What happened on 2nd June 2023 - with your comments in the Web

On Friday, the Redditors discussed an acute problem of the law concerning dangerous dogs offered by the Independent. Almost everyday we read about new victims of ill-raised American XL Bullies and other dogs of dangerous breeds.

So, the mother of a 10-year-old boy who was killed by an American XL Bully dog is calling for a change to the law to protect the public from out-of-control pets. Emma Whitfield, 32, lost her son, Jack Lis, after he was attacked in Pentwyn, near Cardiff, South Wales, in November 2021, and since then a further 15 people in Britain have died of injuries sustained from maulings by aggressive and untrained dogs.

Earlier this month, Jonathan Hogg, 37, was killed in Leigh, Greater Manchester, by an animal of the same breed.

Detective chief inspector John Davies of Greater Manchester Police said: “Dangerous dogs do not have a place in our communities, and we want to reassure the public that we are doing everything in our power to keep people safe. “If you think someone has or is breeding dogs which endanger the public, please report it online or by calling 101.”

The majority of Redditors agreed that there is no proper law regulating this issue, and the American XL Bullies in particular in the UK at all.

"Some dogs get a bad rep and I will stick up for staffies and Rottweilers, although I want to see them taken out of general population and requiring additional licensing or checks.

However this “breed” has existed for literally a few years and is bred to be menacing. It’s so unbelievably dangerous and these cases are going to pile up."

"They are not a breed that needs protecting. They have been bred and then treated in such a way to become a dangerous animal. Some have their ears docked to make them more menacing. They are a status dog, a great source of funds for criminal families, and it's insane to think a creature that is as lethal as a tiger or a lion, is allowed to be kept inside a city controlled by any old scrag.

I don't believe the breed can be kept safely even by a trained and competent owner. It certainly shouldn't be kept by someone using it as a status dog."

"What’s the law?

A mess.

It was badly “sorted out” a couple decades ago after a similar spate of attacks. But it’s a bit crap to put it mildly."

"And yet we have plenty of breeds not covered by it and plenty of dangerous dogs out in the public. I’m old enough to remember the fuss in the 90’s that led to the laws and there’s another reckoning coming. Even at the time the government was told its legislation wasn’t up to the job."

"The law is not strong enough. All similar dogs need to be banned and confiscated and put down at the expense of the erstwhile owner."

"My belief is this breed exploits loopholes in the dangerous dog act and replaced the pit bull as a walking weapon. They need banning but the law needs to be broadened so that a new breed won't just replace it within a few years."

Also on Friday, the BBC again fell under the wave of critics. This time it happened because a girl threatened over Of Mice and Men interview.

In a BBC News NI interview, Angel, a teenage girl called for a novel containing racial slurs to be removed from the GCSE curriculum. She said hearing the slurs and the N-word in the classroom made her uncomfortable.

The girl's mother, Apolonia Mbondiya said a police officer visited their Belfast home earlier this week. The police said they do not comment on an individual's security. The family are now having to put security measures in place at home and at Angel's school.

Apolonia Mbondiya, the girl's mother

The readers agreed that "this is entirely the BBC's fault, for taking one student's opinion and blowing it up into a national news story for no good reason."

"Anyone who says anything even remotely controversial either in the media or on the internet gets abuse and threats - it’s just an unfortunate fact of life.

Which is why the BBC shouldn’t have put her opinion in the media and on the internet while personally identifying her."

"Really sick of the media amplifying individuals opinions as if they were representative to fan the flames of division. There was a time when despite all of its faults and cover ups, the BBC wouldn't have engaged in that sort of journalism. It's more inline with tabloid practice."

"In this instance, the BBC are clearly at fault though, for the click-baity headline presenting some kind of "woke" movement from one young woman's opinion. It was clearly written to incite rage from the "anti-woke" crowd and it was very unethical and irresponsible in my view."

Yet, there was different opinion:

"While I'm not a fan of the BBC or the way in which they report on controversial issues, this is entirely the fault of the people who threatened her. They are human beings with agency and responsibility for their actions, just as much as the BBC's journalists and editors."

 Meanwhile, the broadcaster got under fire for hosting TikTok prankster Mizzy on Newsnight.

Bacari-Bronze O’Garro, also known as Mizzy, was handed a criminal behaviour order last week after posting videos to the social media site of him storming a family home and stealing a pensioner’s dog.

The 18-year-old has now been bailed after allegedly filming people without their consent and visiting Westfield Stratford City shopping centre, which he was banned from doing under the terms of the order. He has denied the charges and claimed the breach was not his fault.

Appearing on Newsnight in a nine-minute discussion on Thursday night, he insisted: “I don’t need to do pranks anymore. I’m established enough as a prankster.” 

The reaction was ironic and more socially acute than Mizzy's TikTok contents..

"This is a masterclass on rage bait by the beeb. A crappy influencer talking about sexist Tate being poo pood by a torie on news night.

Ticks all the boxes. Generally though why are we giving what would be considered a Z lost influencer air time."

"If he was white he would be an anti social criminal."

"She should have asked how he pays for his child as he is unemployed. "

"The symbol of broken London. Poorly spoken English, a lack of morality, self inflated sense of worth and no sense of responsibility for one’s actions. " - "Potential MP? "

"He's not a 'prankster' a la Jeremy Beadle. He's a criminal who thinks it's funny to intimidate and frighten people. Note that he never 'pranks' 6 foot 4 skinheads."

 "What an absolute waste of our licence payer’s money.

The BBC is an absolute rip-off for mugging us.

And Kirsty Wark should be deeply ashamed for even agreeing to do this interview -shame on you as your are complicit in this idiotic programming.

But Inguess like most at the BBC, you put the pay-cheque as more important than any journalistic quality or ethics."

 

"It’s gonna be wild when he goes the way of the “catch me outside” girl and actually make millions

You shouldn’t be able to do that, it’s fucked up that good, hard working people are using food banks and literally human waste can become millionaire over being a piece of shit. But that’s reality.

And it won’t surprise me 1 bit if that happens here."