1) I used the on-line database through D2L and simply typed in the key word "pit bulls". I went to point of view, as instructed in the screen cast, and several pages appeared. I went through a few articles that all had the same topic: pit bulls. I found several I really liked but what I ended up choosing was an article titled, "Pit Bulls can make wonderful pets" by Kiarash Zarezadeh. There were several good points made but what made this article stick out was the way he explained. For example, he compares pit bulls to other breeds. Other breeds don't get focused on very often since pit bulls have a bad rep automatically. The author also brought up the idea that owners' play a large roll in any dog's attitude, something I advocate as well, therefore it's not always the dog's fault for possible aggression. He put this in perspective by stating, "why not outlaw sport cars since their drivers tend to speed?" He put reason and relatable ideas behind each point he made.
Zarezadeh, Kiarash. "Kiarash Zarezadeh: Pit Bulls Can Make Wonderful Pets." (2012): n. pag. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 19 Apr. 2013.
2) I wanted to read a good book about pit bulls for my own entertainment. This was the perfect time to do so! I wanted a credible book with sturdy facts. I went to amazon.com and searched "pit bull" under book, since I am able to "look inside" and I have a kindle to download it on. I went through a few pages and skimmed through a few books and found one that caught me called Pit Bulls: Villans or Victims by B.G. Boucher. I was hooked while only reading the preview, that's a good sign. I felt safe buying a book like this because I can always double check facts, statistics, stories etc. Also, there are pages of sources for borrowed material based on the chapter. This makes me feel secure in what I am reading and again, I can double check with the multiple sources in the back of the book. One of my favorite and controversial section I discovered while skimming was a story about a six year old girl killed by two pit bulls. Media ran with the idea stating things such as, "The girl knew the Pit Bulls since they were puppies" and "Family Pit Bulls maul girl". Further investigation of the case and an autopsy of the two pit bulls uncovered the truth about the situation. The pit bulls were confined in a basement, no dog food was found in the gastrointestinal tract of either dog, the stomach contents of both dogs had multiple foreign bodies (including rat poison), and the pit bulls were owned by the mother's boyfriend until he passed away. These facts were not released to the public, only the media driven ideas. I think this would shock anyone, pit bull advocate or not. It made my heart race, I hope with information like this I can do the same to my audience.
Boucher, B.G. Pit Bulls: Villans or Victims? Lana'i City, HI: PUFFA &, 2012. Print.
3) A website that I figured would be helpful for my research is ASPCA.org. The ASPCA group works towards having a voice for animals. I felt secure at this website because of the org and the end of the web address right off the bat. Also, I know ASPCA advocates for all animals not just pit bulls, therefore it won't be biassed. There is a whole section on the website dedicated to pit bull facts that range all over the place. For example, the lock jaw myth, the pit bulls' history, and the pit bull temperament. These will all be useful for my paper considering they all will back up what I am defending on several different levels. Also at the bottom of the page there is a section called helpful websites and great books that are credible for information on pit bulls. I will use this site for credible research from a reliable foundation.
"The Truth About Pit Bulls." ASPCA. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2013.
Picture via: "Picture Of Pit Bull With Bird On Its Head And Surrounded By Bunnies Goes Viral."Huffingtonpost.com. Huffington Post, 24 Mar. 2013. Web. 19 Apr. 2013.
Alexis,
ReplyDeleteYour first source I think will be helpful for a number of reasons, including that the author compares Pit bulls to other breeds, and how owners affect animals behavior, which could really help your argument. Your second one i'm not so sure about, because although the dogs were treated terribly, that doesn't justify what they did in my opinion. (I'm not saying that is the way you feel about this.) If your trying to show how the media covers Pit bulls, I think there are probably many other sources out there to show this. And your last source I believe is a very good source to use, because of where its from. I would definitely use this source to help with your argument.
I love the picture! But also I think your first source is such a great find! I like how the author compares pitbulls to different things that also have bad reputations. Like a sports car! You know that a sports car is intended for one reason, not because they look nice, but because they are really fast. You will find yourself getting a lot of speeding tickets. It's nice he was able to compare something that people are so against or scared of because of the breed, to something that can turn out bad that people just over look. Sports cars lead to speeding which can ultimatly lead to a car accident, which can be fatal. He makes great points!
ReplyDeleteAlexis I think your second resource was a great buy! It is a perfect example of how the media twisted the little girl's story. Don't get me wrong, that is too sad that she died, but the media made it seem like it was all the pit bulls fault, and the owner's were completely innocent! I think you should definitely include the story in your essay to give a good example of how the media does not tell all the facts and will twist their stories to put the blame on the animal. I also love your picture, too cute!
ReplyDeleteWhat really stuck out to me was in the first source you mentioned how the owner plays a large role in the dogs attitude. That is a great point to focus on. Someone once told me we're all born whole and it's the world that screw us up... haha I think it's the same for dogs. they are born whole and it's a set of circumstances and conditioning that screw us up and affect our behaviors. It sounds like you will have a great argument.
ReplyDelete