Dogfight: Appalling Sport or Historical Tradition?
The recent case brought against Atlanta Falcon quarterback Michael Vick and several relatives and acquaintances for breeding and training dogs to fight brought a spotlight on a practice that many thought had died out. That these events took place in southern states puts an uncomfortable focus on those that have marketed the “New South” as a move beyond long-standing southern stereotypes. James Tuten, assistant professor of history and a native of South Carolina, teaches a course on “The New South” and answers a few questions on Southern traditions and hunting culture.
Question
Is it fair to characterize dogfighting as a Southern phenomena? After all, there have been incidents in urban cities as well.
Answer
I think it’s clearly fair to say that, up to a point. There are incidents of this all over, but some of the other aspects of dogfighting have southern roots, like hunting with dogs where the end result is that the fox or rabbit is killed by the dogs. Also the idea of breeding dogs to fight and maintaining bloodlines comes right out of thoroughbred horse traditions. The difference is that both of these activities are legal.
Q
What is the attraction for dogfighting?
A
On some level, there is obviously a human interest there, like the excitement and adrenaline rush people get from watching bull fighting or ultimate fighting. There is clearly a tradition of dogfighting in the South and that ties into the southern culture of defiance of laws, of maintaining tradition. An example would be: “My granddaddy made his own whiskey and I’m going to do it too.
Q
Is this a tradition that will die out not only in the South by across the country?
A
The South, like the rest of the country, has a rural-urban divide. The values that are dominant in urban or suburban places don’t have a place for rural traditions and for the most part this is a rural tradition--you need space to do it and the noise associated with it is less likely to be noticed in a rural area.
Q
How long will it be before these “blood sport” traditions lose interest for people, not only in the South, but across the country?
A
Hunting in general, even in Pennsylvania, is in decline and as we become more urbanized we become less aware of where our food comes from. Killing an animal for sport is not generally an activity you pick up in middle age.
Q
Why is there more of an outcry against dogfighting when there are similar sports such as boxing, hunting and ultimate fighting that are not only legal but televised?
A
Humans historically have always made big distinctions among animals, and domesticated animals are put in a different category from livestock, wildlife and even varmints that destroy crops or livestock. I think that as more of the country becomes urbanized we will see these traditions, legal or illegal, decline in a lot of places.
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