Discrimination…most often a bad word.  Until lately.

In the last few weeks, with the state of Indiana on the forefront, discrimination has become ok again.  All of a sudden, one person’s personal/religious beliefs become the basis for acceptance or denial.

On the four legged front, breed discrimination is being fought all over the United States.  It usually targets Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, and Dobermans.  Breed discrimination is most often led by an individual who has personal reasons for hating a breed and then seeks others to join the cause.

All discrimination is hugely disappointing to me and I believe it should be to everyone who lives in this country.  We have fought for years, literally waged wars on our soil, to combat discrimination.  Yet, in 2015, we are still fighting.

Yes, we live in a free country where we are able to speak our minds and practice our faiths, but at what point do we believe our individual beliefs are greater than a common good?

Human beings are being denied service based on life style and dogs are being euthanized because of their breed.

To some it might seem an odd comparison: humans and dogs, but I think both speak to a bigger problem in our society.  We want to all belong, yet we keep singling people (and dogs) out simply because we don’t like them.

Diversity makes the world go round… It enlightens us, makes us better people.  Why can’t we embrace it?

Breed discrimination is beyond my understanding.  During my time at animal control, I witnessed many dogs who came in for aggressive behavior.  There was not one breed who stood out.  We had Golden Retrievers, Labs, Poodles, Cocker Spaniels… we even had a long haired Chihuahua who would bite your head off, if he could get his mouth around it.  To classify any one breed or any 3 breeds is unjust and unfounded.  And, to ban a breed such as a Pit Bull from a city, but then not be able to actually identify one is ignorance.  And, most cities cannot accurately identify a true Pit Bull.

ANY kind of discrimination should be illegal – not just the human kind, but all kinds.  Let’s not go back to the days when discrimination was common place.  Let’s prove once and for all that we are an evolutionary society who is able to embrace diversity and able to coexist in peace.