Good timing, Malcolm

The day after I wrote about Malcolm Gladwell's disingenuous article in the New Yorker claiming that profiling pit bulls is as wrong as profiling young black males standing on street corners or young Arab men getting on airliners, we see this story from the Philadelphia area:

Pit Bull Euthanized After Attack On DE 3-Year-Old

New Castle County Police said a three-year-old girl was critically injured after reportedly being attacked by a Pit Bull Monday. The dog was euthanized Tuesday morning.

Paramedics responded to reports of an attack on a small child by the family dog on the 100 block of Oakmont Drive just after 10:30 a.m. officials said.

When they arrived on the scene, authorities said they discovered three-year-old Destiny Campbell suffering from massive head injuries. She was transported to Christiana Hospital in critical condition.

Police said a four-year-old Pit Bull named ‘Diamond,’ allegedly mauled the child while she was with her mother at her grandmother’s house.

Destiny and her mother, Alycia Campbell, were picking up the child’s grandmother when the dog, belonging to an older cousin, Turquoise Robinson, attacked the three-year-old for no apparent reason.

“I tried everything to get her (Diamond) off my child, you know, I couldn’t do anything. I tried beating her with a cane, I tried everything, she swung her side to side like a ragdoll,” said Alycia Campbell.

After several attempts to free Campbell, her mother and grandmother screamed for help. Residents in the area responded, striking the dog with sticks and broom handles until it released the child.

“The dog had grabbed her by the crown and pulled off her scalp and bit off her right ear. She was in a state of shock,” said neighbor Toney Jackson.

A reader comments:

In my experience, the vast majority of not just aggressive, but *dangerous* dogs are owned by a certain type of black male. They identify with the aggressive attitudes of dogs in the way they identify with the aggressive attitude of gangsta rap artists. The dogs become an affectation intended to reflect the toughness of the owner.

He points to a new breed I hadn't heard of, the American Mastiff (a.k.a., "Panja" or "Detroit rock dog"). DogBreedInfo.com explains:

The American Mastiff (Panja) has a dark origin. Originally they were used (and unfortunately some still are) to guard drug dealer's houses, property, and yes their drugs. They had to be intimidating and not too "friendly" with strangers, but allow traffic. They have a tendency to be aloof with new people, but allow entrance. The American Mastiffs were trained to allow under no circumstances access to property; they were set to guard. The breed first appeared in the Detroit Metro area as a cross breed of several dogs. Pitbulls and Rottweilers are known influences of this breed. Before being registered with the DRA in 1996, they were simply known as "rock dogs". However, since the DRA has recognized them, a good number of these dogs are not drug-guarding dogs, but loving pets.

My published articles are archived at iSteve.com -- Steve Sailer