Interesting read about this..

The native cultural influence is pretty strongly interwoven in the fabric of Minnesota. It’s very possible the thought process was just that the locals associated that image with their state, just like the brand name.

The Anishinaabe and Dakota have had major influence on the state and that’s been recognized more in recent history with the renaming of certain places back to their native name, like Bde Maka Ska.

Most of the naming in the metro(and the state name) comes from the Dakota peoples. The Anishinaabe were located more in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin so you’ll see the influence there. For example the town of Biwabik in the iron range which is the Anishinaabe word for iron.

Same with coffee. I believe it’s actually caffeine that can work as a diuretic.

No, that was a potato… or a beet.

It is valid to call out motivation and engage in discussion around it. It doesn’t invalidate the case being brought but too often people and the media like to frame the situation in terms of morality.

South Africa and the other countries that support the case are likely not (only?) taking a moral stance.

I, like OP and others, see these articles and wonder why this genocide but not that one. I think that’s the difference between a human view and a political one.

specifically bred for aggression

This is wrong. Pit bull breeds were bred for gameness, the unrelenting will to “win” at all costs once engaged.

I think it’s also important to highlight the specifically bred part of your comment. Pit bull breeds didn’t become this way naturally, people made them this way. It’s less of a dog problem than it is a people problem.

Gameness could be bred out of these breeds the same way, but the change starts with people first.

This is correct. My argument isn’t just that they top the lists… it’s ALSO that the damage they do is much higher than any other breed as well. These concepts are inextricably linked.

This is called gameness and the trait is not inextricable for pit bull breeds. It was bred into them through selection, not too dissimilar to how those stubby faced breeds were bred to be that way (e.g. pugs).

If pit bull breeds were selectively bred to reduce/remove that trait it would change things. It’s almost like the root problem isn’t the dogs but the people and breeding practices.

Maybe pitbulls truly do have a disposition for being man-killers

Loved your comment, just wanted to chime in that what you’re referring to in the quoted portion above is commonly called gameness. Generally speaking it’s not that pit bulls are more prone to attack by default but their attacks are more unrelenting.

Embrace the power of the pyramid.