stephen426 said:
Let me repeat, I do not have a problem with people owning whatever dogs PROVIDED that they can demonstrate that they can do so in a responsible manner. In a responsible manner means properly training the dog and conditioning it to reduce its agressive tendencies, not bring them out. Responsibility also means properly securing the dog so that it does not get loose and wander out of the control of the owner. How can this be enforced? By registration and permitting. YOU CAN OWN WHATEVER THE HELL KIND OF DOG YOU WANT AS LONG AS YOU CAN DEMONSTRATE THAT YOU WILL DO SO RESPONSIBLY!!!
When you go for your CC permit, (I'm generalizing here) your state makes you go through training, and a few other precautions to ensure you can demonstrate you will CC responsibly. You get your permit and hopefully they never see you again.
What's to stop this responsible citizen, who has gone through all the proper measures, from using the CC permit and firearm irresponsibly?
No matter what measures you put in place, the responsibility falls back on the citizen. Are you one of those people who thinks criminals should be able to blame everything on their childhood? I hope not, because it's the individuals responsibility to do the correct thing, make the right choices, act responsibly, and ensure they act in a safe manner as to not infringe upon others rights. The government does not need to have a grip on all facets of public safety - because incrimentally, they squash our rights - as they try to, as you see it, protect our rights.
As you've suggested, if they put measures in place for dog owners who wish to possess aggressive breeds (i.e. training, back-ground check :barf: , and what ever else you can drum up), as soon as they get this permit, the responsibility is right back on that citizen to do the right thing.
Thinking that regulating dog ownership will negate the fact that dog attacks will happen, is preposterous. Just as thinking slapping an "assault weapon" title on a wide gammet of firearms, and making them illegal, is going to lower firearm related crime, is absurd.
Your really showing your true colors when you assume we're all anarchists because we believe the government doesn't have to, as you say, restrict certain liberties.