"Lydia's Law"

It seem that like lemmings, lawmakers stampede to be the first to propose some new law after tragedies that tug at the heartstring. The recent death of Lydia Chaplin of rural Erie apparently is no exception. While one would be hard pressed to imagine a more gruesome and horrible death, attempts to prevent it happening again are subject to debate.
Lawmakers are now scrambling to research the issue and get their name on some law that will capitalize on this horrid tragedy for their own aggrandizement.

Jerry Mitchell R-Rock Falls is first out of the gate with a proposal that involves allowing local government the right to enact breed specific ordinances and laws. Boland is also trying to get in the act.

It so happened that three of the four dogs involved were Pit Bulls, so I guess the thinking is if you somehow register or license Pit Bulls, then dog maulings will be reduced or eliminated. This seems like yet another band-aid solution which will have little if any effect on the problem, would likely have not prevented the tragedy which the pols are exploiting, and which usually involve imposing yet another fee or tax. And what about chihuahua's with nasty attitudes? What if someone attempts to evade the ordinances by breeding a Pit Chihuahua? Who's going to protect us from them?

Lease laws were already on the books in the area of the attack, and as long as dogs either are allowed to roam, or escape, the potential for an attack is always there. Laws on paper can only go so far, though perhaps it's worth doing at least something, no matter how marginal. But the Pavlovian response of politicians to capitalize on every tragedy really sticks in my craw.

Thorough Quad City Times article at links above and below...