denver has created a citizen/legislation imbalance by imposing a Breed Ban on a widely owned domestic animal. As you know, our government prides itself in learning from its mistakes, and America's legislative history has held fast to the principle of checks and balances. A variety of large scale problems arise when these balances are tampered with, and I fear your office may be on the brink of setting a historical governmental precedent which would place you responsible for upsetting this balance. Your state and federal levels will certainly not back you or share blame, being that Breed Specific Ban considerations were shot down in both. Your local government will be held solely accountable for any upsets that may result from Denver's ill-prepared Breed Specific Ban.

I am sure you are familiar with Richard Cowen's "Iron Law of Prohibition", published by The National Review in the 1980's. Cowen's Law states excessive government legislation my inadvertently cause crimes of a much higher caliber, as was the case with the 18th Amendment prohibiting alcohol. After a staggering initial decrease of alcohol related crimes, the imbalance corrected itself and crimes escalated- but with a whole new fervor for law breaking. We saw the emergence of organized crime along with a steady increase of alcohol related crimes, and non alcohol related crimes as well. The only government option: Decriminalization of alcohol, the 21st Amendment. By criminalizing the ownership of this dog, your legislation actually encourages underground dog fighting and breeding by raising the value of the forbidden commodity. The stakes are higher now, and Breed Banning only lines the pockets of criminals you choose not to regulate. These kind of criminals don't care if you take their dogs away. They will produce more by whatever means necessary, Breed Ban or no Breed Ban.

There are still pit bulls and pit bull mixes in your city. How are these animals supposed to get their rabies vaccinations? Which law is more important, the public health law enforcing the vaccination of all dogs, or the newly imposed Breed Specific Law which makes obeying the first impossible for some dog owners in your city? Your city's recent widely-publicized euthanasia of 36 Pit Bull type dogs should prove to you that your citizens will continue to own these dogs. I have contacted the CDC about Breed Specific Bans compromising public health standards regarding dog ownership. There has already been a reported case of human exposure to rabies in Texas from a pit bull puppy sold out of the back of a pick up truck. The last case update I read had no leads on locating the original owner of the diseased pup.

I urge you to take a pro-active stand in your city before you find yourself holding the smoking gun known as BSL. I know you only want the best for your city- BSL is intended to protect, not endanger citizens. The people of Denver are much safer with the legal family pit bull next door than the Denver criminal who illegally owns a "pit bull" with a $25,000 street value. Instead of stepping up only animal control forces and their responsibilities to enforce this Breed Ban, why not work AC in conjunction with a Police Task Force against the real vermin? Denver's Breed Ban could so easily be manipulated into legislation which would protect responsible dog owners and punish actual criminals. If a Roaming/Uncontained Dog Ban had been introduced with the same sport-hunting intensity as the Breed Specific Ban, we certainly would have seen a similar drop in dog attacks. Why punish your voting citizens who love their dogs so much, while upping the anty for non-voting criminal dog breeders and fighters?

Please, consider reversing the ban on the Pit Bull/ Pit Mix, urge your citizen's to get their newly welcomed back dogs vaccinated, and declare war on any and all kinds of irresponsible or reckless dog ownership. Without any reckless owners, there can't be any reckless dogs.

Thank you for your time and consideration on this matter.


Sincerely,

 

Now that was a great letter! Very well said LuvinBullies

 

Pretty good, up to this point. You want to make a diffence in this area then push to get it regulated .....Otherwise this is NO better than what HSUS is pushin....same kinda thought process,this law is failing this breed, it doesnt work!

Regardless of any law, people will continue to act as Robates. However you can help minamize the mishaps from the proffesional that does infact care for thier animal as opposed to the "thug" that doesnt care to learn the difference.

you would see a dramatic decrease in the problems that plague this breed.

But Hey, JMO....

 

I think it is all how one takes it...because thats not what I got from it! The way I am understanding the statement is....No matter what the people do, the bad people will still find a way, and the problem will still continue...even greater than before, because now they are limiting it to ONLY THEM.....Good law abiding folks wouldn't do such a thing......JMHO anf thoughts on the statement!

 

Are you kidding.... Bad people?

 

Okay...Criminals? Thugs? Which one do you like better? They are both BAD!!

 

Comical......

 

My point is that intense government regulations (i.e. Breed Bans) upset the balance with how much citizens are willing to be told what to do, and as a result crime intensifies- fueled by resentment and disregard for the law.

If alcohol is "banned" the street value of a bottle of Jack Daniels doubles, then triples. The alcohol ban is now "lining the pockets" of those who the government was trying to regulate in the first place.

Same thing with the Pit Bull. Regulation of the breed via a breed ban won't work. I think we might actually be on the same page Simms?

 

I liked your letter a lot. But in Denver, apparently they are hysterical, and reason will not get through. I hope it does...very well reasoned and thought out letter.
I would like to say though, that when was the last time you ever heard a politician admit a mistake?
I guess the people in Denver are happy with their government...

 

Nixon, The pesky Blue Dress staining/cigar smoking President, During the Hurricane Katrina fiasco, and the 21st Amendment in its entirety (basically it says "Whoopsie Daisy, here's your Rum, would you like a chaser with that?)

But no, you are right, they rarely admit to making mistakes until they are caught with their pants down.

 

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to LuvinBullies again.

Excellent letter! Keep up the good work!

 

Breed Bans, Dogfighting laws, has not served this breed. It has not prevented Ownership in areas that prohibit it. It has not prevented the act infact it is stronger than ever.....all due to these laws.

Abolish these laws.....Same concept of prohibition, regulate it.

 

I agree, its an age old concept: People want any and everything they are told they can't have. And will do most things they are told they cannot do.

We shall call it "The Preacher's Daughter" syndrome.

I am not in favor of dog fighting by any means, but it is the law against it that perversed and twisted dog fighting into this horrible deep woods bloodsport you read about. Chances are, without the big government denouncement, many of the current thugs and dog abusers would have never heard about dog fighting anyway.
Now people are being told they can't have their dogs. The thugs and dog abusers created by the government will now resort to even more twisted and perverse ways to ruin our breed.

You are right. Regulate.

 

*claps!!!***

 

Good discussion.

Stiffer laws and penalties are not working.......For those who impose and support these laws are and have failed this breed.

 

Luvinbullies........BRAVO!!!!!!!! That was one of the most eloquent and well thought out pieces of literature I've read in a while. You are 100% correct on every point you made!! I especially like the rabies thing you brought up, just imagine a crap law intended to "make people safe" turns out to spread deadly disease. If that doesn't make these folks over there think about the error of their ways, what will? You're the best......

damnit!!! lol

 

Excellent letter. Well articulated stance. I would have to fill pages upon pages of words denoting praise for this inspiring letter. I won't but I think you'll get what I am meaning to say.