How Stupidity Spreads...

Take one tenured academic.
Add one basic news story.

Court rules that a dog must die because he looks like a pit bull.

In Ireland, where pit bulls are illegal. The dog, Lennox, is a cross between a bulldog and a Labrador.

Drop in some geographic ignorance, (no Virginia, Belfast is part of the United Kingdom, not the Irish Republic),

Add a bit of indifference to commenters' correction:

flenser said...
Belfast is not in "Ireland", it is part of the UK. Pit bulls are not banned in Ireland.

That's what you get for assuming that journolists are non-idiots. If you follow the "illegal in Ireland" link you see the folowing information:

Ironically, if Bruce lived south of the border in Ireland, he would be not be on death row as pitbulls are not a banned breed.

And if he lived in Britain, he would be fine because British owners are allowed to keep a banned breed if they comply with several regulations including neutering the dog and getting them insured.

However, in Northern Ireland a different law applies and the animal must be destroyed.

4/3/11 11:44 AM

And sprinkle with typical bigoted amusement.

F4GIB said...
You have to remember that everyone with brains, stamina, and guts left Ireland for the USA (and other pioneering lands) in the last two centuries. The genetic legacy left in Ireland comes from those too weak to act. It's their prodigy that can't make peace, can't run a banking system (or a tiny economy), and passes and enforces legislation like this.

They are a polite people but nothing else, certainly nothing admirable.

My Ireland-born grandfather would have used stronger language. ;-)

4/3/11 11:26 AM

or

Sixty Grit said...
My great-great-great-grandmother was from Ireland. Lived in the same county I am moving to. I didn't learn this until after St. Paddy's day, more's the pity, or I could have hoisted a pint in her memory.

And pissed on the current residents of that blighted isle.
4/3/11 11:48 AM

or,

Fred4Pres said...
The "authorities" used to do similar things to the Catholics in Ireland.

You would think they would be a bit more forgiving.

4/3/11 11:55 AM

Wah-lah! The final product is promoting an incorrect assumption, based on the poor use of a search filter (Poor defense, professor: "The phrase 'illegal in Ireland' is in the article.") and an obvious admission of not reading the linked story fully...

Ann Althouse said...
Re: "Belfast is not in "Ireland", it is part of the UK. Pit bulls are not banned in Ireland."

Well, hell. The phrase "illegal in Ireland" is in the article. I kinda just assumed "Belfast City" was different from Belfast. Like Kansas City and Kansas....

I only went to that site because Drudge linked to it for some rumor that Samantha Power will be the next Secretary of State... which seemed a bit off too.

4/3/11 11:53 AM

(Now kiddos, consider future credibility when linking to such academics as sources of accuracy in other news stories?* Thanks and good day.)

------------------------
* I used to laugh when the NYT would cite to commenters on her weblog, as representing the voices of MidWest readers. You've been had, people. This is not logical, nor accurate, reporting even when properly corrected. "The facts are what I think them is."


ADDED: Here's a few commenters who get it, what actually goes into (or should) this reporting stuff = THINKING skills:

Jeff said...
Ann:
Re: "Well, hell. The phrase "illegal in Ireland" is in the article. I kinda just assumed 'Belfast City' was different from Belfast. Like Kansas City and Kansas.."

Well hell, indeed. Did you also assume that an email address like "complaints@belfastcity.gov.uk" would be to the Republic of Ireland?! You know what they say about the word "ASSUME."

4/3/11 5:26 PM

and

Just me said...
What makes me sick is the mass rush to believe this story.

Read this news item: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/lennox-after-10-months-locked-up-judge-rules-dog-must-die-15130806.html

and you find that the owners agreed that the dog was a Pit Bull mix. Or please read this news item:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-12901538

and learn about the dog's previous aggressive behavior.

Now, I'm fine with having a discussion about whether or not it's smart to put down Pit Bulls, and or, mixes. I believe that all dogs are unique, just as humans are, but let's be clear that the authorities were right. This dog is a Pit Bull mix and that's illegal in [Northern] Ireland. Again, I'm all for having an intellectual discussion about the law, but the current law is clear.

This is what's so sad about our country today. A blogger, or their blog readers, can't even take 5 minutes to search Google and see if there is another side of the story. That this blog, and it's readers, would so quickly accept the story as being 100% true is absolutely frightening. For those of you who have responded with outrage, I have some ocean front property here in Arizona that I'd love to sell you.

4/3/11 9:56 PM