Forget what you've heard: Pit bulls make excellent pets.

When it comes to puppies, pit bulls are pretty perfect.

 Parker Molloy
10.15.15

No matter what you've heard, pit bulls are actually a really friendly, loving breed of dog. They just get a bad rap.

Some cities (and even entire countries) have at one point or another tried to deter ownership of pit bulls on the basis that the dogs were vicious, aggressive, or otherwise dangerous. At its peak, more than 700 cities and towns in the U.S. had pit bull bans. For a while there, the outlook wasn't so positive for our four-legged friends.

"You're afraid of me? But I'm so tiny and adorable and I'll love you forever and ever." Photo from iStock.

Over time, though, it became clear that banning pit bulls didn't actually do much to reduce the number of dog bites being reported, and the problem was less with the breed itself and more with how the dogs are cared for and socialized.

The Obama administration even weighed in on breed-specific bans, stating its opposition.

"We don't support breed-specific legislation — research shows that bans on certain types of dogs are largely ineffective and often a waste of public resources," reads the response to a 2013 "We the People" petition.

As we all know, President Obama has a bit of a soft spot for cuddly dogs — but then again, who doesn't? Photo by Pete Souza/The White House via Getty Images.

The response concluded that "any breed can become dangerous when they're intentionally or unintentionally raised to be aggressive" and it provided a list of steps put forward by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to reduce the risk of dog bites.

But stigma continues to go along with pit bulls. That's why pit bull owners have taken to Twitter to #ShowUsYourPits.

Again, that's "pits" with a "p." If you misread that hashtag, you're probably going to be really disappointed with the rest of this post. Sorry.

Mary shared a photo of her two rescues, Hazel and Brisket.


This goofball is named Chico.


Andre here is a 5-month-old pit bull/Jack Russell mix from Second Chance Rescue. Oh, and also a New York Mets fan, but I can forgive him for that (go Cubs!).


And Roscoe is just too cool for his own good.


The #ShowUsYourPits hashtag was started by Animal Planet to promote the return of its show "Pit Bulls and Parolees."

Pit bulls, somewhat similarly to people recently released from prison, can have a hard time finding a second chance in society — hence the show's name.

The show follows the story of dog trainer and founder of New Orleans' Villalobos Rescue Center Tia Torres. She and a crew made up of people out on parole work to rehabilitate and help find homes for abused and abandoned dogs. The show bills itself as "a chance at redemption for both man and man's best friend."


Do you have a pit bull? Add a photo of your buddy to social media with the hashtag and help fight the stigma!

SO CUTE. SO CUDDLY. SO HAPPY. Photo by iStock

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Oprah's secret 1992 racism experiment on her audience is still incredible today

On an old episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in July 1992, Oprah put her audience through a social experiment that puts racism in a new light. Despite being nearly two decades old, it's as relevant today as ever.

She split the audience members into two groups based on their eye color. Those with brown eyes were given preferential treatment by getting to cut the line and given refreshments while they waited to be seated. Those with blue eyes were made to put on a green collar and wait in a crowd for two hours.

Staff were instructed to be extra polite to brown-eyed people and to discriminate against blue-eyed people. Her guest for that day's show was diversity expert Jane Elliott, who helped set up the experiment and played along, explaining that brown-eyed people were smarter than blue-eyed people.

Watch the video to see how this experiment plays out.

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Cadbury removed the words from its wrappers to bring attention to a seldom-discussed issue

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Cadbury has removed the words from its Dairy Milk chocolate bars in the U.K. to draw attention to a serious issue, senior loneliness.

On September 4, Cadbury released the limited-edition candy bars in supermarkets and for every one sold, the candy giant will donate 30p (37 cents) to Age UK, an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for the elderly.

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Teachers seek outside support to tackle today’s challenges in the classroom

Young people today are facing what seems to be greater exposure to complex issues like mental health, bullying, and youth violence. As a result, teachers are required to be well-versed in far more than school curriculum to ensure students are prepared to face the world inside and outside of the classroom. Acting as more than teachers, but also mentors, counselors, and cheerleaders, they must be equipped with practical and relevant resources to help their students navigate some of the more complicated social issues – though access to such tools isn't always guaranteed.

Take Dr. Jackie Sanderlin, for example, who's worked in the education system for over 25 years, and as a teacher for seven. Entering the profession, she didn't anticipate how much influence a student's home life could affect her classroom, including "students who lived in foster homes" and "lacked parental support."

Dr. Jackie Sanderlin, who's worked in the education system for over 25 years.

Valerie Anglemyer, a middle school teacher with more than 13 years of experience, says it can be difficult to create engaging course work that's applicable to the challenges students face. "I think that sometimes, teachers don't know where to begin. Teachers are always looking for ways to make learning in their classrooms more relevant."

So what resources do teachers turn to in an increasingly fractured world? "Joining a professional learning network that supports and challenges thinking is one of the most impactful things that a teacher can do to support their own learning," Anglemyer says.

Valerie Anglemyer, a middle school teacher with more than 13 years of experience.

A new program for teachers that offers this network along with other resources is the WE Teachers Program, an initiative developed by Walgreens in partnership with ME to WE and Mental Health America. WE Teachers provides tools and resources, at no cost to teachers, looking for guidance around the social issues related to poverty, youth violence, mental health, bullying, and diversity and inclusion. Through online modules and trainings as well as a digital community, these resources help them address the critical issues their students face.

Jessica Mauritzen, a high school Spanish teacher, credits a network of support for providing her with new opportunities to enrich the learning experience for her students. "This past year was a year of awakening for me and through support… I realized that I was able to teach in a way that built up our community, our school, and our students, and supported them to become young leaders," she says.

With the new WE Teachers program, teachers can learn to identify the tough issues affecting their students, secure the tools needed to address them in a supportive manner, and help students become more socially-conscious, compassionate, and engaged citizens.

It's a potentially life-saving experience for students, and in turn, "a great gift for teachers," says Dr. Sanderlin.

"I wish I had the WE Teachers program when I was a teacher because it provides the online training and resources teachers need to begin to grapple with these critical social issues that plague our students every day," she adds.

In addition to the WE Teachers curriculum, the program features a WE Teachers Award to honor educators who go above and beyond in their classrooms. At least 500 teachers will be recognized and each will receive a $500 Walgreens gift card, which is the average amount teachers spend out-of-pocket on supplies annually. Teachers can be nominated or apply themselves. To learn more about the awards and how to nominate an amazing teacher, or sign up for access to the teacher resources available through WE Teachers, visit walgreens.com/metowe.

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Fed up news anchor has the best response to a man who told her to dress ‘like a normal woman’

Women shouldn't have to dress for the male gaze.

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