What kind of pit bull would you like your America to be?

The pit bull is about as American as a dog can get. The breed’s origins date back a couple centuries when British farmers needed to breed better hunters to seek out rodents and small game that normally destroys crops and feed within the barns. Farmers combined the strength and stockiness of the larger breeds along with the agility and nimbleness of smaller terriers; the end result was the well-built machine that is now known as a pit bull.

Except back then they weren’t automatically called pit bulls. The name “Pit bull” didn’t fully develop until the breed’s darker days - when they were used in fighting rings, then later bred to become fighters instead of hunters for farmers. As they say, idle hands are the devil’s playground. During the slow months, farmers found a new source of income and a new way to use their dogs - to kill bulls in what was then called the pit. Two to three of these dogs at a time would be bred to grasp onto a bull’s ring that was pierced through his snout, pull them down and kill at the bull’s neck. When bulls became too expensive to sacrifice, breeders had the dogs fight each other instead, for money.

Sadly, this trend still exists today. In smaller circles than before, but there are still fighting rings out there, which has only perpetuated the breed’s violent legacy. Thankfully, just as any domesticated dog has demonstrated throughout its thousands of years in existence, dogs can be taught to become peaceful companions and protective guardians - The Guardians documentary on Netflix has plainly demonstrated that the dogs bred for Michael Vick’s fighting ring have not only become the most loving and loyal companions for single family homes, one in particular became a healing dog for a hospital in San Francisco. Socializing their pets and showing them love brought out the best qualities within them, to which they exchanged mutually in kind with the breed’s well-known exuberance.

In some ways I cannot help but see the similarity with America’s origins. Many white explorers coming from both Britain and Europe, once thought to be peaceful farmers but the flip side to our darker days was our violent roots as well, committing genocide on Native Americans in the past, enslaving blacks for free labor, as well as picking fights abroad during today’s times. Since the Great War, America’s current foreign policy has been forever tied to militarized conflict, both overt interventions like the middle east and with covert interventions such as the CIA’s involvement in Central America. America’s government and its people simply cannot stop fighting, if not outside of its borders, also within our own borders. Hate and intolerance from all sides have been festering slowly within us and some feel like we are working our way to a boiling point.

The pit bull is a working class dog. It is one of those dogs who are happiest when they are active and contributing to society. This also heavily ties to our country’s economic strength, from the industrial age well on; our Gross Domestic Product is still a world leader and we are constantly innovating new ways to improve our lives. The 9-5 life may sometimes get us down but we know that if we made this world a better place by the end of it, it’s worth it.

I know that in my heart, America’s people do not match its government. I’ve seen far more compassion in our people than I have with the average American politician, our first instinct is almost always to be nice to others and help those in need. We take pride with how hard we work, we want to be the best and excel beyond our limits. We may be strong but we have a lust for life and a fantastic sense of humor. We only react negatively when those desires are not met, and hostile when forced to be held back. Keeping us inside four walls extensively will only make our mistrust and intolerance worse. Thus will also happen if the pit bull’s needs are not fully harnessed and fulfilled. America, just like the Pit Bull, is dynamic and full of energy that has such great potential if only we are allowed those desires to be fulfilled.

It is worth asking - What kind of pit bull would you like your America to be? Ones who have been known to show unconditional love and loyalty to all who they meet, with the brightest, widest smile, always socializing, always making new friends, ready to work hard; or one that is shut into cages, blocked from the world and forever in hiding/dissociating; extremely territorial, only let out of its wall to form packs and fight and kill?