It's come to this
It happened for real tonight. We were walking down one of the "safe" streets and there was a dog loose. A big dog. It waited until we were past the house and then it ran after us. It was silent until it was right up on us and I heard it’s jaws snap behind me. It barked/growled and then ran away. We stood there cowering, shocked, trying to process what had happened. The owner was outside. Adam asked her, angrily, indignantly, why her dog was not on a leash. She held up her hand, waved us away and walked into the house. So we called the police and filed a report. We’re pissed. We’re angry. We’re scared. We are without options.
Here’s the thing. We weren’t bitten but we easily could have been. Both of us were terrified, especially when we consider how we are going to keep our child safe soon. I am quickly developing a full-blown panic disorder when it comes to dogs in Albuquerque. It’s turning me into a crazy person; someone who would buy a gun or put rat poison into hamburger and dump it into offending yards. This isn’t who I am. I’m not a crazy person and I don’t think I’ve ever resorted to violence. But I’m going insane. I feel like I can’t leave my apartment anymore. Gone are the days of MC when I felt safe enough to consider pacifism as a viable option.
And so, I suppose my question is this: Did we make a decision for pacifism and nonviolence out of a sense that we would always be safe? Or that, if we made the decision to harm no one, then we wouldn’t be put into the position where we wanted to or felt like we had to? Is it possible to live peacefully when dogs are literally snapping at your heels? Are all the “wise” people who promulgated nonviolence at school just naive denizens of safe havens who don’t have to deal with not being terrorized on a daily basis? Are people who live in the suburbs & who drive cars just trying to keep themselves and their kids from harm?
I don’t think I’ve ever lived in a place where there was so much fear and so little black & white. I really thought before that I could comprehend the grey places, but I was wrong. I’ve never seen so much grey before. It’s totally grey here. I’ve never had so many questions and so little truth. I’ve never been a mother before either. Maybe that’s it.
Here’s the thing. We weren’t bitten but we easily could have been. Both of us were terrified, especially when we consider how we are going to keep our child safe soon. I am quickly developing a full-blown panic disorder when it comes to dogs in Albuquerque. It’s turning me into a crazy person; someone who would buy a gun or put rat poison into hamburger and dump it into offending yards. This isn’t who I am. I’m not a crazy person and I don’t think I’ve ever resorted to violence. But I’m going insane. I feel like I can’t leave my apartment anymore. Gone are the days of MC when I felt safe enough to consider pacifism as a viable option.
And so, I suppose my question is this: Did we make a decision for pacifism and nonviolence out of a sense that we would always be safe? Or that, if we made the decision to harm no one, then we wouldn’t be put into the position where we wanted to or felt like we had to? Is it possible to live peacefully when dogs are literally snapping at your heels? Are all the “wise” people who promulgated nonviolence at school just naive denizens of safe havens who don’t have to deal with not being terrorized on a daily basis? Are people who live in the suburbs & who drive cars just trying to keep themselves and their kids from harm?
I don’t think I’ve ever lived in a place where there was so much fear and so little black & white. I really thought before that I could comprehend the grey places, but I was wrong. I’ve never seen so much grey before. It’s totally grey here. I’ve never had so many questions and so little truth. I’ve never been a mother before either. Maybe that’s it.
posted by obfuscare at 1:03 AM
3 Comments:
You know...you and I deal with the same problem. I try to rescue the dogs, and you try to escape them. But we both struggle with the effect of an overpopulation of dogs on the streets.
I could tell you that they are mean because no one gave them a chance. I could tell you they just need love. But I don't have snapping jaws following me home at night.
And I'm not a mom (to a human).
That's the thing. I really like dogs. We might even take in a dog someday. It's really problem owners that are causing all the trouble. They don't care enough about their dogs to train them, they aren't housing them properly, and they obviously aren't giving them enough attention or love, so dogs act out.
At least you're giving Annie a good home. Maybe there's hope. Just not in A-town.
You should move to Chicago. They'll ticket you if you let your dog off its leash outside of a fenced-in dog park.
They're dog Nazis here.
And all the dogs stop at the crosswalks and look both ways, so they won't chase you either.
We have an extra bedroom...
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