Hey everyone, I just received this message about a company named “Icon”. Please read, respond and forward this post. This kind of “imagery” can do a huge amount of harm to Pit Bulls. Icon should be ashamed.
— Kenn
A friend recently made me aware of a company called “Icon”. They sell motorcycle gear and are using negative imagery of pit bulls in their “Represent” line products.
Here’s the letter she emailed them:
I recently saw a print advertisement for your “Represent” line of products, and was immediately and profoundly dismayed, offended, and repulsed. The teeny-tiny fine print beneath this ad that suggests that your company does not endorse dog fighting in no way compensates for the way in which these products perpetuate the attitudes and psychology that fosters the cruel and horrifying world of dog fighting. I am forwarding the information about your products and your company to every organization I can think of to foster a boycott until these products are pulled. You should be ashamed.
Here is a link to the line of gear on the company’s website:
http://rideicon.com/represent.jsp
I have emailed them as well and if you find this as repulsive as we do then I hope we can ban together and overwhelm them with emails like the one above.
I’m going for getting this on the news…so stay tuned.
Does that sleeve say “Philly”???
As in the Eagles?
It sure seems to say Philly. Now that is ironic.
I am a die hard motorcyclist and I am a dog breeder, a PROFESSIONAL dog breeder. This graphic depiction in no way psychologically or else deters the people who love the Pitbull Breed in any way. It also DOES NOT lead the general public by way of it being an angry dog that happens to look like a pit. It could be a Staffordshire or it could be a cane corso. It is an attitude statement for a younger generation that like extremes. That's all. Because you see Dragons on someones shirt does it deter them from Dragons. Ok. Dragons are mythical. What about other companies that show things that are exaggerated. I know People who work for Icon and they have dogs, some pits. Why would you attack a company that is just publishing a logo graphic for people who relate to a snarling dog. I market dogs, and I know far well that if someone is not intelligent enough to know that Pit bulls are one of the gentleist loyal breeds available, not to worry they won't get one. Guns don't kill people, Bad people who are in some way, predetemined to use them to kill, do, … LIKE WISE Responsible breeders/ owners don't have Pit Bulls/Staffordshire Terriers for sport fighting or as trained killers…Bad people who are scum of the Earth and are poor excuses for being human, train, beat, abuse and condition helpless and innocent canines for their selfish gains. Please listen this is the wrong way to fix the image of a bad breed that they already burden.
Thank You
Roy Castro
Hi Roy, thanks for your comment, but you have to understand that pit bulls and their owners are under attack from state government, local government and fearful people because of the perception of them as vicious fighting dogs. People are having they're dogs taken from them simply because they look like a pit.
Now, we both understand that if all Pits disappeared tomorrow, dog fighting fans would just switch to Rotties or Matiffs or Dobies. But the fearful public doesn't understand this. Everything that was gained from this country's awareness to dog fighting from the Michael Vick conviction could be lost if Icon and other companies start making Vicious Pit Bull Images cool to adults and kids. It's not cool.
These people torture and kill these animals for their own personal pleasure.
We all know that these dogs aren't vicious and that it's bad people that make them that way but most of America doesn't realize this. They are afraid of pits because when a fighting ring is raided, the media doesn't use a picture of the criminals that do this, they use a stock photo of a snarling pit and slap it on the story. Kinda like the imagery that Icon uses.
Icon is helping to glamorize a horrible, vicious sport. A sport that we are starting to make headway against.
A pit bull in a fighting ring is not a weapon, like a gun is. It is the helpless victim. Maybe a jacket with the victims of drugs or street crime will be next for Icon. We know that won't happen, so why celebrate the victims of dog fighting across their clothes?
Anyway, thanks for sharing your opinion, Roy. I always appreciate a good discussion. Whether we agree or not.
I am a die hard motorcyclist and I am a dog breeder, a PROFESSIONAL dog breeder. This graphic depiction in no way psychologically or else deters the people who love the Pitbull Breed in any way. It also DOES NOT lead the general public by way of it being an angry dog that happens to look like a pit. It could be a Staffordshire or it could be a cane corso. It is an attitude statement for a younger generation that like extremes. That's all. Because you see Dragons on someones shirt does it deter them from Dragons. Ok. Dragons are mythical. What about other companies that show things that are exaggerated. I know People who work for Icon and they have dogs, some pits. Why would you attack a company that is just publishing a logo graphic for people who relate to a snarling dog. I market dogs, and I know far well that if someone is not intelligent enough to know that Pit bulls are one of the gentleist loyal breeds available, not to worry they won't get one. Guns don't kill people, Bad people who are in some way, predetemined to use them to kill, do, … LIKE WISE Responsible breeders/ owners don't have Pit Bulls/Staffordshire Terriers for sport fighting or as trained killers…Bad people who are scum of the Earth and are poor excuses for being human, train, beat, abuse and condition helpless and innocent canines for their selfish gains. Please listen this is the wrong way to fix the image of a bad breed that they already burden.
Thank You
Roy Castro
Hi Roy, thanks for your comment, but you have to understand that pit bulls and their owners are under attack from state government, local government and fearful people because of the perception of them as vicious fighting dogs. People are having they're dogs taken from them simply because they look like a pit.
Now, we both understand that if all Pits disappeared tomorrow, dog fighting fans would just switch to Rotties or Matiffs or Dobies. But the fearful public doesn't understand this. Everything that was gained from this country's awareness to dog fighting from the Michael Vick conviction could be lost if Icon and other companies start making Vicious Pit Bull Images cool to adults and kids. It's not cool.
These people torture and kill these animals for their own personal pleasure.
We all know that these dogs aren't vicious and that it's bad people that make them that way but most of America doesn't realize this. They are afraid of pits because when a fighting ring is raided, the media doesn't use a picture of the criminals that do this, they use a stock photo of a snarling pit and slap it on the story. Kinda like the imagery that Icon uses.
Icon is helping to glamorize a horrible, vicious sport. A sport that we are starting to make headway against.
A pit bull in a fighting ring is not a weapon, like a gun is. It is the helpless victim. Maybe a jacket with the victims of drugs or street crime will be next for Icon. We know that won't happen, so why celebrate the victims of dog fighting across their clothes?
Anyway, thanks for sharing your opinion, Roy. I always appreciate a good discussion. Whether we agree or not.
I emailed them as well..