Week 2: TedTalk

I recently discovered and watched a very interesting Ted talk called “Rediscover the Pitbull” by Mitzi Bolaños. Mitzi, the speaker, shows us how she is very passionate about dogs and the way they are treated. She also makes it known that she is a Pitbull owner herself. She gives this speech at a time when across the country there are many laws against owning a Pitbull in certain cities. She even tells us that there was a time when it was legal to own a tiger but not a Pitbull in Miami. The subject of her piece is obviously the treatment of dogs based on their breed, specifically Pitbulls. Her purpose is to make it known that the breed of a dog does not determine the aggression level or personality of the dog. The audiences she targets are the law makers of the government responsible for rules against pitbulls, those who believed the misconception about Pitbulls, and also her fellow Pitbull lovers.

I think that her speech was very powerful. She began with a story about a specific Pitbull named Gigi. When she explains the scars and trauma that Gigi has went through, but also how she overcame them to become a therapy dog, I was amazed. I agree with her that dogs just have to be given the chance to show their true personality and the good they can do. I think that the transformation dogs can make is amazing, and it’s wild how the government could make these gentle creatures illegal. Another issue is that law enforcement could kill a dog for just looking like a Pitbull in certain cities. I also found this really interesting: when dogs were forced into fights by their owners, they came out of the ring and weren’t hostile anymore, they were gentle and wanted to love and be loved by their owners. There is even research to back this up, which shows the dog breed will not affect the dogs aggression. So, after watching this, I don’t understand why people are still so judgmental and scared of pitbulls.

TedTalk: https://youtu.be/-fO5ExdTzDs