A short note for Mr. King on some content of his newest book

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TerriM

New Member
Dec 4, 2014
2
9
57
Hello Mr. King,

This will be the first time I have written to you. I am big fan and have been for years. I have read almost everything you have published and enjoy your writing.

The reason for this note concerns your latest book Revival. I am not criticizing the book or its major themes as you might suspect. Instead there was one line in that book that simply stopped me cold and I had to address it.

You would probably agree that language is very powerful. You might also agree that you have an especially large audience for your use of language. That is why the use of this one line struck me as so insidious. I have no doubt that your intentions were not to malign but rather to be descriptive. However, when certain ideas go out into the public they became a part of the group consciousness.

The line simply stated that cancer was the pitbull of diseases.

It seems harmless enough. But the idea that to find something terrible enough to describe cancer you had to go to pitbull hurts me tremendously. The problem is the public perception of these wonderful animals as harmful or dangerous. They have been unfairly targeted and maligned.

A few years ago, we took in a friend who was temporarily homeless due to a relationship breakup. He owned two pit-mix type dogs. It was then that I first became acquainted with and fell in love with these amazing dogs. I could wax on about their virtues but they really are the most loving, loyal, gentle, playful, and smart dogs I have known.

I have had animals my whole life. My husband as well. We are country people. I have had mutts and pure breeds. Between us we have had everything from pugs and beagles to Siberian Huskies and wolf-mix dogs. But these dogs really do win you over once you meet them. If you look at dog owners you will probably not find a group more vocal in their love of a type of dog than the pit-bull type dog owners.

After becoming familiar with these dogs, I have since rescued two pit-mix type dogs. Simply put, we love them.

It is because of the public perception and BSL legislation that I got so distraught by your line. Those of us who know these dogs are working very hard to change the public perception and stop BSL legislation against these dogs. The numbers on these dogs is quite staggering. The current rate of euthanasia for these dogs from shelters is about 1 million a year. Shelters report intake for this type of dog to be from 33% to 65% in large cities.

There are problems surrounding these wonderful dogs and it mainly involves humans who abuse these dogs and use them for dog fighting and breeding them for use in dog fighting or bait dogs. I am actively involved with groups that are trying to save these dogs and this type of dog.

You might notice that I don’t refer to pitbull as a breed of a dog. This is because there is no breed named pitbull. The pitbull refers to dogs that come from a group of breeds such as the American Staffordshire Terrier and the Bull Terrier.

I would like to encourage you to do a little research on these animals and find out more about them. It may encourage you to not use the aforementioned reference again.

Here are couple of links to start with.

BSL Facts - Anti Breed Specific Legislation

The Truth About Pitbulls

A Dose of Reality

mi-paca

I hope that you do read this and appreciate your time.

Terri McKinnon
 
Aug 17, 2015
31
77
Over 60% of dog attacks in North America are because of pitbull attacks. Fact. Sure, some debate team rejects may try to lay the blame at the unwashed feet of the trashy underclass criminal morons who own them, but knowing what I do about biology and genetics and behavior, I highly doubt this. Consistently vicious nature of this sort is conclusive proof of a strong genetic predisposition. Indeed, pitbulls were bred (and then inbred) to be vicious killers and not terribly bright. Some may say that it is "unfair" to say that pitbulls are bloodthirsty monsters that are biologically hardwired to kill (more than pretty much all other breeds of domesticated dogs and more than even coyotes, jackals, and wolves). To this I must laugh and ask when fairness ever had anything to do with it.
 
Last edited:

blunthead

Well-Known Member
Aug 2, 2006
80,755
195,461
Atlanta GA
Hello Mr. King,

This will be the first time I have written to you. I am big fan and have been for years. I have read almost everything you have published and enjoy your writing.

The reason for this note concerns your latest book Revival. I am not criticizing the book or its major themes as you might suspect. Instead there was one line in that book that simply stopped me cold and I had to address it.

You would probably agree that language is very powerful. You might also agree that you have an especially large audience for your use of language. That is why the use of this one line struck me as so insidious. I have no doubt that your intentions were not to malign but rather to be descriptive. However, when certain ideas go out into the public they became a part of the group consciousness.

The line simply stated that cancer was the pitbull of diseases.

It seems harmless enough. But the idea that to find something terrible enough to describe cancer you had to go to pitbull hurts me tremendously. The problem is the public perception of these wonderful animals as harmful or dangerous. They have been unfairly targeted and maligned.

A few years ago, we took in a friend who was temporarily homeless due to a relationship breakup. He owned two pit-mix type dogs. It was then that I first became acquainted with and fell in love with these amazing dogs. I could wax on about their virtues but they really are the most loving, loyal, gentle, playful, and smart dogs I have known.

I have had animals my whole life. My husband as well. We are country people. I have had mutts and pure breeds. Between us we have had everything from pugs and beagles to Siberian Huskies and wolf-mix dogs. But these dogs really do win you over once you meet them. If you look at dog owners you will probably not find a group more vocal in their love of a type of dog than the pit-bull type dog owners.

After becoming familiar with these dogs, I have since rescued two pit-mix type dogs. Simply put, we love them.

It is because of the public perception and BSL legislation that I got so distraught by your line. Those of us who know these dogs are working very hard to change the public perception and stop BSL legislation against these dogs. The numbers on these dogs is quite staggering. The current rate of euthanasia for these dogs from shelters is about 1 million a year. Shelters report intake for this type of dog to be from 33% to 65% in large cities.

There are problems surrounding these wonderful dogs and it mainly involves humans who abuse these dogs and use them for dog fighting and breeding them for use in dog fighting or bait dogs. I am actively involved with groups that are trying to save these dogs and this type of dog.

You might notice that I don’t refer to pitbull as a breed of a dog. This is because there is no breed named pitbull. The pitbull refers to dogs that come from a group of breeds such as the American Staffordshire Terrier and the Bull Terrier.

I would like to encourage you to do a little research on these animals and find out more about them. It may encourage you to not use the aforementioned reference again.

Here are couple of links to start with.

BSL Facts - Anti Breed Specific Legislation

The Truth About Pitbulls

A Dose of Reality

mi-paca

I hope that you do read this and appreciate your time.

Terri McKinnon
Welcome to the Board! When I read your quote of sK's text I read that cancer takes hold and resists letting go as does a pitbull's jaws. I also read a connotation of viciousness that the breed has perhaps unfairly earned due to individual cases which are rarer than they seem when news reports about pitbulls are usually bad. I don't think that sK was unfair in using the comparison since the connotation exists and, if relatively rare, vicious attacks have occurred. He was communicating in the most efficient way.

Nevertheless, I think that what he wrote hit close to home for you and that it hurt. I'm sure that if sK gets the chance to read your post he will appreciate it. He really does care what his CRs think and about what matters to them.

Keep posting!
 

Philzilla

Well-Known Member
Mar 1, 2009
176
604
Over 60% of dog attacks in North America are because of pitbull attacks. Fact. Sure, some debate team rejects may try to lay the blame at the unwashed feet of the trashy underclass criminal morons who own them, but knowing what I do about biology and genetics and behavior, I highly doubt this. Consistently vicious nature of this sort is conclusive proof of a strong genetic predisposition. Indeed, pitbulls were bred (and then inbred) to be vicious killers and not terribly bright. Some may say that it is "unfair" to say that pitbulls are bloodthirsty monsters that are biologically hardwired to kill (more than pretty much all other breeds of domesticated dogs and more than even coyotes, jackals, and wolves). To this I must laugh and ask when fairness ever had anything to do with it.

Hmm, let's see....
Blah, blah, blah.
Signed,
Trashy Underclass Criminal Moron

p.s.
Don't rob my house, there is a bloodthirsty monsters in residence. For real.
 
Aug 17, 2015
31
77
Hmm, let's see....
Blah, blah, blah.
Signed,
Trashy Underclass Criminal Moron

p.s.
Don't rob my house, there is a bloodthirsty monsters in residence. For real.

That's just it. Even Mr. King's own Cujo wouldn't be a useful security system. A determined violent criminal will immediately just kill the dog(s) or get you while the dogs aren't around or lock them out of the house. And pit bulls aren't big enough to take down a fully grown man. But they are perfectly suited for ripping apart small children (do you have any kids living nearby?). Also, let's say your dog works as advertised and does maul an intruder: if the guy lives, he sues and if you are dumb enough to ignore your lawyer when he tells you to settle and it goes to judgment, the burglar gets whatever he's asking for plus every kind of damage and award there is; if he dies, his family sues. Finally, there is the phenomenon in America where bored and untrained moron thug cops love to shoot even nonthreatening dogs for fun and get clean away with it. So you see, people who think a dog is a good security system haven't thought things through.

In the final analysis, I think pit bull owners and owners of other famously vicious breeds should be required by law to carry million-dollar insurance policies. That would take care of most of the problem. After all, you can't buy insurance policies with food stamps.
 
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Pucker

We all have it coming, kid
May 9, 2010
2,906
6,242
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Fair or unfair, it's an effective descriptive that the bulk of the audience should "get."

As for the dogs themselves, I let a friend stay with me once who had a pit bull and that was the friendliest dog I ever saw . . . so long as she knew and liked you. I would spend wonderful hours playing tug-of-war with her with an old sock and she never got aggressive or mean. She seemed like a very nice dog to me.

Now, when my friend's ex-girlfriend came around looking for him for some reason, that dog sniffed her out before she could knock on the door and she was most definitely not coming into my house (which was the dog's home, as far as she knew). I didn't really care about that. In my experience, if a dog doesn't like you, she's probably got her reasons.

What I did have a problem with was when Rose got off her chain in the back yard and happily trotted over to the neighbors and killed their terrier and did her level best to kill their German Shepherd, too . . . before I was able to intervene.

Now, you may take or leave anecdotal evidence as you see fit, but as much as I liked her and she me (much as some of the livelier women I've known), that bitch was crazy.

; )
 

GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
Jun 15, 2007
87,651
358,754
62
Cambridge, Ohio
...a metaphor is just that and that only...perception was the condemnation here, not the writer...I am a fan of "pits" and this disturbed me not a whit....
 
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