ToscasMom, that was a heck of a post you made a few pages back. I could actually feel myself seeing things from the other side, which is the sign of a very gifted wordsmith.
My thoughts stemming from that: Personally, I don't force anybody to like my dog. I simply ask that they respect my right to own this breed as long as I hold up my end of the bargain and don't allow my dog to create any problems. If one doesn't like the breed for whatever reason, I liken it to myself not liking the breeds that I don't like. When I brought home my dog as a 10-week-old puppy, my uncle refused to touch her, citing bad experiences with other Pit Bulls. I thought it was a bit odd, but I didn't force the issue, though I did quietly note the time earlier this summer when he knelt down next to my dog and petted and loved on her without any urging from me.
Sensitivity is always a good idea, but it is very straining when you look at it from this side. People want to take away a very important part of my household, my life. They want to make it gone because of their fear. To me, it is not about my dog having any particular rights, but about my right to keep my family intact, including the dog. The breed is a big part of my past, present, and hopefully my future. When people want to take that away from me for no tangible reason (at least not as pertains to my personal situation), it is very hard to address the issue without the flare of emotions coming into play. I feel that twinge even as I write this.
So how far do we go to placate peoples' fears? There would be little left for me if I had to give up the breed, so that is essentially the ruination of not only my dog's life, but much of mine as well. I guess when it comes down to it, we would be an exchange of innocent lives. But should that make anybody feel any better? What of people who are deathly afraid of snakes? (I own one of those as well.) There is so much fear; where do we draw the line at what we will eliminate to make people more comfortable?