*CROSSPOST*
I got the below e-mail about the potential Parker ban (it didn't pass!) from a reporter I've worked with a couple times. I think it's important for all of us to see this and act accordingly. Special kudos to Kay and RJ O'Conner, who headed up the Parker efforts.
Sonya
P.S. (I've been offline for a week plus, so I'll get to the rest of e-mail as soon as possible.)
> > Hey,
> >
> > You know I wrote an article about the Parker win and what I learned is
> > that the reason council listened and didn't go forward with a ban is
> > that everyone who showed up was calm, collected and stated the facts
> > intelligently.
> > Councilman Jack Hilbert, (I think that was his name), said it was the
> > most amazing meeting he had ever been to, and he was the one pushing
> > the ban.
> > He said that had people acted differently and in a negative fashion the
> > vote would have most certainly gone another way because he would have
> > been under the impression that emotionally charged people were raising
> > pit bulls and therefore the breed would reflect the owner.
> > He also was impressed by the fact that of the 200 or so that came out
> > only six actually owned pit bulls themselves.
> > I believe there is a lesson to learn from Parker in how to organize the
> > movement. Pit bull owners who are calm, and a large percentage of non
> > pit bull owners who are against the ban seems to impress officials.
> >
> > Peter