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Show RI E Breeding for "cuteness" is hurting dogs cursory stroll along Reddit lane is but a small reminder of NAFISA our social obsession when it comes to canines — the wrinkled face of a pug and the goofy, lopsided grin of a golden retriever can summon a smile faster than any gurgling baby. After all, these animals are cute in the most unassuming of ways. But while most of us may chalk it up to some genetic jackpot, humans are indisputably responsible for many of these breeds. The origin of the dog can be traced as far back as 15,000 years ago, when hunter-gatherers domesticated European gray wolves. According to The Scientist, there are several theories about how this happened. Some posit that hunter-gatherers utilized wolves as guard animals in exchange for food and shelter, while others believe foraging in human food scrap piles conditioned the wolves to become comfortable when exposed to their two-legged neighbors. Still others believe orphaned wolf pups were raised and nursed alongside human babies, and one National Geographic article even suggests that friendly wolves sought attention from humans. Regardless of the nature of their origins, it's clear that man has played a sizable part in the breeding and crossbreeding of dogs. Human influence allows us to pepper our everyday conversations with words like "maltipoo" and "labradoodle" and not be laughed out of the room, a right many exercise with pride. Such crossbreeds are visible manifestations of what we value: floppy ears, scrunched-up noses and a body that can fit into a teacup. But most of us don't realize that crossbreeding for certain features not only affects a dog's appearance but its health as well. Flat-faced breeds such as bulldogs often suffer from breathing difficulties because of their shortened air passages, and the wrinkled skin on the faces of Chinese Shar-Peis and around the eyes of bloodhounds often lead to skin and eye infections. Size can also affect health, as "teacup" dogs often have heart problems and trouble staying warm, while their larger-boned brothers (such as mastiffs and Great Danes) suffer orthopaedic problems due to inadequate bone and joint structure holding up so much excess weight. We continually place our desire for "cuteness" over the way certain breed-able features negatively affect our pets. Crossbreeding has its costs, and if we really loved our dogs, we would evaluate the effects with regards to more than just appearance. letters@chronicle.utah.edu A TO JUMP OFF THE BANDWAGON f only the real world was as simple as a syllogism. A syllogism is a form of deductive reasoning that contains a major and minor premise which lead to a conclusion. Here's one of the most basic examples of a syllogism: All men are mortal. Socrates is a man. Therefore Socrates is mortal. While most syllogisms seem simple, they are generally more of a stereotype than a reality. For example, Utah is full of Mormons. You're from Utah.Therefore you must be Mormon. Many people outside of Utah would probably agree with that syllogism, but they would be jumping to conclusions without having all the facts. This is exactly what happened in the reactions to the police shootings in Ferguson, Mo., and, more recently, in Saratoga Springs. Many could and did conclude that, since the majority of citizens in Ferguson are black and most of the police force is white, the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by Darren Wilson must have been racially motivated. However, jumping to that type of conclusion is the result of syllogism, which as I've just shown, can be misleading. It's based on the stereotype that most white cops have it out for black people. The media quickly sensationalized the shooting and labeled it as racially motivated, and the rest of the country jumped on the bandwagon. But the truth of the matter is that we still don't have all the facts, we don't know exactly what happened that night, and as a result we are guilty of making rash judgments based on faulty reasoning. The evidence at hand suggests there might have been racial undertones involved with the shootings because the Ferguson 10 THECHRONY police department has a history of racial profiling. However, there are still far too many unknowns for any logical person to definitely condemn this shooting as racially charged. Many people are so busy jumping to conclusions that they're ignoring the fact that Brown was allegedly caught on video tape shoving a convenience store clerk while stealing a box of cigars the same night he was shot. A CNN account from a friend of the officer involved in the shooting had Brown and a friend walking down the middle of the street blocking traffic and refusing to comply after the police told them to move. This led to a physical confrontation and then the fatal shooting.This incident cannot be summed up in a simple syllogism. There are too many unknowns at this juncture to pass judgment until all the facts have come to light. Another example of jumping to conclusions without all the facts is the fatal shooting of Darrien Hunt in Saratoga Springs. While the uproar over the fact that he was shot and killed is understandable, considering he was shot six times in the back, the allegations by the Hunt family and the media that he was shot because he was black are not entirely founded. Just because Hunt was black and the police officer was white doesn't mean Hunt was shot because he was black. Yet that is already the foregone conclusion among many residents here in Utah. We don't have all the facts at hand to make a logical judgment. The fact of the matter is that the Ferguson and Saratoga Springs shootings are tragic no matter what the evidence eventually points to.The death of a young man with his entire future ahead of him is reason enough to question the intentions of the police officers in both shootings. But there is a reason that we have a system known as due process. As a society, we should resist the temptation to jump to a conclusion before handing down judgment. letters@chronicle.utah.edu /--M C•f."Ciy. C"C .2 Since 1981 MASUD CARTOON BY RORY PENMAN Tuesday Special: 99e 1/i a l lbilnurgersr.11.1-111 oll day long with purchozo of Frier., drink, onion ring, or zucchini Frier.. (1 per purchase, you save $2.30) University Location 222 S. 1300 E. • 582-7200 Also at: 7800 S. State • 255-5900 |