The Oh So Evil Dogs Known as Pit Bulls

-Chelsea Han

A lot of news has been swirling around pit bulls and the danger they can cause to the human population. Back in September 2016, the City Councilors in Montreal banned any dog that resembled a pit bull. This meant that any dog with an owner or a shelter dog had to be euthanized. Let me clarify what a pit bull is. Although most people believe that a pit bull is a breed, a pit bull is a general term for a look a dog has. Here are some breeds of pit bulls.

• American bulldog
• American mastiff
• American pit bull terrier
• American Staffordshire terrier
• Anatolian mastiff
• Australian bulldog
• Boston terrier
• Boxer
• Pug (yes I know)
• Bull Terrier
• Bulldog
• English bulldog
• French bulldog
• Great Dane
• Rottweiler

This means that all the breeds would technically need to be euthanized in Montreal. However, I am assuming the councilors meant to only ban the American pit bull terrier, but this law is so vague, it is unclear what it means. This means that millions of pugs, bulldogs, and other breeds would need to be simply put down based on their look. Regardless, it is cruel to put a ban on dogs due to a perceived notion of aggressiveness. Here are some basic statistics about pit bulls.

• You are 200 times more likely to die by taking aspirin than to be fatally attacked by a pit bull
• 8 percent of pit bull terriers passed the temperament testing according to the American Temperament Test Society, Inc.This is a higher than collies, beagles and golden retrievers.
• Death by a real dog- 1 in 116,448
• Death by a hot dog- 1 in 3,375

The way the legislation was drafted, it made it nearly impossible for these dogs to be adopted outside of Montreal. This all started when a woman was fatally attacked by a Boxer dog, not a pit bull terrier. Montreal is targeting pit bulls when the situation that started this law wasn’t a pit bull terrier. Let me explain why pit bulls get a bad rep for no reason.

Like most breeds, American pit bull terriers are loyal and can be trained to act a certain way. Most pit bulls are unfortunately trained to be in illegal dog fights which force them to become vicious to not get whipped, drowned, or beaten. Most of the dogs have been rehabilitated and released to new owners where they have started exceptional new lives with families and children while some of the dogs have become registered service dogs. That is after years of torture and fighting. Ultimately the problem lies with people, not pit bulls.

According to the Bureau of Justice statistics, white people commit the most fatal attacks in America. Does this mean we should ban all white people or people who resemble white people? Pit bulls aren’t any more aggressive by nature than the German Shepherd, however German Shepherds win purple hearts while pit bulls live in shelters. The reputation and treatment of pit bulls is what is destroying the breed. 17 states currently ban pit bulls.  The more people realize that people are the problem the more we can save the 3.1 million pit bulls in the nation.

What is all the TPP talk?

 

-Alexandra Sazdanoff

With so much talk about government changes and executive orders following the inauguration of President Trump, it can be hard to keep up with everything that is happening in our country. One of the hot topics buzzing around is the situation with the Trans Pacific Partnership. President Trump has followed through on his campaigned aggressive stance against foreign competitors by choosing to end the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), which was negotiated and created in October of 2015. To understand the effects of President Trump’s motion, we must first understand what the TTP is.

So what is the TPP? Basically, it is a trade agreement between countries that border the Pacific Ocean. According to an article published by Vox, the “TPP is expected to reduce trade barriers among these countries, lowering tariffs on goods such as trucks, rice, and textiles” (Vox). Furthermore, the trade agreement would encourage countries to enforce labor and environmental regulations and promote more competitive trade between countries.

Can you explain the controversy surrounding President Trump’s decision? Yes, absolutely! So, the Peterson Institute estimates that the TPP “could increase US incomes by $77 Billion by 2025…And advocates hope the TPP could set a precedent for broader trade deals with other parts of the world, such as China and Europe, which could have larger economic benefits” (Vox). By choosing to abandon the TPP, the US could be losing out on a significant chunk of money along with trade barrier reductions on some products.

Okay…so why is President Trump not in favor of the TPP? Good question.  Actually, quite a few people oppose the trade agreement. One critic is Senator Elizabeth Warren. Her main focus against the TPP lies in one of its provision called the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS). The goal, as outlined, is to “mediate disputes between a government and foreign investors” (Vox). The ISDS would also allow the converse to occur, where foreign investors could make complaints against the United States. The ISDS panel is overseen by arbitrators as opposed to independent judges. This may sound like a beneficial provision; however, Warren fears that this will lead to bias toward large corporations, which will threaten American sovereignty.

Who else opposes the TPP? Public health groups are among the opposition for this trade agreement. They fear the TPP could prevent generic drugs from being introduced, which would ultimately boost drug prices and potentially cost lives.

We know some facts, so what happens now? It is too early to tell how President Trump’s decision will actually play out, but he firmly believes that by abandoning the TPP, the United States will have a lot of companies coming back to the US.

Welcome to the Worldly Women Blog

Welcome to the Worldly Women Blog! I am Hannah Thomas, the Chief Officer of Women & Co.’s Global Awareness team and media and political science student. I am glad that you have visited our blog, but most importantly I am excited for you to read the thoughts and opinions of some of the most well-rounded women that I have met during my time at Indiana University. As one of the founding members of Women & Co., I carry such a tremendous pride for this group and our members! I am confident that each of these driven women will go on to create innovative products that will change the world, be CEOs of Fortune 500 Companies, politicians, influencers and advertising executives. In the past year alone we have expanded our membership from its start of 9 executive members to 44 members, developed a social media presence and discussed issues going on around the world that affect us daily. On the Worldly Women Blog,  the Global Awareness team will be writing about our take on current events impacting socially conscious women leaders on a daily basis here at Indiana University and around the world.  So please enjoy, we are very excited to share our talents with you. Enjoy!

Hannah Thomas

“When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.”

-Malala Yousafzai

I know it may seem like a lot now, but as you grow and learn and search for your own place in the world, I hope you’ll consider how to make your voice heard. Speak your mind in your classes, and at meetings once you have a job. Proudly take credit for your ideas. Have confidence in the value of your contributions. And if the space you’re in doesn’t have room for your voice, don’t be afraid to carve out a space of your own. Don’t be discouraged. Don’t give in. Don’t Give up. Don’t quit-on yourself, on your dreams, on your future. You can be anything you want to be.

Hillary Clinton