What I don't understand about BSL

Tobacco related issues kill 435,000 people in the US every year. Over 350,000 die each year from poor diet and physical inactivity. Alcohol and drugs, both prescription and illicit, kill nearly another 150,000 each year. Around 40,000 are killed in automobile accidents yearly. Over 12,000 are killed each year by fire arm homicide.

In 2008, there were 23 recorded deaths from dog bite injury in the US.

These numbers are easily found with a google search.

Why don't these people focus their attentions where they are REALLY needed?

Because there's a great deal of money, power and influence behind those lobbies. The APBT, which is the wedge breed for BSL, has been overwhelmingly painted as belonging only to thugs, rednecks and ignorant, brutish sorts of people. It's an easy target.

BSL isn't about protecting anyone from dogs . . . it's about keeping people focused on something else while the real sh1t in government goes down. It's also a great local election issue . . . "we want to be in the government so we can help you."

Biggest reason IMO?

MONEY. Most (or all) of those things you have listed have bucks behind them. Advocates with cash in hand to sway things in different directions.

If the Anti BSL people had cash to sway, it would never be an issue...........period. JMO

EDIT: I was posting with you Renee! LOL

Money and lobbies and, well, BSL is viewed as a quite easy fix, as opposed to the rest of it.

So if they want to outlaw a breed of dog that kills less than 10 people per year in the US, why don't they want to outlaw guns, automobiles, alcohol, and cigarettes?

theres money behind guns, automobiles, alcohol and cigarettes...

Exactly. It's not like car companies will quit making cars, or tobacco companies will quit making cigarettes, ect.

It's easier to just ban certain breeds. Not like there's really any money loss by just banning a few certain breeds.

I think they use it to deflect away from the real issues. Kinda like pointing and saying OVER THERE so you don't see HERE.

They are trying to outlaw guns...every day gun owners are losing more and more rights. In some states (ahem NY) you can't own a pistol without a permit that costs close to $200...

Cigarettes - the price has gone up, they tax the hell out of you, they were $67 a carton in NY when I left.

Alcohol - big time taxes here

Cars - Automakers are big corporations...states make money from registration of vehicles. Companies make money on insurance. Our government makes a nice chunk from import tax...

Pitbulls - They don't tax them, they don't require a special license for them (yet), the government doesn't make money on them - simple. You screw around with guns and it's against the constitution. Cigarettes, alcohol, and cars are all made by huge rich corporations that have lawyers to speak for them and work problems out...who backs the breed of dog? A few very well meaning people.
It's not the image per say...it's the fact that the government has no control over them and it appears to be a lucrative business fighting dogs and such.

It's not the legislators that want to ban breeds. It's the ARists that wants to ban them. And the ARists have the voice. There aren't enough voices - and not enough organized voices opposing it.

The ARists are the minority, but they are well organized, they are very knowledgeable about the system, and they are the ones speaking up and being heard.

what corgipower said plus $. the petaphiles generate tons of $ by telling lies to well meaning but ignorant people. all that $ goes to paying the exhorbitant salaries of a few paid employees at the top and in lobbying & wasteful lawsuits that primarily hamper positive activities.

There certainly are plenty of legislators backing and coming up with bills to ban breeds, so I don't know where anyone thinks that legislators don't want them banned. *scratches head* At least, we sure have our fair share of them in OH!

i am sure some legislators are hysterical irrational liberty hating fools, but most who support BSL do so because they perceive it as a means of gaining widespread political & financial support.

But how many of those legislators came up with the idea themselves?

This article is about mandatory spay/neuter, but it is certainly applicable to BSL also. www.NoPitBullBans.com Blog Archive Mandatory Spay/Neuter: A Thousand Snakes in the Grass

yeah but do they need to? one well-publicized pit bull attack on the evening news, and the terrified mommies are screaming for the death of all pit bulls. BSL is an easy way to look like you're actually doing something about the pit bull problem, which isn't really a problem with pit bulls at all of course.

plus pit bull maulings are way sexier than lung cancer.