Helen Keller had a pitbull, though she may have thought it was a collie. LOL
When I was in high school my family lived on a ranch. We had dogs, cats and horses. Frequently we would bring home strays and sometimes those strays became a part of the family. One such animal was a female pitbull. She had appeared to have recently had a litter of puppies, but they were not to be found.
At the time, we had 4 other dogs, two German shephards, an Irish setter, and a mutt. We also had a cat. This pitbull was a wonderful addition to the mix. She was sweet and gentle and posessed a disposition that could best be described as amiable. There was never any problems with the other dogs. The cat, on the other hand, did attack the pit. The was very little reaction from the pit and the cat came out the winner in the confrontation
On the other hand...
When the neighbors two German shorthairs wandered onto our property, there was an issue. The vet bills weren't cheap.
All that being said, my opinion is that, for the most part, a dog is more a product of it's environment than it's instinct. That's not to say that instict doesn't play a part, it does, but much of that can be overcome with the proper training.
In the end, as a parent I would have never had a pitbull around my children, but then again, I wouldn't have a wolf hybrid around my kids either and I love those animals as well.
In the end, I would own a pitbull again.
"I am allergic to piety, it makes me break out in rash judgements." - Penn Jillette
"I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with a lot of pleasure." - Clarence Darrow
"The man who invented the telescope found out more about heaven than the closed eyes of prayer ever discovered." - Robert G. Ingersoll