Community members DubV and Dude, I BaggedYourPit coined this term by combining “pit” and ‘thetic,’ (assertion/dogma,) with “dementia” (a loss of reasoning and orientation through various pathologies) to describe a system of thought that is so flexible that it can take any information at all and use it to strengthen their hypotheses. It cannot be falsified in their minds. Persons suffering from pitthetic dementia can recall prescriptive talking points for the purpose of justifying beliefs, but have lost the ability to reason independently or accept rational conclusions in conflict with these beliefs.
here are my favorite examples of pitthetic dementia. feel free to share yours.
it's all how you raise 'em
whenever a pit bull goes on the attack, the pit nutters blame the owner for failing to provide proper training, socialization and care. often, but not always, the dogs have been abused or neglected. this theory is in sharp contrast to the fervor surrounding the saving of fight bust dogs and dogs rescued from abusive situations. compare the "it's all how you raise 'em" mantra to the most recent cruelty case in new jersey. this pit bull was starved and thrown in the garbage. someone rescued him. i am not sure that keeping him alive was the most prudent decision and if he survives, he will surely become the next poster pit for the "they're the most forgiving dogs evah" campaign. sad stories like patrick's illustrate beautifully the flexibility of pit nutter thought. just listen to the attending vet, Dr Tom Scavelli: "With all he's been through, he loves people, he's been very engaging with our staff, he doesn't seem to distrust people. He still comes out, he wants to be petted, he wants to have human contact." i doubt this wretched creature possesses the energy to be aggressive but if he survives, is adopted out and later does harm someone, the pit nutters will grant him a full pardon based on his hideous past.
another popular flex tactic on the it's all how you raise 'em theme is when a pit nutter shows up on line saying their pit bull is the most loving loyal dog they've ever owned and it is because they have raised it correctly. that same pit nutter will then state that their chihuahua or jack russell or border collie is the most vicious dog they've ever owned.
dog bite statistics
from time to time, common sense rears its politically incorrect head and people demand to be protected from the pit bull menace. media reports, animal people and the CDC are referenced as proof of the unique threat that gripping dogs pose. the pit nutters swear that bite statistics can never be trusted, no one can properly identify a pit bull (pitplexia) and the media is biased. they love to quote the CDC's reversal on the legitimacy of tracking dog bites by breed. yet, their ever flexible system of thought allows them to promote the 2008 "study" that shows you are "more likely to be bitten by a dachshund". this 2008 "study" is nothing more than a questionnaire administered to 6000 dog owners who were asked about their dogs' aggressive tendencies. i suspect the only thing that this "study" accurately measures is the level of honesty among owners of different dog breeds. and we all know how honest pit bull owners are.
funny thing about this particular link to the study, it was written by JOHN WOESTENDIEK, a 35 yr veteran of the newspaper business. the one time recipient of the pulitzer prize, now spends his days writing puff pieces on his blog ohmidog! and parrots the pit nutter party line. JOHN seems to have abandoned the principles of journalism he learned long ago. and he fails to take the most basic step promoted by pit nutters: do your own research! age and wisdom do not necessarily go hand in hand.
dogs and kids
you know the drill, pit bull mauls kid, people demand pit bull regulation. the nutters bombard the internet, blaming the parents and stating "I would NEVER leave any child ALONE with ANY dog!!" out of the other side of their mouth comes "Pit bulls were the original nanny dog!" and "I would never trust my children with any other breed."
fyi, here is DR. IAN DUNBAR in march 2010 advocating pit bulls as his FIRST choice of therapy dog for child psychiatric wards because pit bulls don't care when "children pull their tails and poke them".
racism and reverse discrimination
pit bull zealots attempt to paint anyone who shuns their dogs as a racist. they then proceed to boast of their devotion to pit bulls stating they will never own any other type of dog while sporting t-shirts and bumper stickers proclaiming "if it ain't pit, it ain't shit".
PIT HEIL!
